Dear Coach,

I just wanted to start this letter off by saying thank you. There are so many things you have done for me, both on and off the field, that I cannot begin to thank you enough for. If I could pay you back, I would. However, I don’t think I’d ever be able to, considering what you have given me is priceless. You’ve worn so many hats for me; you’ve been my friend, my teacher, my confidant, my role model, and even at times, my conscience. You’ve been a leader and a guide to not only me, but the rest of my teammates as well. And for that, we all thank you.

I especially want to thank you for being tough on me during the hard times: yelling at me when I wasn’t running fast enough or pushing me when I thought I was at the point of physical exhaustion. You knew I wasn’t. You knew I could go farther.

Perhaps that is what I really want to thank you for.

You always believed in me, even when I thought you were crazy and I would never be able to do what you were asking of me. I never wanted to let you down, so I wouldn’t question you. I’d try. And just as you suspected, I’d do it. You have given me the greatest gift of all: confidence. You saw something in me that I didn’t even know was there, and frankly, I was afraid to find out if it was. But you always seemed to know me better than I knew myself, and you were never afraid to push me past my limit. I don’t know how you knew, but thank you so much for seeing the drive in me.

Of course, I don’t think I could write a “thank you” letter to you without thanking you for getting me into the best shape of my life. Sure, I thought I hated you in the moment, when you were yelling at me to jump higher during burpees and run faster during suicides. But like I said, you knew I could do it. And more importantly, you knew it would make me better.

Everything you did during the course of the season was for the team. You are one of the most selfless people I know, and while you got the satisfaction of a strong and winning team, I know that you devoted your time and effort not only for us, but for the love of the game.

I know that coaching can’t be easy. I know that you sacrificed a lot of your time and that this team was not your only responsibility this season. But you always made us feel like we were your first priority, and I know we’re all grateful for that.

There are so many things I can thank you for, but I will leave you with this: thank you so much for instilling in me the love and passion that you have for this game. Thank you for giving me respect and treating me like a truly important individual. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to play the sport that we both love. And thank you for letting me play it for you.

Respectfully yours,

A truly grateful athlete