In my last year of a collegiate sport, I reflect on exactly what it was that brought me here. I made it here with my determination, the goals I set for myself, and my unwillingness to fail. Of course, it was my love for the game that encouraged me to compete for as long as I possibly could, but I wouldn't have the ability without coaches by my side. I had coaches who believed in me, coaches who pushed me, and coaches who helped me.
To all of them, I say:
Thank you.
To my high school coaches: you gave me my start. You took me from mediocre to good. You built my confidence to a whole new level and really taught me what it was like to be a part of a team. You took my cockiness down a couple of pegs (okay, a lot of pegs) and told me that I wasn't the best, but that I could be if I worked hard enough.
You forced me to practice and told that without the practice, the performance would never be there. You helped me balance my classes and the sport I love. You showed me what it was like to have people depend on me and you helped me achieve my goals and take the step towards my next one -- being a collegiate athlete.
To my collegiate coaches: you made my dreams come true. You took me from good to great. You pushed me harder than I ever thought possible. You taught me aspects of the game that I had never thought of before. You helped my knowledge grow passed the capacity that I thought was possible.
You let me lead a group of peers and put your trust in me to make the right decisions. You trusted my talents and believed in my abilities. You gave me a family that I had always wanted. You taught me what it was like to fight for my goals and that it took a lot more than wishing for things to happen, it took WORK. You helped me realize why I fell in love with the game in the first place and gave me a place to really show what I was worth.
To my team: you always believed in me. You took me from a head case to less of a head case. You practiced with me and helped me through all of the times that I struggled. You taught me your tips and tricks that I wouldn't have thought of otherwise and trusted all of my tips and tricks as well. You trusted my judgments and really looked up to me when you needed the help. You lifted me up when I wasn't performing at my best and you had my back when the team most needed it. You helped me through my times of anger and dealt with all of my anxiety. You were my teammates..and I can't even begin to explain how much it pains me to no longer have you all by my side.. But you will always be the ones who were there for me. You will always be my team.
And lastly, to the most important coaches through the whole process, my parents: you helped me fall in love with the game. You took me from nowhere to everywhere.
Thank you for getting me involved at such a young age. I can't tell you the exact day I started because I was too young to remember and I love that. I love being able to tell people that this has been my whole life and all I have worked for.
Thank you for dealing with my attitude. I know that, at times, it was unbearable and you just walked away from me knowing that I would not give in to "calming down." But you always came back. We always worked together the next day and it was like we started over.
Thank you for not giving up on me. There were plenty of times where I gave up on myself and you refused to let me hold that state of mind. You reminded me of my successes and helped me look passed my failures. You guys never gave up on me..and I will never be able to explain how important that was and how much that means to me.
Thank you for being there. You guys came to all of the tournaments you could, even in college when they weren't always close to home. Every time I would turn around and see you, I had a sort of confidence that pushed me harder than I could ever have had without you there. You guys mean the world to me, and I wouldn't even know this sport if it weren't for you.