Dear number seven,

I need you to know that the jersey on your back is so much more than just a number. That jersey has been through tears, sweat, blood, laughs, and memories of girls that you will probably never meet in your life. You might think of that jersey as yours, but it’s not. That jersey belongs to the heart of every girl who’s ever stepped foot on the court in it. That jersey changed my life, and I hope it changes yours too. Here are some of the things you need to know about our jersey before it’s too late.

The jersey you wear is going to teach you how to be strong. There will be matches where you are tied 24-24 and it’s your turn to serve. There will be times where you flat out mess up on the court and lose a point for your team. But don’t be hard on yourself. Wear that jersey with the confidence that you are strong. Play for your teammates. Believe in yourself when the game is tied and you go back to serve. Be tough when you play against your hardest opponents. Jump high when you’re blocking that 6’ 4” middle. Dive for everything. You are playing this game for way more than yourself.

The jersey you wear is going to teach you how to celebrate without holding back. When your teammate slams a ball down the line and no defender is even near it, you better slap her butt and scream as loud as you can for her. When you ace your float jump serve, you better hop up and down and do that goofy dance you usually only do when no one is looking. When you win, dog pile your teammates and sing All I Do Is Win to the top of your lungs. Celebrate your victories, because sooner than you know it, you won’t have another opportunity to stand on that court cheering on your teammates. Celebrate always.

The jersey you wear is going to make you want to give up at times. Trust me, there will be practices where you’ve sprinted the bleachers for over an hour straight and all you want to do it walk off the track and quit (as crazy as this sounds, someday you will miss those days). There will be times where your coach chews you out for a silly mistake you made and you’re so angry that you want to leave practice. There will be a game you lose so badly that on the bus ride home, through the tears, you begin to second guess why you even play this sport. You will get burnt out sometimes. But, do not give up. Do not give up on your team. Do not quit.

The jersey you wear is going to be missed but never forgotten. Before you know it, you will be running out onto the court with an adrenaline rush to your warm up song for the last time. You will be huddling with your teammates during time-out for the last time. And after that, you will be stepping off the court for your last time ever. But know this- you will never forget the way that jersey made you feel. You will never forget the crazy bus rides, the early practices, the pre-game team rituals, the long tournaments, the sweat, the tears, the smell of the volleyball court, or the friendships you made on this team. Some day you will see that all the qualities you have gained and all of the lessons you have learned through the sport of volleyball are going to be used every day for the rest of your life.

But, for now, be proud of the jersey you hold. Make a legacy for the name you wear on it. Play for the girls who used to wear your jersey and no longer can. Fight for that number you wear on your back. After all, it is the greatest jersey number.