I am brave and strong and talented. But I am still just a kid. I am not perfect. I am a work in progress. I need you to be patient while I test the limits of my body and work through the emotions that come with success and failure. When I make a mistake, I wonder if you’ll be disappointed. When I reach my goals I look to see if you are watching. I am a youth athlete. I love my sport. You call it competition. I call it playing the game. I want to win and have fun. I am a youth athlete. I am YOUR youth athlete. Winning feels great, but your praise feels indefinitely better. Please remember these things and I promise to do my best