Personal Statement
Hall of Famer Yogi Berra once remarked that “baseball is 90 percent mental and the other half is physical.” It might be a colloquial expression, but I think baseball truly is a thinking man’s game. Baseball is also a game of failure. Putting these together, baseball differs from other athletic contests in its foundation of mental adversity. The game tests you, it exposes your vulnerabilities, and it forces you to adjust.
My name is Ethan Catt, a member of the Class of 2020 at Central Catholic High School in Bloomington, Illinois. I am passionate about baseball, a game that I love and have played competitively since 8U. In the years since then, I have played in over six hundred games, have been named to all-star teams, and have won tournaments and individual skills competitions. From these experiences, I believe a player needs self-confidence, mental toughness, emotional control in stressful situations, and a keen desire to make things happen. You will find these same qualities in my approach to baseball.
Off the diamond, I am captain of the CCHS chess team, another “thinking man’s” game I enjoy almost as much as baseball. This past year I was an IHSA scholar-athlete during my varsity soccer and varsity baseball seasons. In the community, I am a student volunteer with Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Central Illinois and the McLean County Nursing Home, and have received several awards for my service. My academic goals for the upcoming senior year are: to continue to be on the High Honors list while taking college-level, AP, and honors courses; and to maintain if not increase my 3.9 GPA.
I am extremely hardworking and very coachable. My coaches have said the two things that set me apart from others are my work ethic and my mental approach to the game. I believe learning is life-long, so I am always willing to seek out and learn new ways to improve my game. My hope is to take these skills and drive and use them at the collegiate level, in the classroom and on the diamond.
Thank you for taking the opportunity to visit my profile.
Ethan Catt