To My Favorite Squad,
A successful team dynamic is sometimes very difficult to achieve, for you never know how a group will click. However, when you get the right people, you can come up with something incredibly special. I've had my fair share of supportive teams, but I don't think I realized the true value of 'have your back' until I played on the field with all of you.
So many times in the past, I have absolutely dreaded going to practice, incredibly worried about the agenda and if all of us would be in a good mood that day, but playing with you all has shown me that excitement comes with every practice. The competitiveness, drive to play and motivation the goofiness, are present, but also yields social vibes and laughter. We've found the perfect balance of work hard, do work and take a breather to have a few laughs. Some may not understand the bizarre things we find so comical and amusing, but who really cares? At the end of the day, love and support is radiating.
Game dynamic is another thing. We really just get each other. Yeah, we've pulled formations and lineups from our old teams' experiences, but we've adapted those to make things work for us. We know each other's tendencies, we know which players' skills work best with one another and we simply trust each other more than anything. We have our right-hand gals right beside us and have full confidence that each team member is putting forth their full effort. We wear our jerseys proud, we pick each other up when we're down and lift one another even higher when we're at our peak. We embrace the sweat, look forward to the team rivalries we've established and put in hours of practice to make us the best we can become at game time.
The beauty of it all is that yes, this game means a lot to us. And yes, we would love to be winning time and time again, but above all, we are all here for the fun of it, for the friendships, for the support system. A loss one Sunday will be so minuscule in the grand scheme of things, but in the moment, it is easy to get caught up in the match's hype. That's where all of you come to the rescue, reassuring one another that it's just a sport and that we've benefited more from the laughs and friendships than anything else.
So thank you, my squad, my go-to's, my best friends, for absolutely everything. For the goofiness at a Tuesday and Wednesday night practice, for the direction on the field, for the funny GroupMe messages that follow after an evening out together, for pushing me to my fullest potential, even though I could use a third lung to help me sprint back and cover on defense, for being there through the most difficult times and for being there through the absolute joys of life. This team is an eclectic group, differing in personalities, passion and backgrounds, yet we all come together to play the sport we love and strive to be the best teammates and friends for one another. You have played such an integral part of my life, that thank you does not even seem to cover it all. I hope you all know how grateful I am for each and every one of you.
“I am a member of a team, and I rely on the team, I defer to it and sacrifice for it because the team, not the individual, is the ultimate champion." -- Mia Hamm
Love you people 'til the end of time.
