“When I read the letters, I hear them in my dad’s voice, so I don’t have to think about calling him to give me a pregame pep talk,” said Marissa. “Every time the email comes with the letter, I usually cry. Not because of what’s in it but because I know the letter is full of words of encouragement from my dad. I still have the one from freshman year printed out in my softball bag. It’s wrinkled, crumbled, dirty and five years old, but I keep it with me because in times when things are rough, I can pull it out and remember that regardless of what happens on the field, my dad is proud of me, and everything is going to be alright.”
“I knew every year I wrote them there would be another year,” said Carlos. “With this last one, I knew it was the final one. Her entire collegiate experience has been a blessing for both of us. To get to experience all the highs and lows with her has been a once in a lifetime experience. We’ve both learned a lot of life lessons from her collegiate run. I’m so happy that she experienced it and has had so much success playing this game. I’m also happy that she is so well prepared for the next chapter of her life to begin when it comes to an end.”
