I was just four years old, kicking a soccer ball around on the sidelines of my older sisters' soccer games. I had very little understanding of the game and absolutely no skill - just pushed the ball around with the tips of my toes to pass the time until the game would be over and we could go home. I had no idea I had discovered a passion that would bring so much joy to my childhood.

It feels like just yesterday that I played my very first game on my very first team. My shin guards were only a few inches long and my cleats were miniature. My dad walked me up to meet my coach and I was terrified. It is now three years since my last high school soccer game and I could not feel more nostalgic. It feels like just yesterday.

To the game that will always have my heart,

Thank you for teaching me commitment. I dedicated countless summers to soccer camps, training sessions, scrimmages, and workouts. Even on my worst days, I dragged myself to practices and pushed myself through absolute exhaustion. I survived two-a-days throughout preseason for high school that I never thought I'd live through. I knew when the bell rang at the end of the school day that my day wasn't over for another two hours and I practically slept-walk onto the fields for Saturday morning practices. I learned that with commitment there are only two options: you're either in or you're out.

Thank you for teaching me the importance of working hard. Although commitment was important, how hard you worked mattered the most. Without complete effort, no improvements would be made. Each practice was an opportunity to better myself as a player and I tried not to waste any time. Of course the work was exhausting and sometimes painful, but the reward was unbelievable. With hard work came new skills and strengths. With new strengths came new confidence - and I could always go for some of that.

Thank you for giving me the friends I got to experience all of this with. The hard times were easier with those girls by my side and the fun times were unforgettable. I knew that whatever I was going through, I was going through with them and I was never alone. The challenges we faced as a team only made us stronger and brought us together. The memories I associate with soccer will always involve those girls and I will always remember them.

Thank you for teaching me what it's like to be a team player. Soccer is a highly competitive sport - at least it always has been for me. I felt the pressure even at a young age when there were conflicts between teams and coaches. Throughout my high school career, the competitiveness made each game more difficult and intense. Each year, we remembered girls on the opposing teams and reputations interfered with the game. I played on club soccer teams for seven years and sometimes the games got nasty. But at the end of the day, we stuck together as a team. I learned how to engage in friendly competition and didn't allow bad experiences to discourage me.

Thank you for giving me something to love. Soccer was my escape. My escape from a stressful day at school, drama with my peers, or tension with my loved ones. I knew that no matter what kind of day I had, I would be out on the field with my team that afternoon and I could leave it all out there. I got so much joy out of learning new skills and mastering them. All the victories, all the defeats, only made my love grow bigger.

Thanks for the memories.