Kirsten Bids Farewell
After watching a succession of my teammates write this letter, I can’t believe it is finally my turn to do the same! My tennis life at Saint Mary’s has been an interesting one with every year being completely different. Through the years, each season has taught me valuable lesson upon valuable lesson and I was constantly challenged physically and mentally. The last two years of my tennis career have been especially meaningful and because of this, there are some thank yous that are much overdue.
First off, I want to thank my tennis family, those who have been, but most importantly the ones I currently have. They are the ones that have made my experience a great one. Megan, Haley, Ashley, and Sheyenne, thank you for being the best teammates a girl could have her junior year when we were small but mighty. The flexibility and loyalty to the team was truly noticed and made that year one of the most enjoyable. Laura, Julia, Summer, and Marissa, you brought an energy to the team this year which made it one of the best. Keep bringing that energy and I can’t wait to see where this team is going!
A special shout out to Katie Krull for all the time she has put into the tennis team, even after her time in the bird house ended. Thank you for all the great memories, great tennis and the friendship that was created from it. You are the most loyal and motivated athlete I know and I’m proud to have called you my doubles partner.
But what is a team without coaches! Coach (aka Halberg), thank you for all the conversations in the car, the memorable moments, and all the great advice. You have been my supporter since day one against my worst enemy, my perfectionist self. Thank you for always believing in my capabilities even when I didn’t. Coach Dudan, you always came on my court ready to give tips and support which got me through some tough matches. Thanks for your skills as a coach and time that you spend with us.
Thank you to all my friends in the Saint Mary’s community that have supported me on and off the court. Your support during matches meant so much and trying to teach you the proper tennis etiquette was also entertaining. Thank you for making the drive out and supporting the tennis team even if the matches were off campus.
Looking back even further, I couldn’t have gotten this far without some important people in my life. My family has been super supportive all the way through my growth as an athlete and scholar. They helped me become the tennis player I am today because of their unconditional love and support. Thank you, Dad, for your time supporting me in the many high school and USTA tournaments, being my first coach all the way back in 6th grade, and being my number one fan. Thank you Mike Goldammer for sharing your knowledge about the game of tennis and being my inspiration to pursue tennis in college. To this day, I use the knowledge from our many lessons to make myself a better player and a better teacher.
I have my many tennis experiences to thank for where my life has led. Teaching tennis was the first of many events that solidified my desire to be a teacher and through tennis, I got to experience tutoring math for the first time. The rest is history, as I prepared to become a high school math teacher. I am excited to see where my life will lead but I am sure tennis will follow me wherever I end up.
