"The biggest difference is in the leadership. It was better for us. We had more coaches and mentors to help us. A lot of the younger players today suffer from a lack of direction." -Isaiah Thomas

First off, I want to thank you for everything that you have taught me. I thought that I was the clumsiest and most uncoordinated person alive. I believed that I would NEVER find a sport I was good at, until I met you. I decided to join a summer league swim team just to test the WATERS ;-) It took a while to get the strokes down and get accustomed to wearing a swimsuit everyday. Anyways, that isn't why I am writing this.

You taught me that I could do whatever I wished to do. You told me to try. I was the WORST at butterfly but you told me to try and even though I didn't win the heat, I finished the race. Thank you so much for teaching me to do whatever I set my mind to.

You taught me to finish what I start. You taught me that, even if I suck at what I am doing, when I finish the task I will learn something through it, whether it's that I don't want to pursue a career in that field or whether I can do a completely different skill, you taught me that I can do what I set my mind to.

Every time I walk onto the pool deck and the smell of chlorine hits my nose, I think of you. I constantly talk about our trips to school together and our calorie count trips at McDonald's, I am CONSTANTLY talking about you,

I know I don't text you or talk to you much anymore, but I want you to live a happy life where you are. I have a super busy schedule with school and my rehearsal schedules, but I miss you so much and I will always be there if you need to talk, and I know you'll be there for me. I am so glad I met you and I am so glad you became one of my best friends. This is a really short letter but I cannot express in words how much you mean to me.

I love you SO much, and I will never forget my first practice with you. You are the reason I coached and you are the reason that I want to swim in college. You taught me that I have a passion for teaching kids, whether it is swimming or in school. You are the one who set me up with coaching Special Olympics Swim Team and made me realize that not only do I want to teach, I want to teach Special Education. You have inspired me to do so much that I didn't think I could do before I met you.

Thank you.