Dear 18-year-old Addie,
11/13/2021
If you only knew…
Who you’d become on and off the court…
If you could…
Imagine the past few years and the experiences you have embraced…
All the relationships you have built…
If you only knew the journey you would embark on while attending Delaware…
You would be in complete awe that you made it!
Entering your freshman year, it was surely the toughest year trying to come back from your ACL tear. But you didn’t let the injury hold you back. You put in the work and got back better than ever. I am so proud of you for pushing through the days you never thought you’d make it through. That year, you held the role of being the team’s biggest cheerleader down. It was important to you to support them and always have their backs.
Once it was time for your time to come back and play you made some goals and you made sure you achieved them. The first goal was to be a starter and you wanted that so bad. After a tough preseason and battling through your first concussion, you could officially say you started in your first collegiate season. During that season, you would go through your ups and downs but you stepped up when it mattered the most. You finally broke through and played your best matches towards the end of the season, most memorable is exploding for 17 kills in the first round of the CAA Tournament against Hofstra. I bet you’d never believe it when I say the person you were going to become and the confidence that would instill in you is all thanks to your first collegiate season.
Becoming the fullest version of yourself is very important to you. You are getting ready to break social norms of being a straight volleyball player. With your growing confidence and living in your truth is ready to embrace being one of the few openly gay volleyball players. You will be surrounded by so much love and support from the coaches, your family and some of your best friends. This is definitely something you would have never imagined coming true.
COVID-19 year - aka when the world stopped and it is filled with nothing but adversity. But nonetheless, you and the squad persevered through the year. It was another tough year for you through all the health issues, but you were never alone. You still have that fight in you to compete and get better every day. Although the season didn’t go the way we hoped, it was an experience that you shouldn’t take for granted.
I’ll say this Addie, when you enter Delaware you will feel like everything seemed impossible. But don’t stop fighting. It will bring you to who you are and all the people you will meet along the way will be part of your life forever. The journey you are on has its trying times and a lot of hard work but it is ALL WORTH IT. You will come in fighting and you will go out fighting and for that, I am so proud of your growth. You wore #24 PROUDLY and will always hold a special place in your heart. This chapter ends earlier than expected but the woman you are today, you will be ready to take on the next journey in life.
Yours Truly,
