It is hard for me to believe that I will be running my last indoor sprint session on Wednesday. I have thought about this day since my first sprint session of my freshman year, thinking HOLY COW I have three more years of this? But time has really flown and here I am, conflicted with mixed feelings about this upcoming Wednesday morning. Crazy right? That I am feeling sad about not getting up at 5 45 in the mornings to partake in our infamous winter sprints. Not so crazy when I think about the people running next to me. During my time at MSUB, I have learned the true meaning of second family. There are always small jokes passed around with good friend’s families, “oh this is my second mom” or “we’re basically sisters”, but it’s nothing like what we have here in Billings, MT. These girls are my true family and I am reminded of that every morning at 6 am, when we are about to start a sprint workout. The little high-fives with Miss Courtney Harvey after a rough set or the comments “Only twenty more sprints ladies!” when you’re really not sure what is worse, the fact that you have twenty more sprints or that you have already done thirty something, and the fact that Agen Heffernan and Sabrina Grandke-Bawab who aren’t running due to injuries and conflicting sports, are there every single morning cheering all of us on. May I remind you, this is 6 in the morning and we are college students—the brain does not function well at this early hour, so for them to put in the effort to help us complete this workout is huge. I know I could not do it without them. Those little things are what get me through those grueling mornings. I don’t know where you could find a better support system then looking to your own blood-related family.
Though we are not blood related, we share a stronger connection. We are all connected with one vision. That vision is to win. I am not just talking about winning on the field; I am talking about winning in life. Soccer has been so good to me these past 15 years and as I step into my last season of something that has been a part of my life for so long, it’s hard for me to let it go. It has taught me passion, determination, and love. I am so passionate for this sport --it could possibly come out my ears, I have been humbled by determination, and I love every single one of my teammates. I know these girls will be there for me as my life takes me out of the Billings bubble and I am adamant that they know I will be there for them as well. I am not ready to give up this sport and I am not ready to say goodbye to 18 of the most amazing people I have ever known. Kari Foreman stated it perfectly in her senior blog, “Soccer is trying to divorce me, and I am not quite ready”. I know exactly how she feels.
I participated in my last captain’s practice yesterday and it didn’t hit me until Jaucelyn Richter and I were talking about how fast the winter workouts went by. I have a feeling it’s just going to get faster. It will be gone in the blink of an eye. So I will try to “enjoy” myself during this Wednesday sprint workout, knowing it will be my last. Soccer has given me the tools to succeed in life and it is now kicking me out of the nest to see if I can fly on my own. It’s a comforting feeling to know that I will always have eighteen extra wings to help that flight take off.
Finish Strong.
No comments:
Post a Comment