Dear Coaches,

I have participated in gymnastics, dance, softball, basketball and volleyball. Softball and volleyball were the two sports I pursued. I will always appreciate dance and gymnastics, but they were just not for me. Basketball was fun while it lasted, but I prefer to watch and coach instead of playing.

Throughout all the sports teams I played on, I have experienced many coaching styles. Some coaching styles were more effective than others. I had one dance/ gymnastics instructor, three basketball coaches, six volleyball coaches, and more than twelve coaches for softball. These numbers do not even include the coaches assistants for each team. This letter is for all of you, including the coaches' assistants.

I learned something from each one of you, whether it was a technique, or a life lesson, but a great coach will teach you both.

I would love to say I loved each and every one of you, but that would be a lie. As a person, you may have been okay, but as a coach? Not so much.

Even if I was not a fan of you as a coach, you can bet that I gave you the utmost respect, regardless of my personal feelings towards you.

To the coaches I did not favor, I learned what not to do by your example, and I will never treat people the way you treated me.

On the other hand, I was blessed with many great coaches that I will never forget. To the great coaches, you did not play favorites and you treated everyone as your own daughter. You touched my life and I will forever be thankful for the time I spent on your team.

A great coach will teach you techniques and skills as well as life lessons.

So, thank you to the ones that pushed me to further my abilities. Thank you to the ones who benched me, you pushed me to prove myself ten times over. Thank you for teaching me to hustle and to never give up, not even in the last possible moments. Thank you to the ones that believed in me; because of you, I had the courage to spread my wings on and off the court/ field.

Thank you to the ones who never gave up on me, even when I was ready to throw in the towel.

If anything, I learned how to show respect and stand up for myself at the same time. I knew when it was time to stay quiet or time to speak up. I was a captain or leader for some of your teams, and it taught me how to listen and support my teammates.

I no longer play softball, but I was blessed with how my travel softball career started and how it ended. It was all thanks to the coaches and girls I played alongside. When I played my last softball game, I cried my eyes out, not because I’ll miss playing, but because of the memories and people I met along the journey.

I laugh now when I think back to the first time I picked up a volleyball. I never planned on trying out my seventh-grade year, but I am so thankful to the coaches that forced me to call home for practice clothes on the day of tryouts.

I did not become serious about volleyball until my freshman year of high school. That coach taught me new things and to go all out for everything. He inspired me to be the best player and person that I could ever hope to be. Thank you!

The amount of effort you put forth displays how much heart you have.

One of the most important things I learned from sports is that there is more to winning and being competitive. It is all about the people you meet. When I look back, my mind does not go to winning championships, or to the home runs, or to the “ESPN” catches, or to the numerous injuries I acquired.

I think about the late-night practices with my friends, and the times I fell to the ground laughing so hard at something a coach said. I think about the moments in between games where we would all just hang out as a family. When I look back, I remember all the little things and the friends I made along the way, and I think about the coaches who changed my life forever.

A coach is more than just someone who tells you how to swing the bat, how to serve a volleyball, or how to dribble down the court. They are more than just cheerleaders and advocates for the team.

They are people who give up their time to help shape the characters of their players. Whether it was good or bad, I was given a lesson from each and every one of you, so thank you all for contributing to the person I am today.

Love,

A girl that has been impacted by every coach I played for.