Kabir Khanna '19 Recruiting Profile

    Ever since my first day of taking ground balls and swinging a bat, baseball has been my paradise and the place where I am most happy. I started playing baseball since I was 4 years old. Over that time period, I have learned a lot and will continue to. I always have a goal in mind when it comes to baseball and life in general. For instance, when I was in elementary school and middle school, I dreamed day and night to play for my high school team. No matter if the high school has a strong baseball team or a weak one, making the team was the goal I had in mind. That day came and before I knew it, tryouts were around the corner. As every freshman trying out, I was beyond nervous. I knew that this will be the first time that they will be seeing me, so my first impression meant everything. Fortunately, I made the team. I could finally cross off that goal and now the current goal I have been working towards is playing college baseball. Most people believe that the more swings or more ground balls they take will suddenly make them a star player, but one of the many lessons I have learned is that quality is more important than quantity. Going into the cage without a plan is like studying one chapter of a 3 chapter test. Repetitions are equally as important, but without a plan or something to work on, it defeats the purpose. This mentality has translated from elementary school to high school. 

    When I was in 2nd, my parents brought me to a nearby temple for the first time. Of course, excitement was my first thought when I heard that we were going to the temple. First we prayed, then received sacraments, and last we ate lunch at the temple. After finishing lunch, I constantly begged and begged my mom if we could go home so I could play wiffil ball with my 2 brothers. My mom, after about 15 minutes, said "no" and told me to go volunteer and serve food. At that point, I realized that my begging backfired. So, in frustration, I walked to the stand and began to serve food. At the temple, all the food is free and all kinds of people are welcome. I served salad to the people as quickly as possible, so I could finally go home to play wiffle ball. I was feeling so proud that I served about 20 people and the line began to shorten. As the last person in the line passed through, I walked away from the stand and my mom, with a slight grin on her face, told me that the line wasn't done. In the corner of my eye, I saw about 30 people waiting in line. I kept asking myself, where did all these people suddenly come from? So, I unwillingly went back to the stand and served the salad, but I noticed that this group of people were dressed in dirty clothes and smelled bad. They were homeless. After about 30 minutes, I served everyone left in the temple and we left to our house. While seating in the car, I told my mom that I want to volunteer every week. That feeling I received from serving all kinds of people, is a feeling that can never be compared to. I continue to serve at my local temple and I realize how grateful I am. 

    From my experience in the temple,  I translate that to my baseball. After every pitch I throw, I thank God for giving me an arm to throw with. After every swing I take, I thank God for giving me eyes to see the ball with. Not one swing or throw goes by without my 100% effort, because I know how fortunate I am to be able to play baseball. Thank you for reading my personal statement.