As I'm writing this to you, I'm crying. Tears of joy for all your amazing years, and tears of sorrow reminiscing on some of the most cherished and valuable moments you have ever had.

I still remember the very first practice with your first team, the extremely intimidating Lady Bugs. It was a time before you knew the vigorous pressure of competition, when your coach would feed y'all donut holes before games, when you had silly string fights in practice, and when you had pizza parties; and by pizza parties I mean a pizza box filled up with hundreds of ladybugs— you got us every time coach.

But even then, your heart was always in the game and you were always ready to play your 7-year-old heart out. I remember dribbling up the sidelines, the adrenaline pumping through your body, the motivation running through your veins, your eyes locked on the goal, and your feet guarding that little ball with your life.

Cherish these moments— because as you grow taller, things change a little. The game wasn't just about fun, but also about the heightened competition and value of teamwork you will learn and cherish along the road. Soccer isn't just a part of your life anymore sweetie, but it's a part of you.

You make your way from donuts and ladybug pizza parties to high school and club teams— practice two times a day, sprints on sprints, scrapes and bruises, and the newly formed goal to push yourself as hard as you can go.

You will be blessed with some of the best coaches you could ever ask for— coaches that not only shaped you as a soccer player, but also shaped your character. You learned the true value of teamwork and of hard work. You learned that you put into something what you get out of it, and you learned not to give up on yourself even when it gets hard.

Your confidence grew tremendously. Your skills were heightened to a new level of performance. Being on that field were the moments you lived for. You were at your prime— breaking ankles and 'saucing' it up, as Coach Josh always said.

Your teammates were more than just that— they became your family, lifelong friends, and are still in your life today. You experienced one of the most incredible trips with them— traveling to Canada and watching the Women's World Cup side by side.

Elissa, your last few years were the toughest, but they were also the most rewarding. Your team split apart, but that led to the most competitive games you would ever play.

You had to heighten your fitness, your mentality, your skills, everything. A new level of expectations was thrown your way, and you had to rise to that standard and not let the pressure of the game defeat you.

You were beaten up physically with scratches and bruises and your body ached from the hours of training, but more than that you had to overcome your constant doubts and fear that you weren't good enough. You pushed your body and mind as far as you could go, and it was worth it.

It was all so damn worth it.

You traveled to California and Las Vegas, and you got to play right by the beach against some of the most competitive teams you've ever played before.

I know little you always wanted to travel, and you finally got to in your last year.

Elissa, your junior year was the hardest. It seemed as if just as fast as it came, it got taken away.

I wish you knew that day would be your last day competing.

It was April when you tore your ACL, and you left the competition behind. That day, a little piece of you was chipped away, and you missed the game more than anything the year you were recovering.

But don't worry Eliss, you still get that piece back. You cherish all your years and will always look back with smiles during that season of life. You carry it in your heart and keep it in your memories. And what soccer did for you will never be taken away.

Now, you are stronger. You value and understand teamwork. You are changed inside and out. And most importantly, you are thankful. You have some of the most incredible memories of being on top of the world with the game you fell in love with at age 7.

I bet you didn't know kicking around the ball one day and deciding that's what you wanted to do would carry you into your adolecent years and be a part of you forever, and that it would be one of the most rewarding and invigorating parts of growing up. Thank you little me, for choosing blood, sweat, and tears.