A Heartfelt 'See You Later'

The following is an open letter from Vanderbilt golfer Abbey Carlson:

I look back and remember the day I made the phone call to head coach Greg Allen.

It was spring break during my sophomore year of high school. Sitting on the edge of my driveway under the Florida sun, the words were easy, “I want to be a Commodore.”

I find myself back here in Florida six years later knowing that the decision I made that day was one of the best of my life.

I knew I wanted to come to Vanderbilt because it gave me the chance to receive a world-class education while playing the sport I loved at the highest level. A lot of coaches I talked to during the recruiting process were never really thrilled with the idea of me pursuing both a high-level athletic career as well as a degree in mechanical engineering.

Vanderbilt was attractive because I saw the support that I had to go after both of these things. What I got once I arrived on campus was so much more than that.

Vanderbilt gave me a second family and a journey that changed my life.

When the decision was made to cancel the remaining winter and spring athletic seasons, myself along with thousands of other student-athletes across the country were impacted. For me, I knew that college golf was the end of the road in terms of playing competitively and it was suddenly gone.

Despite knowing the decision was made in the best interest of the health and safety of student-athletes, I was still angry, saddened and confused as to why this all had to happen, especially during my senior year.

As an underclassman, you watch as your senior teammates take in their last event and figure out the best way to thank and say goodbye to the people that have been by your side for the last four years. At the time, I figured I had another two months to figure that out. Suddenly, that turned into two days.

Life changed quickly. I went from one day preparing to leave for our next competition, to the next day saying goodbye to my best friends and packing to move back home for the first time since I had started college. In the midst of it all, I’ve had plenty of time to think about what these past four years have meant to me and all of the lessons I’ve learned.

As a team, we saw a lot of great moments in past four years. From coming in as a freshmen during a year of rebuilding, to last year when we set a record for the most team wins in a season. It’s been a fun group to be a part of on the golf course.

Though, while success on the course was always rewarding, the things that stand out more to me were all of the little moments in between. Whether that be team dinners after qualifying rounds, the endless laughs that came during a road trip or even just the satisfaction of making it through a tough morning lift. These are the moments I will never forget.

While there are so many incredible people that make Vanderbilt Athletics feel like home, I want to give a special thank you to all the coaches and teammates I’ve gotten to share this time with.

Thank you for being by my side through thick and thin. Thank you for being a shoulder to cry on during the toughest of days and for the constant reminder that there is more to life than just the sport we play. Looking from the outside, it would be easy to wonder how such a crazy group of people manage to get along so well, but it all makes sense when you realize that those people have some of the greatest hearts you could imagine.

Thank you for giving me a chance to be a part of this team’s story for the last four years, it has truly been an honor. I love you all so very dearly and I can’t wait to see where this program goes in the years to come.

The day I found out I had played my last competitive round as a Commodore will last in my memory forever. But more than anything, I’ll look back on these four years and be thankful for my time here knowing that even though it ended earlier than expected that I will always be a part of the Vanderbilt family … and for that, I’m forever grateful.

It’s not a goodbye, just a see you later.

Stay safe and Anchor Down!

Abbey