I am forever grateful that God blessed me with a passion and talent for you. To some you are just a game but to me you are my best friend. You have been a solid constant in my life and have provided me with a sense of comfort. We have shared the good, the bad, and the ugly. You have seen my highest of highs and my lowest of lows. Regardless, you continuously pushed me out of my comfort zone and dared me to be great.
Thank you for the pain that made me stronger and teaching me to always believe in myself. You fueled me to wake up early on summer mornings to train and filled me with tremendous excitement for tournament days I could hardly sleep.
That 5 year old little girl thought dance would be her thing, that is until she met you. She didn’t know the extent of her decision when she traded in her pretty red tutu for cleats. Birthday parties, sleepovers, spring breaks, and a Beyoncé concert would all be sacrificed for the sport she loved. Nevertheless, I still thank that little girl for picking you 17 years ago. You have provided me with countless opportunities and have opened many doors in my life. You have given me great friends whose relationships I will cherish forever, teammates who have become family, and coaches who have poured their wisdom into me.
You have provided my family and I with a vacation every summer and many road trips in the spring and fall. Thank you for surrounding me with an abundance of loving and supportive people that have molded me into the woman that I am today.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to play the sport that I love while obtaining a college education at Rogers State University. It is here where you grew me the most and challenged me everyday. You opened my eyes to change and helped me to realize that a sport is not my identity.
You reminded me to never forget why I chose you 17 years ago. To reminisce on all of the great memories we have shared together and to remember one of the most important lessons you ever taught me. Which is, to finish what you started and finish strong.
Thank you for teaching me to let go and be fearless and for giving me a platform to inspire others. Thank you for the endless nights filled with laughter, the hard and fun weeks of practice, and the always exciting game days. The glorious celebrations, the lessons learned through failure, and the growth through the slumps. Thank you for the Glitter Girls, the Red Hots, Fever, Force, TNT, Energy, Sweet Heat, the Sequoyah Cougars, Cardinals, the Edmond North Huskies, Gametime, and the RSU Hillcats. Thank you for the many wonderful memories that I will always hold near to my heart. I can’t thank you enough for the journey you have given me. The impact you have had on my life is unmeasurable. There are no words for how much I’m going to miss you. But, I am ready to start a new chapter in my life because you have given me the tools in order to succeed in whatever I do next and for that I am extremely grateful. Thank you, Softball, for everything.