To My Past Teammates,

There’s not a friendship quite like ours. Together, we’ve been through so many things. We’ve been through quite a few coaches yelling at us. We’ve had our highs, especially when we won hard fought games. We’ve had our lows, whether it be hard losses, or frustration induced fights during practice. We made it through intense conditioning, and dreadfully long practices. Yet, we still remained close. Sometimes, if it wasn’t for you, I don’t think I would’ve made it through or stuck with it like I did with your support. You’re some of the best people I have ever known.

I miss the game we played together and all that it entails. Yeah, sometimes the days were long, and there were times that I questioned why I put myself through that particular sport, but I don’t regret a single minute of it. I miss the euphoric high that would hit me when it was time for the game to start. I miss the unshakeable faith we had for every single player on the team. I miss how we leaned on one another when times were hard or things weren’t going our way. I miss the fact that we could give one another crap, but if someone outside the team did it, the whole team would be there to defend you and help you out.

I miss the bus rides we had to and from games. Everyone seemed to have a designated seat buddy, but that didn’t stop us from bonding with everyone. We would listen to music with our seat buddy, or, if we were lucky, the driver would play the radio over the loudspeaker so we could all sing together. We would dish new drama in our lives for moral support and a wide arrange of advice from the peanut gallery. We would celebrate as a team on the bus on the way back from a win, or we would contemplate in relative silence as a team if we lost. A good chunk of the closeness we had as a team came from the bus rides.

But mostly, I just miss you. I miss the fact that we would hang out and not even talk about something we didn’t in a game or practice. We would just spend time doing other things completely unrelated. I miss how close we were, and how often we talk to each other, whether that be in person or via text. I know that it’s hard to keep in touch when we’re now leading completely separate lives. However, if you ever need something, know that you can still call or text me. I’ve got your back, always.

While the game we played together I miss, sometimes I miss more of the bond that playing together created among us. There’s nothing quite like a bond forged by a sport. Teammates have seen you at your best and at your worst, and they’re still there for you. They know how to push your buttons or calm you down. They’re some of the most frustrating but completely adored people that I ever had the chance of knowing. So thank you for helping me become the person I am today. Thank you for always being there when I needed you. Thank you for being some of the best people I’ve ever met. Thank you.