Here is what I know:

I watched you practice.
You practiced hard.
I watched you play.
You played with skill.
I watched you lose.
You lost with dignity.
I watched you win.
You won with grace.

(I also watched you eat pasta.
You were the best pasta eaters… maybe ever.)

Way back, maybe before you can even remember
You signed up for a team sport
A sport where the name on the front of your uniform
Mattered far more than the name on the sleeve of a sweatshirt,
Or the individual number on the back of your jersey.

As members of a team, no single player is defined by a single goal
Or shot
Or save.

Your success depends on the trust you place in the man beside you
And in front of you
And behind you…
To play his best
To have your back
And to trust that you have his.

On this day, you played a great game
Overall, you had a great season
You were, and are, a great team.

Thank you for taking us all on this season’s journey. It was a blast.