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Senior / Goalie Chanhassen, MN From the Coach |
| I know that most people say they can’t believe that they are writing their Senior Salute already. Where did the years go? Well I’m sitting here thinking the same thing. The past three seasons I have spent playing SMU soccer have made me a better person. I have made many friends, learned many life lessons and made some great memories. There are a lot of people I would like to thank for making these things happen. I would first like to thank my family. You are so special to me and there is no way I can thank you for what you have done for me. Always having my back and being there for me. Thank you for putting the time, money and effort into a sport that I love to play. You are truly a wonderful family and I love you all. Next, I would like to thank Megan for being there for me in the tough times, as well as the good. You are such a huge part of my life and I thank you for listening to me and for being there when I needed you the most. I love you. I also want to thank my fellow seniors. MJ, you have been a great friend on and off the field, and I appreciate everything you have done for me. I will miss all the crazy things you say. I will also remember all the jokes you told in Seattle. Lackey, you are a great person and I respect you a lot. You truly are a great leader. “Go Texas!” Jason, I’m going to miss your weekly advice on which Minnesota team will lose that week. All I have to say is, “GO MINNESOTA,” we rock in every sport!! Jake, we will get you to like rap someday. You are a great person and I find it a true privilege to be your friend. You are the type of person who looks at himself second. Your friends always come first. Lardner, I have never met anyone that could liven up any situation. I will always remember you dancing on the table and acting crazy. Thank you for all the laughs. JB, you are another person that made me laugh. I like you because you tell it like it is; you don’t beat around the bush. Don’t ever lose that. Brayton, you are the most dominant soccer player I have ever seen. You don’t back down from anything and that is something a goalie likes to see out of his defensemen. You might be quiet, but you show what you can do on the field. You are also a great person off the field and I’m glad I got to know you. Coach Benny, thank you for being a great coach on and off the field. I will remember the penalty shot this year at the alumni game. You got nothing! I will always remember the great impressions you did of Luzzi; they were a good source of entertainment. Luzzi, thank you for all the time and devotion you put into the SMU soccer program. You are a very dedicated coach and I think it shows in the program. I will miss the dinners at your house; you make some killer spaghetti sauce. Take it easy on the Jack in the Box. To all the other guys: you have a lot of talent to work with and I hope that you can use that to take over the MIAC. I will miss all the Chicago and Packer fans. I loved arguing with all of you about how much better Minnesota is. I hope someday the Twins and Cubs meet in the World Series and we will see who the best really is. We all know that the Twins would take it all. I know that I will never get away from Chicago and Wisconsin fans, because they are everywhere — it’s scary! I’m glad that I got to meet all of you and become friends. You are great guys, good luck to all of you in the future. Soccer has taught me some valuable lessons and one lesson I have learned the most is to be patient. I might not have contributed a lot on the field, but I was able to help my team with a positive attitude and a love of the game. I will take what I have learned from soccer to my life after school, which is only a couple months away. I’m not sure what I will do, but I know that with patience, hard work, and determination I will achieve my goals. If I could give some advice to the underclassmen, I would say to never give up. Always give 110%! If you do that and believe you can do it, good things will come. This doesn’t just apply to soccer, but to life as well. If you give your all, you can overcome whatever obstacles come your way. Lastly I would like to say good luck to my fellow seniors in whatever it is they plan to do. I wish nothing but the best for all of you. I will never forget my time as a SMU soccer player and I have you guys to thank for that. May God bless you in everything you do. |