I remember when I decided to try something new by joining a new team. I remember how nervous and excited I was at the same time. Showing up to practice the first day, I had so many mixed feelings and thoughts: “Am I going to succeed on this team?” and “Am I going to have fun?” I remember seeing you for the first time, and I remember your first talk to our team. I also remember being slightly more relaxed, while still feeling significantly mixed emotions of excitement and uncertainty.

Things started off well, which is the first thing I want to thank you for. I want to thank you for being someone I felt completely comfortable talking to about anything. I never considered myself a particularly talented athlete. I loved to play various sports, and I was always involved in something. As a season went on, I would find myself getting bored or frustrated, and not feeling involved or enjoying myself. This, however, all changed when I joined your team, which brings me to the second of many things I want to thank you for.

Thank you for your passion and interest in every single one of us. Thank you for raising a team of hard workers and people who wanted to succeed. If not for you, the success we achieved together would not have been possible. Each and every day, we worked for each other, but more importantly, we worked for you. Your light-hearted personality, persistence in pushing us to our absolute limits, and your ability to make us feel good about the work we put in every day was absolutely crucial to the development of not only my athletic ability but also the athletic ability of every single person on your team. Together we grew, and together we fought. You taught us not only how to be excellent athletes but also how to be better people and what it means to care about something with every ounce of our being.

Thank you for teaching us to believe in ourselves and to believe that we could do the unimaginable. With your coaching, we all improved so much quicker and more significantly than we ever believed possible. I will never forget that and will continue to use the hard work morals you taught me in every aspect of my life. Because of you, I not only enjoy pushing myself but I enjoy pushing those around me to the best of all our abilities. You are an inspiration and a role model that I will never forget in my lifetime. Although I know there are millions of things I could thank you for, and I know a thank you will never suffice for all that you have done for me, I will leave it at this:

You not only changed my outlook on my physical abilities, you changed my outlook on how to lead my life. For that, I thank you and will never forget to think of you when I achieve something that I previously thought was too far out of reach.

You have given me the tools to succeed, and for that, I am forever grateful.