At the age of 22, I still need my dad. Whether it be for advice or just one of his bear hugs, I will need him for the rest of my life. I don’t tell him how much he means to me on a day to day basis, but I love him more than he will ever know. To say “Thank You” for all things he has done for me in my 22 years of life will never be enough.

1. Thank you for being my supporter in all my life adventures

Thank you for believing in me when I didn’t believe in myself. Thank you for allowing me to make mistakes, but making me suffer the consequences on your terms. Thank you for cheering me on in every aspect of life. Thank you for loving me through my bad days and bringing me home sushi and ice cream on days I just didn’t want to leave the house after a long day at school and an even longer practice.

2. Thank you for giving me the love I have for sports

Thank you for all the adventures we took together and all the tailgate parties we attended. Thank you for teaching me the vocabulary of all sports, football, baseball/softball, and basketball. Thank you for teaching me how to properly yell at the tv like the players can hear me. Most importantly, thank you for allowing me to play a sport you love and giving me the opportunity to play under your rules as a coach. Thank you for being my #1 fan and giving me an unending love for the game. Thank you for all the hours of pitching practice after regular practice. Thank you for allowing me to change my motion and my stance when something didn’t feel the same. Thank you for keeping me in the best shape in the off season while allowing me to be a kid at the same time.

3. Thank you for making me work hard

Because of you I knew at an early age I had to work for anything I wanted in life. Between house hold chores and holding me accountable for my own dedication to any sports I played, I knew what hard work was at an early age. At the time, I hated you for it and I thought it was pointless, but come find out, you were right, and always have been.

You’ll never know how much I appreciate you and the father-daughter relationship we had when I was growing up, and even though I don’t speak much on it now, I will always remember the good times we had over the bad times. I love you to the moon and back, deddy.