To Kelly. She's getting married this weekend.
Kelly was one of my favorite players ever. Hard headed, smart, determined, you name it. In second grade we had to split teams and I "recruited" her from the other team. Her parents were not happy and I had a long telephone conversation with them to explain how it occurred and what the school's policy was. Before the 2nd game they had already apologized to me and thanked me for guiding their daughter.
Over the years we became great friends with the family. Their daughters matched up with our two oldest daughters, and the third daughter was just a year different. Kelly became my team captain, and if I needed to get the team's attention, all I had to do was to tell her, and she had the respect of her teammates.
In 4th grade, our school's athletic director approached me during the summer at a basketball camp my son was attending and asked if I would coach for him during the coming year. I said of course, John, I always coach basketball. He said, no, I need you to coach volleyball.
After my protests of not knowing anything about the sport fell on deaf ears, I became the 4th grade volleyball coach. Then 5th, 6th, etc., although I recruited a stellar coach in the 7th grade to help me (read-coach the team, while I watched). Kelly was a better volleyball player than a basketball player, and she became a very good high school player. Her parents asked me about playing in college. I had to give a pretty blunt opinion, that although she could play in college, it would not be at any school on her dream lists, and her social life would be volleyball as well. Nothing wrong with it if you love it, but she made a mature decision to abandon official sports in college and went to Auburn - where she met a young engineering student, fell in love, and will be married this weekend to him.
In the "small world" category, he was good friends with a girl I used to coach, and who was on Kelly's team, who moved away in the 6th? grade. Allie became reacquainted with Kelly when they both went to Auburn and just happened to bump into each other on campus after not seeing each other for six years. Allie introduced her to Michael, and the rest is history.
Kelly asked my daughter to be a bridesmaid, and my son to be a groomsman, and invited all 7 of us to the rehearsal dinner, with my wife being invited to anything the moms are invited to, as well as to the bridesmaid luncheons. She tells everyone that we are her true second family.
We've been through practices together, through many games throughout the years, through girl scouts, school plays, and science olympiad competitions. The kids have been to school together, to church together, and celebrated every major event in each others' lives.
Kelly, you're a special lady, and Michael is lucky to have found you. I have become acquainted with Michael over the last two years, and he's a special young man as well.
May you both enjoy the love and happiness that you are experiencing now for the rest of your lives, and thank you for including us in your lives.
And this is why I'll never regret always saying "yes" when I've been asked to coach kids. Kelly enriched my children's lives, and my entire family's lives, with her very being. It is an honor, indeed, soon-to-be Mrs. Navy Blue Angel, that I was allowed to coach you in school. You're a terrific young lady. Best wishes to you and Michael.
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Originally Posted by Darrell KSR
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