Ryan Weaver '21 Recruiting Profile

My love of sports is born out of my love for competing, preparing, and being a part of a team.  As such, my goal is to find a great fit at a school and baseball program that will push me to reach my potential both academically and athletically, and help me develop into a more successful person after college.  

My whole life, my parents helped me seek out situations to compete against bigger, older, and better players so that I could push myself outside my comfort zone.   At times, I was nervous and scared, but also knew that I would learn from the experience.   From when I played on the 11U and 13U Great Lakes NTIS Team USA teams in Cary, North Carolina against the best players in the country, to playing against National level AAU basketball teams with our community travel team, to getting moved up to the Varsity early in sports at the High School level, to sending me for extra strength/agility training, it's the competition and preparation that I love and believe in.  In our family, we don't shy away from failure.  My parents have taught me to embrace it and learn from it.  When my friends are prioritizing hanging out and video games, I am prioritizing my throwing program, hitting lessons, and off season conditioning while also actively participating in my current in season sport.  I believe pitching is about being in control of yourself and the ball while competing with the opponent in the batter's box, and my background has taught me how to be in control during chaos.  

In order to be successful in school and athletics, I believe in trusting my preparation.  I've been taught that I have to earn the right to perform well through hard work and making mature choices for those I represent.  Nothing comes free.  However, when I do prepare properly, I earn the right to be confident in that preparation to help me to succeed.  Doing hours of homework while taking honors classes after coming home from athletic practices is the norm for me because I believe in the process, and so far, it has paid off with great grades and athletic success.  

Finally, coming from a strong family background of two parents that are teachers and coaches has shaped my approach as a teammate as well.  When sports get hard or things don't go the way I'd like, (if I miss a free throw, or have a bad at bat), I try to focus on being a great teammate instead of focusing on individual failure.  It helps me relax and focus to be a vocal and supportive for teammates.  And that's what baseball is to me...preparing and competing against another team with a great group of teammates.  My family has also taught me that I'm not a perfect person, but to try to make the right choices on a daily basis for those that I represent...myself, my family, and my teammates and coaches.