I can't remember the last time I cried before I said goodbye to you, it has been years. I honestly didn't anticipate getting so choked up. It made it hard to remember everything I wanted to say, I guess I needed notecards or a powerpoint presentation because I'm not very good off the cuff. I didn't even really get a chance to say goodbye to women's tennis. So to all my athletes at Auburn here is what I meant to tell to you when I was leaving:
I have thoroughly enjoyed working with you all over the past few years. You have been a joy to coach and I have enjoyed getting to know you and see you develop as a person. Before I leave I want to make sure you realize a few things.
First, you have an amazing opportunity comprised of several opportunities. You have the opportunity to play a sport in college, how awesome is that? Think about how excited the 12 year old version of yourself would have been to find out they were going to compete in the SEC for Auburn in their sport. Take a step back and try to reflect on how awesome the opportunity you have is. Try to bring that child-like enthusiasm with you everyday. Don't ever let this opportunity become mundane or ordinary because it is anything but that. Take advantage of every chance you have to become a better athlete whether its meeting with the nutritionist, athletic trainer, working with the strength coaches, or in practice. Work hard and never become complacent. There is always something else you can do to become better.
Also, you have the opportunity to obtain a college degree in an area of your choosing. You can find something that you are interested in, something you are passionate about... something you enjoy doing. Work hard in the classroom. Pay attention in class, don't text or get on facebook, you can do that later. If you are in class listen, read, and write... if you do that, you will spend less of the time you have outside of class studying because you heard the material the first time. If you are in an easy class, don't skip... attend and try to learn. If it still isn't worth your time, and I know sometimes it isn't (I've been there), use it as a study hall to do work for a more difficult class. Challenge yourself in the classroom the same way you would in practice or the weight room. Education is an important opportunity, find something you love and learn as much as you can about it.
Maybe the most important opportunity of all is the opportunity you have to be part of a team. Look around at your team, people from all over the country... all over the world, people from all walks of life who have put aside their differences to achieve a common goal. It is a family. The relationships you build with your team will last a lifetime. Your teammates will help you and challenge you as an athlete and as a person. Learn from them, encourage them, help them, and love them. Because they are more family than friends, remember that there will be times when you don't get along and thats ok as long as their is an underlying root of mutual respect and love. Don't be caddy, petty, or mean, and don't hold grudges. Listen and learn; forgive and forget. Think about where you would be in your sport if you trained alone without your teammates to push you. The team is ultimately yours, not your coach's, not your trainer's, not your strength coach's... yours. It is going to go where you take it, so accept responsibility, believe in each other, and battle with each other. Build relationships and make memories that you will cherish forever.
Keep in mind opportunities are not guarantees. You can't just show up and expect to get better and build relationships, it takes hard, intentional work and a good attitude. Take full advantage of every opportunity you are given.
Second, I believe that sports exist and are popular for 2 reasons... one of those reasons is they develop character. I don't care where it happens, it could be in practice, in competition, in the weight room, on the team bus but I hope that you learn something through sports that makes you a better person. I hope this has already happened but if it hasn't I pray that it happens soon. I hope that through your participation in sports you develop or improve on a quality (such as respect, focus, discipline, leadership, work ethic, teamwork, consistency, responsibility, relentlessness, selflessness, etc) that makes you a better employee/employer, husband/wife, mom/dad, overall person. I hope you have learned or will learn something that you can apply to life, something that you will take with you and share with others, something that makes you a better person. I think sports are a great way to learn about yourself, learn from others, and become a better person. The second reason I believe that sports exist is because they are fun. Why did you start playing in the first place, to get a college scholarship? I doubt it. I bet you wanted to participate in whatever sport you play now because it was fun and you liked it. I hope you still do. I hope you always do. I know its probably not possible to love it everyday but overall you should be having fun. I think you can have fun working hard, pushing yourself, and being challenged by your coaches and teammates. Its ok to laugh and smile while giving it your all. If it isn't fun, why are you doing it? Why are you wasting so much time and energy if there is no joy or satisfaction? You could be doing other things, focusing on school, spending time with friends, doing internships, working, or partying. If at the end of the day you aren't having fun then don't waste your coach's time, your teammate's time, or your own time. Do things with passion and enthusiasm or don't do them at all. Now, how do you keep it fun? How do you keep it from becoming a job or a chore? Try to keep in mind that it is supposed to be fun. Remind your teammates and yourself. Encourage your teammates and celebrate with them when they/you achieve individual or team goals. Work hard to keep a proper perspective, its just a game. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that you should be lazy or not try very hard but what I am saying is keep in mind that there are more important things in life (God, family, friends, etc). Try to find balance in your life (this balance will be different for each individual). Make time for some type of hobby outside of school and athletics where your mind and body can go and rest. Go to church, read your Bible, pray, go for walks, volunteer, paint, play music, journal, join an economics club, or some other extracurricular activity. Take the emphasis off of your life, your struggles and focus on someone else. Make friends with athletes on other teams who understand your life style but won't be talking about the sport you compete in all the time. Make friends with people that don't play sports at all. Have conversations about things outside of school and athletics. Become a well rounded person. I know that your time is scarce but try to do the best you can to manage it so that you can occasionally have time to rest. I bet you'll find having a mental outlet away from school and athletics helps you become more refreshed during practices instead of feeling burnt out.
Finally, remember that athletics are a part of your life, they are not your life. Don't create a life that revolves around sports. Don't let sports and your success in them become your identity. Your sport is something you do, not who you are. You are not a swimmer, a diver, a tennis player, or a volleyball player... you are a person who swims, dives, plays tennis or volleyball. Your self-worth is not in a win or loss, a time, or a score. And while you should strive to become the best athlete you possibly can, keep in mind that its just a part of who you are and it is supposed to be fun! One day your athletic career will be over and you should miss competing, practices, and being around teammates but you should be able to cope. It shouldn't be the end of the world, it should be an exciting time in your life to pursue other interests. I pray that you would find your identity in Christ because that relationship can never be taken from you (Romans 8:38-39).
I ramble a lot so if you made it this far I want to end by saying something to you that you said so many times to me and that is... thank you! Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be a part of your lives. Thank you for being appreciative. Thank you for making my job fun. Thank you for making me laugh and brightening my days. Thank you for helping me to grow and improve as a coach and as a person. Thank you for being the reason that I love my job. As you may know I love squats, snatches, cleans, pullups, and yes even inchworms but I love you more. I hope you already knew that without me telling you, but in case you didn't, I love you. I will miss you more than you'll probably ever know or understand. We are family. You are all my younger brothers and sisters. That's why I made fun of you, thats why I picked on you, and that's why I got so sad leaving you. But I think thats a good thing, it would have been bad to be able to leave without feeling anything. It would have meant the time we spent together wasn't important and we didn't develop a meaningful relationship, but that clearly wasn't the case, at least not on my end.
In closing, I'm very proud of you, I love you, and I'll miss you. Good luck this season. I wish you the best of luck with the rest of your time at Auburn both on and off the court, in and out of the pool. I will be cheering you on from afar. I hope that you have the best, most amazing experience as a college athlete. I hope you learn and grow as an athlete but more importantly as a person. Don't be afraid of failure, its a merely an indicator of where you are at that time. Remember there are no bad practices, there are just some practices where you realize you haven't reached your full potential yet. No matter what the score or situation is, don't ever give up, keep battling with your team until the end. I hope you leave this campus as a stronger athlete and stronger person than when you arrived. Please keep in touch and let me know where you end up and what you are doing when your time at Auburn is done. If there is anything I can ever do for you or you ever need someone to talk to, someone to listen, somebody to remind you that its just a game and there's a bigger picture, or just want to keep in touch and let me know how you are doing... don't hesitate to email me, text me, or call me. God has a plan for your life (Jeremiah 29:11) and I can't wait to see where you end up going and what you end up doing.
Your #1 fan,
Alex
cell: (252) 717-9608
email: alexlee42@gmail.com
skype: alex_lee42
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