Dear Coach,

I came into this hockey season not knowing what to expect because I never played high school hockey before, and I never played for you. What I realized is I should have come much sooner. If I could do it over again, I would have been playing here at Arrowhead since my freshman year. You taught me it's not about what I receive, it's about what I give back. You have pushed me to become a better player than I was before, and even more importantly, a better person. 

When I first came to play for you I wasn't sure if I was going to play juniors or not. I told you my dream is to play Division 1 hockey, and you told me to follow my dream. You told me if I put the extra work in I can turn my dream into a reality. You got me the looks I needed and have pushed me and the rest of our team to a new level.

I was used to playing AAA hockey, with less structure. I've learned I need structure to win games. It doesn’t matter how much skill you have, if you don’t play the right way then you aren’t going to succeed at any level. Hockey is a team game, and the name of the front of the jersey is way more important than the name on the back. 

When I had my first meeting with you talking about my goals for the season, I told you I wanted to get at least 50 points. I remember you looked at that and smiled and told me that 50 points is a light goal. You knew I had more in me than I knew about myself just from watching me in tryouts coming off of an injury. After the first couple of games, you decided to give me a captain spot. That meant a lot. Just giving me a “C”  on the front of my jersey changed me as a person. I started becoming a better guy and a better teammate. It made me realize I am a leader.

You beat it in my head that giving back is more important than what you receive. At first when you said that, I didn’t think too much of it. Now I see it, and being a good person with a grinding work ethic will get you far in life, no matter what it is you end up doing. 

This letter is my way of giving back to you for everything that you have taught me and helped me grow as a hockey player, but even more important, as a person.

Sincerely,

Nick