Thank you Coach
When you think of your childhood, there are always people who stand out. Moments you look back on and see the impact and how these individuals helped mold the person you are today. Of course, this doesn’t take anything away from your parents, grandparents, etc., but I am talking about those not related by blood, but they were family. I am talking about your coaches.
Coaches that watch you grow and are there for you every step of the way. You trust them, your parents trust them, and they trust you to give them your best. Our coaches are some of the most important and influential people we know in our journey as young adults, and I want to thank mine for the impact they made on my life and continue to make with the life lessons they instilled along the way.
Thank you...
For your time, commitment, dedication to the sport, and, more importantly, the dedication to your players. You never failed to give 100% when it probably felt like there were days we gave you less. You set the example for selflessness and passion, a model which I see carried on by so many who played for you over the years. For your steadfast commitment, I am thankful.
Thank you...
For teaching me to recognize those “gut check” moments and, more importantly, how to push past them. That first hot-cold sprained ankle treatment changed my outlook on the “let’s find out what you’re made of” mentality. In all those moments, whenever I was close to a breaking point, you guys were there offering wise words and life lessons I still hold close to my heart today; in those moments and so many more, I was most grateful for you guys.
Thank you...
For instilling in me that showing up and doing the small things will always pay off in the long run. Whether it was hustling back on defense, touching the line on every sprint, jumping or defensive drills, or just being ready to go when practice started. This mentality carried me long past the basketball court and into the business world. It has been a driving force throughout my career, and it has pushed me beyond where I ever thought I would go. All because you taught me that small things make a difference, and I am forever grateful.
Thank you...
For always holding our team to a higher standard. You taught us not only to respect the game but to respect ourselves, the school, our grades, the fans we represented, our opponents, and the opportunities we were given just by playing the game we loved. You taught us how to win with grace and lose with dignity. You taught us to be better people, and I can’t thank you enough.
Thank you...
For never going soft on us. You taught us that every opponent was going to be tough, so we had to be tougher. When we didn’t play to this expectation, we knew what the next practice would bring. It wasn’t a question of what, it was a question of how long we would remember it. A personal favorite that I still remember 25 years later, the “barbie practice”. After a loss that should have never happened, an “adoring” fan decided it would be a great idea to express their opinion and share that they felt we played like a bunch of barbie dolls afraid to get on the floor. Needless to say, barbie and any likeness to her was left on that gym floor the next day. We didn’t like it at the time, but we knew we had let ourselves down as well as the fans. You never accepted less than our best and you never let us go soft, that lesson has carried me many times when life got hard. Life if tough, but you taught us to be tougher.
Thank you...
For being more than “just a coach.” You listened to our family issues, our teenage boyfriend and friend drama, our school problems, you name it, you guys were there. No matter what it was or how petty, you listened and cared. You cared because it mattered to us. For so many of us that you two have coached over the years, you were a third parent, and more often than not, we shared more with you than we did with our parents.
I literally could go on and on about the life lessons that walked off that court with me the day I took off my jersey for the last time. Coach Darryl McClure and Coach Keith Thompson, THANK YOU! Thank you for caring, mentoring, and being a trustworthy source of guidance for so many of us over the years. Your impact on the sport and my life is something I will never take for granted. So, from that child who watched from the stands and couldn’t wait to play for the two of you, to an adult who realizes how lucky she was to wear that uniform, thank you for living up to and exceeding every expectation I ever had of being a Lady Yellow Jacket.
You gave us so much more than basketball, you prepared us for life….Thank You Coach!
