University of North Carolina Athletics
I'm A Tar Heel: Lauren Moyer
September 8, 2016 | Field Hockey
Dear Tar Heels,
When I got the opportunity to write this letter, I couldn't figure out exactly what it was I wanted to say. I knew I wanted to express how much this school and the people here mean to me in my own words and in the least cliché way possible. I decided to look on GoHeels.com at past examples to get some inspiration and a direction for how I wanted to organize my version of the letter.
As I continued to read different statements from basically every sports team Carolina has to offer, it hit me: Everyone, no matter what team they played for, what age they are or where they came from, had the same things to say about our incredible school. Each person raved about Carolina and the experiences they have had here, and recognized that we are in the process of making memories that we will carry with us for the rest of our lives. They reminisced about great moments on the field and even better ones with teammates and other athletes off the field. The quote “These were the best four years of my life” was mentioned more times than I can even count. It is crystal clear that Carolina athletes have great pride in this school and overwhelming gratitude for the people that got them here. To be honest, I echo everything my peers have already said. It is extremely difficult to add something new to this tradition of “I'm a Tar Heel” letters because everything that I feel has already been said time and time again. The reiteration of this heartfelt message year after year - not only in these letters but also in other forms - only solidifies UNC's excellence more.
Another common theme in these letters was a sense of thankfulness. With graduation looming in mid-May and my time here at Carolina drawing to a close, I am finding myself reflecting more and more about my experience and how I even got here in the first place. In saying that, I want to take the time to say thank you before time sneaks up on me and I'm on my way into the real world. I mainly want to thank the people that got me here originally. Without my parents I genuinely would not be at UNC. My mom “forcing” me to pick up a field hockey stick and convincing me that playing in a skirt wasn't weird would turn out to be one of the most important moments in my life. As a seventh grader you don't think about these little moments turning into something bigger, but luckily I had parents that did. Their constant support and guidance has helped me tremendously on and off the field and for that I am forever grateful.
Fast forward several years after my seventh-grade introduction to field hockey and here I am. The people I have met at Carolina have become some of the most influential people I have in my life. These individuals come in the form of coaches, teammates and other athletes. They taught me basically everything I now know about work ethic, discipline and commitment. Not only have these people taught me invaluable life lessons, they are connections and relationships that will last a lifetime.
While I didn't avoid being cliché and perhaps even came across as a bit sappy at times, it is almost impossible to avoid when talking about this great university. With the best teammates, coaches, fans and support system around, we truly are the luckiest student-athletes in the world to be able to call Chapel Hill our home.
Go Heels!
Sincerely,
Field Hockey Senior
