In 2018-19, the Mountain East Conference began its "Dear Sport" initiative where student-athletes in the conference were encouraged to write a letter to their sport. The initiative provides the opportunity for student-athletes to express in their own words the impact that sports has played in shaping them throughout their lives. 

Click here to view all letters posted throughout the year. 

Below is a letter from Madison Gargus, a volleyball player at Glenville State College.

Dear Volleyball,

You have been one my greatest treasures. Our journey together on the court is coming to an end but I don’t think it’s over completely. Thanks to you, I have learned so much about life and myself that I can’t imagine not having you in my life.

I didn’t realize until recently how much you helped lead me through certain points in my life. High school, for example, was a horrific time. When I was bullied, you offered a safe place for me. Once I stepped foot on the court it was like all the bad in my world was shut out and I was able to put everything I could into getting better. When I played club ball, I was able to see that I am valuable. I am good enough. I didn’t feel less than others there. You gave me structure and discipline which has translated into my life now. When I thought everything was going wrong you were there to show me that it wasn’t true. I thank you for helping repair the broken relationship I had with my mom. She is my best friend and having her full support is one of the most important things to me. All those hours in the car and the snow storms we drove through for me to play helped mend what I had broken months before.

You essentially were my key to escaping. Escaping what? Well escaping girls who were terribly mean, a boy who was emotionally/physically abusive, a mindset that had me thinking I was nothing and would amount to nothing. I was the girl who supposedly had everything. I had a family who loved and supported me, brothers with whom I am very close with, good clothes, a nice house and food on the table. I was very fortunate, but still life was hard. Everyone has their own demons that they battle. I feel like some people forget that…but you never did.

The bullying pushed me into depression and I began to have violent anxiety attacks… but you know who was always there? You were. Like I said before you were my key to escaping what I believed was hell. I used you to get me into colleges away from home. I wasn’t running from my family. It still hurts four years later to be so far away from them, but you gave me a family away from home. I have my teammates and a coach now who care about me and are there when I need them. I was running from the bad, the hurt, the fear that if I stayed I wouldn’t be around anymore because I wouldn’t be able to handle everything. So when the opportunity came to get out, I took it. It was the best choice of my life so far.

Although college volleyball hasn’t been a walk in the park, I always told myself that things are hard because of the lessons I am supposed to learn from them, and things aren't supposed to be easy. My journey to find out who I am is not over. It was like you got me out of hell and said, “Now it’s time for the real work to begin.”

You made that clear when we didn’t win a single game for three years... 0-78 (roughly) for three years. You taught me what a loser is, and what a loser isn’t. A loser gets the mentality that the world is out to get them, that there is no hope or light at the end of the tunnel. I never lost hope. Even though I’ve been through four coaches in four years and hadn’t won a game until this year, my senior season. I knew that when I came to Glenville, I had a duty to change the program and that’s what kept me going. I had to finish what I started. I owed that to you, and to myself. All the times you were there for me, I was going to pay back the debt I owed you. This year we have won more games than the team has won in about 5 years. I know who I am as a player, a woman, and a daughter. I now know what it takes to be torn down and then have to build myself back up, brick by brick. You have been my enemy and my best friend. I’ve gotten so mad at you and I just wanted to throw in the towel but I never did. You brought out the fighter in me. I now believe that I am strong and can push through any situation. You have been there for me and I hope that I am able to keep you around and share you with young girls like myself one day.

So thank you for everything. I think you and I both know how hard things have been but together we make a great team.
 
Cheers!

Maddie Gargus
Glenville State Volleyball
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