If there is anything I have learned during the pandemic, it is expressing gratitude. And oh boy, how grateful am I to have you in my life. Thank you for showing me what extreme joy feels like and teaching me lessons that have prepared me for life outside of the field. And, without a doubt, connecting me with some of the most inspiring people I have ever met!
Together we share this incredible bond since we got introduced to each other when I was 5 years old. Starting out, I really needed to learn how to share the game with my teammates. I was so excited every time I got the ball that I forgot to pass it along. But as I got older, I learned that you are even more fun when playing as a team. This was the first lesson you taught me: everything is more fun when you share it with others.
Not only were we loyal companions throughout the years, sticking together through highs and lows, you also enabled me to experience a world I otherwise never would have known, collegiate athletics in the United States. Coming from a country where sports are only played at a club level, I was beyond excited to find out I was given an opportunity that allowed me to combine athletics with academics, while also living abroad. Without you to get me in this world I would have missed the most incredible years of my life. Thank you!
Being part of the SNHU field hockey team meant being surrounded by 20 incredible women every single day. Every day we worked really hard to be the best we could be, both on and off the field. There is no doubt that I am who I am today because of this, as we all motivated each other to reach our goals. Eventually, over the years, our hard work showed off: from going 9-9 my freshman year we made it to the NCAA tournament my senior year! I learned another lesson as you showed me that if you work hard you can accomplish anything.
Even though my time as a collegiate athlete is over, I am very lucky we can still continue our journey together. I still have the opportunity to play my favorite sport and keep feeling the joy you bring me continuously. It is the simple things that feel the best, hitting a perfect ball, preventing a goal from being scored, and being able to share these moments with my teammates. These feelings keep brining me back to you and I don’t think there will be any time soon we will part.
I am forever grateful for the experiences you brought me. You taught me lessons on the field that will help me succeed off the field. You gave me the best friends someone could ask for and let me experience a world that will never leave me. Dear field hockey, thank you for everything!