- July 2016
Personal Statement
From the beginning many people thought I was behind the 8 ball when it came to baseball. I did not start playing until I was nine years old; in addition to that I am one of the youngest players in the conference, so I’ve almost always been the smallest among my teammates and my competitors. This has been one of the biggest obstacles I’ve had to overcome; I knew it would take more to prove myself; I didn’t look like a physical threat on the mound; I knew early on that I would have to rely on accuracy instead of velocity in order to prove myself as a pitcher. The opportunity to do this came early in my high school career. I pitched varsity from my freshman year on. As a 14 year old I faced the defending State Champions in the classification above us. With the support of my coach and my teammates I threw 6 innings and gave up no runs. It was that game that solidified the lesson I would carry through the rest of my high school career – it’s not about size or what other people think but about finding my strength and teamwork.
I’ve also applied this lesson off of the field. This summer after completing extended season with my school, I turned down opportunities to play Showcase baseball and instead chose to work with a strength and conditioning coach four mornings a week and then I go to my grandparents to help them by working on the farm. Some people thought this was a poor decision, but for me it was about finding my strength (what would benefit me the most in the long run) and about teamwork (helping my family).
My senior year I hope to complete three more college courses in addition to the mandatory high school curriculum. In college I plan to major in business although I’m still unsure of the specific field of study in this area. There are a lot of options and I hope to take some general business courses that will help me to make this decision.
