Dear Lacrosse,

First and foremost, you've given me friendships and relationships that will always stay with me. You've taught me that teammates make the best types of friends. Teammates are loyal, devoted, caring, and selfless. We've endured tough times like one-goal losses, tiring conditioning sessions, long practices in the rain and snow and games where nothing seemed to go our way. Little did we know that persisting through times like these would make our relationships grow stronger. We devoted our lives to you through hours spent in the locker room, meeting room, weight room, and out on the field. Even though there were times when I wasn't always 100% focused at practice or didn't have it in me for a morning lift session, it was my teammates that reminded me of the value in what I was doing. My teammates reminded me everyday that I was lucky to be playing a sport I love with people who care for one another. You blessed me with the best group of teammates at Georgetown and for that, I'll always be indebted to you.

Because of you I endured two ACL injuries but I wouldn't have had it any other way. I'm grateful for my injuries because overcoming them has made me a stronger person. The time spent doing exercises and rehabbing back to full ability showed me that anything is possible if you just put in consistent work and keep a good attitude. You taught me that even when nothing seemed to be going my way, a positive outlook on things goes a long way. When I couldn't contribute out on the field, I learned the value of supporting and cheering on my teammates.

You've blessed me with coaches throughout my life who made me a better athlete and person. I admire the commitment of my coaches to improve my skills on the field, instill in me confidence as a player and person, and provide the support I needed to succeed at Georgetown. Although I didn't always recognize it in the moment, my coaches pushed me to grow as a person and believed in me every step of the way. They stuck with the team and kept pushing us even when seemingly nothing could go right. Most of all my coaches taught me to always fight with everything I have. Never give anything anything less than 100% of what you have for that day. Surely mistakes will come but so will growth and improvement. I think this is the lesson that will stick with me the most.

Finally lacrosse - you've blessed me with memories of the kind of laughter that makes your stomach hurt and your cheeks go numb from smiling too long. You've shown me how good it feels to win a game knowing that months of hard work and persistent effort got you to this point of success. You've taught me that practice really does make perfect, and it always pays off to put in extra work when no one is watching. Lastly, you've reminded me time and time again that a team effort is so much stronger than any individual effort.

Love,
Coulby