All of my fellow athletes have undoubtedly heard the saying, "Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard." Ronaldo fans live by this idealism. Admittedly, this phrase does prove to be true often enough to be considered proverbial wisdom. However, it is not foolproof which means I cannot take this as a universal truth. One thing I have seen to be a universal truth, though incredibly rare and difficult to find, is that hardworking talent gets the furthest. And I was lucky enough to have a friend from an extremely young age who started to teach me this.
A fan favorite to literally everyone who has ever known her is the dear Andi Tostanoski (now Waterhouse). I was lucky enough to start playing soccer with Andi around the age of 10 or 11. I joined a new team for what used to be called intermediate soccer, or higher level little kid soccer. On this team was the coolest and most unique girl I had ever met - rocking her short, bright orange hair and larger than life personality. Not only was she a badass player, even at that age, but she was also someone who supported, encouraged, and held those around her accountable. I admired Andi from the day I met her!
I was fortunate enough to get to become close friends with her. Evenings eating Fargos in her basement after jumping on the trampoline or playing outside for hours. Getting to have her stay over for a few days during the last truly great snow storm while we dug tunnels through my yard. Attending numerous soccer camps with each other, both pursuing our passion while having someone to make it more enjoyable. These were moments that marked our childhood and made her friendship so special. Andi has always been a natural source of life and growth. Someone who has held to her convictions and pursued her dreams for as long as I can remember. And I have been so thankful soccer introduced this extraordinary woman to me.
One thing I always have admired about Andi is that she has never seen someone's value based on their accolades, if the coach likes them or not, or popular opinion. When we met, my uncle embarrassed that coach and in response this man tried to humiliate me into quitting. His final comment was, "If you do not come to the scrimmage tomorrow, I will take that as you have quit." Since I was 10 or 11 and thoroughly shunned, most families thought I would quit and knew I was not the coach's favorite by any means now. I chose to go to that scrimmage despite my parents not wanting me to... and only one person walked up to greet me and warm-up with me. And that was Andi. I killed it that day, in case you were wondering. Thanks to one encouraging friend and teammate.
Andi was like this throughout our whole life. Whether I was on the same team, a lower team, playing my best, or succumbing to a coach - Andi has never shunned me or acted like I was valued any less. Now, back to the initial paragraph about hard work and talent. During Andi's senior year she asked if she could get a ride after a winter practice. Of course I said yes, but was surprised when she asked me for a ride to the gym instead of home. She was going to go continue her own training following ours, especially since tailored keeper training was not really a thing in the soccer world as we grew up. If you were fortunate enough to ever play with Andi, you know how amazing of a keeper and leader she was. And she did this with little to no existing and specific programming! She was one of the pioneers, in my opinion, for developing keeper programs and placing value on their unique technical and physical needs. The work she did from 8 years old on, all on her own volition, has helped future generations of keepers. She is truly a combination of talent and hard work.
This post has been a little longer, but I feel like many people have not had the privilege of seeing Andi's work rate and character in depth. Her accolades and talent have led many people to find her untouchable or unapproachable. Therefore, I feel like sharing some of the insight I was fortunate enough to experience is worthwhile here. Undoubtedly Andi was and is talented, and that is intimidating. But she is equally hardworking, dedicated, and kind - and this deserves so much admiration. Andi is the essence of talent and hard work, and these individuals are rare. Yet somehow Andi's humility and ability to value human dignity makes her an even rarer asset to our world - a super human who humanizes you. May the work she did ahead of many of my generation continue to pay off for her throughout this life :)
