This season I am celebrating my "11th Year Anniversary" of playing lacrosse. The little fourth grader who wanted so badly to play lacrosse would never think they would be where I am today. They knew they wanted to play lacrosse forever but had no idea how far it would take them. They were not very good at lacrosse but they were determined to play lacrosse because that is what their older brother did. Also, they loved it so much that they could not imagine doing anything else.

Flash forward five years. That freshman who is crying in the car after every practice did not think that they would even make it to play in their sophomore season. What had changed in those short five years that caused such a drastic change in an attitude towards lacrosse?

Coaches. That's what.

In the 10 years I have played lacrosse, I have had 14 different coaches. 14.

Fourth grade: It was Emerson and Kegan. A couple of high schoolers that stepped in to coach to their little brother's lacrosse team. Did I learn much? No, not really, but it was a blast. It was definitely a time for development.

Fifth grade: My coach changed. A solid coach that knew what they were doing. Definitely learned a lot that year. However, I did not play much and did not grow much as a player.

Sixth grade: Another year, another coach. For some reason, this was the year I blossomed as a player. I was really good that year; I had gone from a fifth-string middie to a first-string middie that rarely came out of the game. As a player, I grew a lot. The coach was not super experienced, but they were supportive of what I was trying to do.

Seventh grade: Yes, there was another new coach. He was VERY supportive of my playing ability and drive to succeed in lacrosse. I became an even better lacrosse player that year.

Eighth grade: Classic story here, my dad was my coach. Obviously, he was pretty supportive of me. This was the year that I realized I may actually be able to go somewhere in lacrosse. I made the Washington State U15 Regional Team. I recognized that maybe, just maybe, I was pretty good lacrosse player. The Washington State Team was a blast and I learned so much.

All those years of lacrosse only got better by year, it is hard to believe I almost quit lacrosse after freshman year.

High School: I no longer had what one would call a "supportive coach". One coach would get mad at me, please note that I was only a freshman, because I wasn't able to turn around the outcome of a game single-handedly. She would pull me off to the sideline and tell me that it was my responsibility to get the team back into the game.

Another coach told me that I did not have the endurance to play midfield. At that time she told me that, I had just finished a year of cross country where I was an alternate to state.

One coach told me I was not very fast. Finally, one coach told me that I did not have the stick skills that other girls had. She also told me that I had no left hand at all. I did have a couple of supportive coaches toward the end of my high school lacrosse career, but they were very much a minority when compared to all the bad coaches I had.

You could easily ask "Why would you still be playing lacrosse as this point?" I mean, there was not much support for me and it seems as if lacrosse was no longer fun. But, it was those couple of good coaches scattered in my high school years that keep the going. They were a ray of sunshine in those dark days. I was very lucky they were there.

College: Enter freshman year lacrosse at Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU). Back to the bottom of the totem pole, I had every right be scared and maybe even nervous for lacrosse season to come around. But I had no need to be nervous. I had my coach at my side.

My lacrosse coach here in college has put me back together. I am not even as 1/2 as nervous on the field as I used to be. I have more confidence too. She may yell occasionally, but it is never from a place of harsh criticism. She only sees the potential in us and has so much belief that we will be successful that she wants us to make sure we see it. She is always just a text or phone call away when we need her.

She got me out of a negative living environment last year as soon as I came to her. She helped me when I entered counseling for my anxiety and depression. She frequently invites us over for dinner during breaks when girls that live far away can't go home. She hosts study tables at her house and provides snacks for everyone. She sends me texts congratulating me on both athletic and academic achievements. She picks me up from the airport when no one else will. I cannot even begin to thank her for everything that she has done for me.

Even though I love lacrosse, there are times when I wondered if I should still play in college. But anytime that thought crosses my mind, I remember my coach. She believes in me and I have so much respect for her that I could never quit the team. That's how powerful a good coach is. Even when times are tough, they are supportive of you and make you never want to stop playing.

So here's to you coach that put me together: I hope to be as good of coach as you one day. After having you as a coach, I have never been more sure that I want to be a coach myself. When I coached my own team this summer, I kept asking myself, "What would you do in this situation?". You create a high standard for girls everywhere who aspire to coach themselves. I cannot thank you enough for what you have done for me. But I must say, thank you for reviving my passion for the sport of lacrosse; thank you for believing in me.

At one point, I could have quit. I could have let those bad coaches kill my passion for the sport that I loved, and still love, with my whole heart. But those good coaches here and there kept me going. Luckily, I was able to find the best coach I ever had. My passion for the sport of lacrosse is at an all time high. Thank you coach. Thank you for taking the time to put me back together.