A person's athletic career begins with the help of one person, and that person is a coach. Although you may pick up some skills on your own, you can only get so far without the aid of a coach, whether they be your parent, local neighbor, or school teacher. Coaches teach you the rules, the moves, and the strategies to succeed in your sport, and find new ways of expanding your talent. Throughout a person's athletic career, they will come across and be coached by many people, and while some coaches may butt heads with their players, others may turn out to be great. Overtime we hear the stories of famously renowned coaches whose names are posted in the hall of fame, and we look up to them. However, many athletes find a coach to admire who is commonly amongst them, and their effect on this athlete is everlasting. Here's a letter to the coach to who changes people, not just players.

Dear Coach,

I want to begin by saying that you have taught me more than I could have ever imagined, and led me to find talents that I never even knew I had. From the very beginning, I was nervous to play on your team, but something told me that you were going to be the one who changed me. On day one, you pushed me to break out of my shell, and to lay my best out on the floor. I gave it everything I had, and you saw what you had to work with. Against the technical challenges, discouragements from others, and constant pressure to have to the best team you could, you chose me to play for you. From the first day of practice, you reassured me that you saw a potential in me that no one could diminish, leading me to grow more confident in you, as well as myself. It wasn't going to be a short process, or an easy one for that matter, but you took it head on, and brought me to where I am today.

You took the time out to coach me personally, and to change me from the ground up. You pushed me to challenge myself and to set (literally) higher expectations, all without slacking off or settling. Every practice brought me closer to being the athlete I could become, and although some days were harder than others, they were all entirely worth it. Your constant motivation, advice, help and encouragement provoked me to try my best every time I stepped on to the court. You taught me how to go the extra mile when I was feeling tired, and to focus on coming opportunities rather than harp on my past mistakes. When frustration cracked me, you were there to guide me through it, step by step, until I was playing even better than I had before. I learned how to think fast on my feet, to be an effective team player, and to be a confident leader because of you. Every time I needed a boost of confidence, or a shove to go take it to the next level, you were there to give it to me. Your trust in my abilities allowed me trust myself, and that is a lesson that I will never forget.

The travels, hard workouts, tough wins and laughs I shared while being on your team were some of the greatest memories I have. However, none of these times would have been possible without you, and for that I say thank you. Thank you for everything. Thank you for pushing me to my limits and testing my abilities. Thank you for making me humble. Thank you for challenging me, and making me persevere when times got tough. Thank you for making me work my hardest, and never settling for anything less. Thank you for your dedication and endless encouragement. Most importantly, thank you for believing in me when no one else had, including myself. Your lessons changed me not only as an athlete, but as a person, and for that I will always be grateful. You may not be in the Hall of Fame just yet, but you'll always be one of the greats to me.

-Your Athlete