Personal Statement
I started playing baseball when I was 3 years old. My mom remembers a P.E. coach that was at my coach pitch game yelling, "Back up! Back up! He's a hitter!" She then looks at my mom and says, " That boy is gonna play some baseball." Little did I know that I would still be playing as a senior in high school. I was crowned as the home run king when I played t-ball at the little league world series in Milton, Florida. I have always had a passion for baseball. There are pictures of me throughout my life with the different teams I played on and they show how I have grown over the years.
As a player I try to be a leader for my team and a game changer. I love catching and getting base stealers out. My goal is to let know one steal or come in home if I have the ball. Players very seldom steal when I'm catching. They often think twice. I want my coaches to depend on me to do the best I can while setting an example for my team. If we are losing, I want to hit 3rd or 4th to drive in runs. If possible I would like to score, but if I can't, I am satisfied bringing in runners. That is just as good. I take great pride in knowing I can add to or reset the atmosphere when I step to the plate.
My grades were always a serious focus for me. I knew that if I did not keep my academics in line my parents were going to get on to me. They wouldn't take baseball away but I didn't want to find out what my punishment would be. I would see other athletes who were good enough to get into college but did not have the grades. I did not want that to be me and bring shame to my parents. After practices would end, which would often be late, I would eat and sit at the dining room table to study and complete homework assignments. I will do this for my senior year in high school as well. It felt good to be exempt from some of my exams. My father will often say, "Son you are a student-athlete. This means you are a student first, then an athlete. Coaches are going to look at your grades. What are they going to say about you when they see yours?" This stays in my head as I am studying and completing my assignments. I want to impress coaches on and off of the field.
