Dear Soccer,
 
In all honesty, over the course of the last few months, I have tried to avoid thinking about you too much. Having my senior season end in a way that fell way short of my goals and the team's goals was sometimes too hard to look back at. I had dedicated my whole life to this sport and saw it come to an abrupt, crashing end in November.

Although, amidst the current global climate, I have realized that we must look at our lives and cherish the things that make it so special.

When I think about special, I think about all the friendships I have made over the years, ranging from teammates when I was 10 years old and still meet up with over breaks in Minnesota. I think about the friendships I have made with my coaches, and how they will always be a friend and a support system for me. I think about the seniors when I was a freshman, who served as role models, and I have been able watch them grow in their careers and serve as an inspiration for myself.

But most importantly, I think about my team my senior year, and the six girls who were alongside me all along the ride. Despite it all, I have been given my best friends for life, those who will be alongside me during the big moments in the future. 

The truth is, it has not always been sunshine and rainbows when it has come to you. Though, I think that is what makes our relationship so much stronger. You have given me the chance to feel the highest of highs. The feeling after scoring a game-winning goal or celebrating a championship alongside your teammates is something that I will never be able to replicate in my lifetime. You have also caused me pain and disappointment. As I have grown alongside you, I have learned how to deal with failure, and it is a trait that I will carry with me throughout my lifetime.

Soccer, you have held an irreplaceable spot in my life for 22 years that is going to be nearly impossible to satisfy in the future. You have filled up my life for as many years as I can remember, dictating my decisions and serving as my one true passion. As I move forward from this part of my life, I will have to find something to fill the important place you have had in my heart. For the rest of my life, I will have a continuous determination to find things that make me feel as alive as you once did. To reach fulfillment, I will need to find things that spark as much joy, as much excitement and as much fear as you did. And for that, I am forever thankful.
 
Chloee Sagmoe // #4