Coach,

You were the coach that pushed me to my brink. Practices always ended with "On the line!!" You had me run suicide after suicide. I was always the first to want to fall out, but you always said "One more." You kept pushing me till I could no longer run. I always hated the sprints; however, looking back at them now, they helped me grow into the player and person I am today.

The work ethic that was instilled into my brain is still in my head years later. It actually has been developed even further. I always tell myself in my head, "One more." A drill where I'm supposed to do one set of ten reps becomes a drill where I do two sets of ten. I always push myself to my breaking point. How I play when I am at my breaking point leads to a strong development of my play when my body is refreshed. This concept of "one more" made me stronger on the field.

The sprints were the first time I was being forced to do something that I didn't want to do. I obviously hated doing them when I was 12. Now six years later, I can look back at them and say that doing those sprints helped me mature as a person. I became mature in that I would do things that I did not want to do. I now knew that sometimes, some things have to get done. It was my first introduction to work and how to deal with work. You helped me become a better person.

Honestly, I often questioned your philosophy of always running us at the end of practices. In retrospect, your idea of suicides lead me to where I am now. Back then, who would've said that I would be a college goalie? I want to extend my greatest thank you for what you did for me and how you pushed me each and each day. Without your practices, I don't know where I would be right now in my life. Thank you for leading me here.

Danny Lewis