Thank You Firsties
Paul Peck, Head Women's Tennis Coach
Dear Danna and Gloria,
Congratulations on graduating from West Point and commissioning as 2nd Lieutenants! I am so proud of both you for all you have accomplished these past four years. It has been quite a journey!! I know that you are both prepared and ready for the challenges ahead in your military career. You have been trained at the best leadership institution in the world and your leadership skills will help you succeed in any unit you are assigned. I am looking forward to seeing all your accomplishments in your military careers, in your communities and in the private sector in the future.
I also want to thank you for all you have done for Army women’s tennis because of you two, our team is the most cohesive I have ever seen it in my 26 years at West Point. You both have led by example in terms of your work ethic, competitiveness and just being great teammates. One of your best strengths as teammates is your sense of humor and constant teasing of each other. It allowed the team to laugh and relax during a tough Dean’s week or in stressful competitions.
We have had many adventures on and off the courts over the years but one of my favorite memories during your time with the team is the 2018 Patriot League Championship.
You both won critical matches to help us bring the Championship Trophy back to West Point after five years of frustration. Danna’s dramatic win over Boston in the semi-finals earned us the right to play Navy in the finals. And Gloria’s win in singles during the finals switched the momentum in our favor to beat Navy 4-2. What was even more amazing is we had lost to Navy 7-0 in the regular season and we lost the doubles point against them in the finals but because of your tenacity we were able pull off the upset!
Again, I just want to say how proud I am of both of you and how grateful I am to have been given the honor to be your coach. I will always treasure our time together and I will miss both of you dearly. I will always cherish our friendship. Be safe and take care.
Love,
Coach Peck
P.S. Beat Navy!!!!