Many people underestimate the influence a coach can have on you because, well, it is after all “just a sport”. Coaches can have a huge impact on how you grow as an athlete, but they can also have an impact on how you grow as a person. The kind of coach you have can change your love of the game you play, it can change your mindset, or it can change you as a person; the coaches that changed all three of those are the ones I’m eternally grateful to. Each of these three had a very different impact and though I won’t mention them by name, they’ll know who they are. I’m so grateful to these coaches for everything they have and have continued to do for me.

This coach is one I represent on special occasions with a necklace that is based off of one she wore every day. This was my coach my second year of club volleyball was when I was 15. I went to try-outs and I literally wore white knee high socks with white turtle knee pads, long spandex, chunky basketball shoes, and a large tie dye shirt. I thought I was a star, but it’s obvious I wasn’t. I made what was called the 4’s team and I was super happy, even though that was the lowest team there was in my age group. I met the coach for the first time and I knew I loved her. She had a strong stature, even though I was taller than her. She had a vibe about her that told you she didn’t tolerate any nonsense; she meant business that’s for sure. That season was rough. I got yelled at alot and did a lot of drills I had no idea what they even were. I found out that I had asthma this season and I struggled a lot trying to control that, but my coach pushed me because she knew I could be better than I was; she knew I had more inside of me. She told a story about her high school coach and shared a beautiful quote she wrote with our team. I have a poster of my team with that quote on it in my room, and I have the quote hanging up in my dorm room. That impacted me so much. This coach taught me so much more than volleyball; she taught me how to push through life and not to give up when it gets tough. You can’t quit, and you have to remember who you are, where you have been, and where you are headed.

The next coach I want to talk about is one I represent every single day with a bracelet he gave to every single girl on the team. If you ever see me, just ask me about Psalm 23:4 and the purple bracelet that sits on my left wrist every day. Though he wasn’t my coach for a whole season, he had a large impact on my life. He made me do push ups because I said “I can’t” to something. I can’t remember exactly what, but I remember doing a lot of pushups for that practice and the following. He taught me not to believe I couldn’t do something, but that I can do everything I put my mind to. My self-confidence was still failing when he came along as my coach and he built it back up. He taught me never to lose hope and to never think there’s a goal I can’t achieve. He taught me that I am good enough and that I can go far, I just have to get rid of the mentality of “I can’t” and have the mentality of “I can” instead. I improved on the court in the short time that he was my coach but I improved so much more off the court and my confidence will forever be grateful.

The final coach I want to talk about was never actually my coach but someone I considered a huge influence on me. They might as well have been my coach I went to this school’s camp so often. Every summer I went to this camp and every year I got better. Eight hours a day of volleyball never felt so good. My self-confidence grew here with him and my skills improved so much each year. The camp was only three days but every time I came back I felt more confident in my play on the court than I did before the camp. This coach was a major influence on how I want to coach others and how I want to be remembered and known. He gave an aspect that compliments the other two coaches so well. It’s something indescribable yet so powerful. I grew as a person here as well as a player because I got to know the players and coaching staff so well and this school felt like home. In the end, I knew it wasn’t the school I was meant to be at but the relationship I hold with this coach is so incredible to me. I have never seen a coach with so much passion who could remain so cool, calm, and collected in any circumstance. He taught me how to keep my cool, stay collected, and to not make rash decisions.

Thank you to all of these coaches. You have made me the person and volleyball player I am today. You have changed me, and I will forever be grateful. You are represented in my life through my words and actions and through my athletics. The drive I have in my life is because of you. I strive to be as impactful on a player when I become a coach. I now strive to be the kind of person and coach who changes you in more than the area they are “supposed” to. The power you have on a person you are trying to teach the game they have a love for can be positive or negative. I see so many open letter about coaches who made players hate the game they love. Well, I want to oppose that and focus on the coaches who made me who I am and when people ask me where I get my talent I say, “God of course, but my coaches ….. Are a huge part of helping me grow the gift God has given to me. ” I thank God that He placed you all in my life and I am one blessed person to be able to share my love for the game and have been able to have been impacted by such amazing people.