Growing up, competitive sports were always a huge part of my life. The endless hours of practices, games, and traveling to and from each, made up most of my middle school and high school years-- arguably the most crucial years of child development. But the people I spent those endless hours with have helped shape me into the person I am today. It is only now that I realize just how big of a role my teammates have played in my life. For some, we were friends first, and being teammates only brought us closer together. For others, we were strangers, then teammates, and inevitably best friends.

To my former teammates: thank you for making me into the person I am today. You constantly inspired me to be a better player. I found comfort knowing that during every game I was playing with a team of people who I knew had my back no matter what. Your personalities never failed to lighten the mood and remind me that amidst all of the seriousness of the sport, the reason we played was because it was fun. You were my motivation to come to practice everyday, knowing that I would be playing the sport I love with my best friends. You’ve taught me self-discipline, cooperativeness, and complete trust-- but most of all, you defined hard work for me. It is because of you all, that I know what it feels like when hard work pays off. The blood, sweat, and tears that we put into each season made every victory and point scored worthwhile. We went through it all together, enduring the long bus rides, the tough losses, the injuries, the dreaded conditioning, and the extreme weather conditions. And as much of a nightmare some of those memories may have been, there’s no one else I would have rather experienced it all with.

We were more than just a team. We were a family. The understanding and love that we had for each other is something that I won't find anywhere else. At times, it seemed almost wrong that I could be having this much fun while playing such a competitive sport. Of course, we had each other’s backs outside of the sport too. No matter how big or complicated the obstacles in our lives, we were able to help each other overcome them. This only brought us even closer each time.

Although time has flown by and we are no longer the team that we once were, the memories and connections we made will last a lifetime. The experiences we shared, I will always cherish. The foundation of core values that you’ve instilled in me, will remain intact. Each of you will always hold a special place in my heart. Regardless of how far apart we travel from each other, the bonds we created are ones that are strong enough to withstand time and distance. You’ve bettered me as both a person and a player, and I could never thank you enough for that.