Personal Statement
Hello Coaches:
My name is Jason Alfandre, and I am a senior at Hopkins School in New Haven, Connecticut. As a student, I maintain a strong B+/A- average at a prestigious institution, all while taking difficult and advanced level courses in order to push myself to meet and exceed high academic standards. My junior year was my best yet, despite taking more difficult classes and juggling a variety of extracurricular activities.
Outside of the classroom, I am a varsity baseball and football athlete, and have studied both Judo and Tang Soo Do since I was five, and have earned black belts in both disciplines. In addition, I have been playing drums since I was ten, and have played in jazz bands and pit orchestras since 7th grade. I also umpire games for younger players during my spare time, something that has increased my overall baseball IQ and enhanced the mental part of my game.
As a baseball player, I am a catcher, and stand at 5'9", 170 lbs. When I'm on the field, I give 110% every pitch, and am a vocal presence in the dugout when we are hitting. The team is my family, and we win, lose, fight, and cheer together. Whenever my body seems like it might not want to sprint to back up first on an infield ground ball, or kick out to the side to block a wild curveball, I think of the five-word sentence a coach once asked me that has become my mantra every time I step onto the field; "Is that all you’ve got?" Those five words drive me to succeed, and because of my competitive nature, increase my performance in everything I do. At the start of my junior year, my first on the varsity team, I did not have the starting job. But when the starting catcher missed a few games due to other commitments, I stepped up, took advantage of my opportunity, and earned the starting job through my hard work and drive to succeed.
In college, I will work hard to excel both academically and athletically, and would love the opportunity to play ball at the next level. I will give you everything I have, and if that isn’t enough, I’ll find a way to give more. If you provide me the opportunity, I personally guarantee that you will not regret it.
Sincerely,
Jason Alfandre ‘18