First off, let me start by saying thank you for taking the time to be a coach. I know it can be hard and sometimes you probably want to quit, but you didn't, and to your team that means the world. I've played a lot of different sports and have had a lot of different coaches over the years and some have been bad, but most of them have been phenomenal. They have supported me and pushed me, but most importantly, they taught me. They didn't just teach me how to play the sport, they taught me about life. So thank you for that.
Thank you for running me to death so not only am I physically healthier but I know that I always have a little more left in me. I can't tell you the amount of practices that have been just running. They weren't even fun running where you play games, no — it was just running up and down the field for the entire two hour practice. The worst words any athlete will hear is "get on the line," because you know you are screwed. Even when I know my body is done, there is no possible way it can go on and all I want to do is quit, I know have to keep pushing.
Thank you for reminding me the importance of doing my school work. It was pretty simple in high school — when you do poorly in school, you are not allowed to play sports. In college, aside from being kicked out of school, there is nothing academically that is going to prevent me from sports. As a coach, you guys constantly reminded me that I needed to study and turn in my work. I can't always blow off studying for practice, I need to make sure I am setting aside the time for my school work because in the long run, that is what will get me places.
Thank you for spending your free time coaching me. I know you don't have to be here but you want to, because you love the game. You want to instill your knowledge on us so maybe one day we can go and pass that knowledge on to someone else. There are probably tons of other things you could be doing instead of running practice but you make the sacrifice, and that means a lot to the team, even if we don't show it.
The last thing I want to thank you for is for being hard on us. Sometimes we need to learn the world isn't all rainbows and smiles. By being hard on us, you have taught us to be tough and to bounce back. I can't tell you how many times a coach has yelled at me for doing something wrong or even for goofing off during practice. You guys have pushed me to do better, whether it be through discipline or a long lecture. You've prepared me for the real world, because I know employers are not going to baby me, they are going to expect me to do the work the right way. I won't be getting as many extra chances like I do in sports.
I have learned a lot through sports and through my coaches. While there have been times I have hated my coaches and may have considered quitting, I am happy I didn't. The late night practices, extra sprints, and one on one practices are all worth it in the end. The first time I saved a penalty kick in soccer, threw someone out at home in softball or scored my first try in rugby make all those hard times worth it. So thank you for teaching me so many valuable life lessons and for pushing me to be the best me. I hope one day I am able to do the same for someone else.
