Zachary Ruffing '21 Recruiting Profile

    Baseball has had a huge impact on my life and has really shaped me as a person. From when I was as young as I can remember baseball has always been my favorite sport, activity, and general thing to do. Without baseball I do not think I would be the person I am today. However this love for baseball also came from the coaches I had. They always taught me life lessons by making analogies between baseball and life. My baseball coaches have taught me so much, not only in a way where I am just learning to run or hit a ball but just how to be a likeable person in general. All of the coaches I have had always had a positive attitude towards their players and towards the game. I really fed off of this energy and it translated over to me. The thing that I really took from my coaches was their sense of humor. They would always have something funny to say. If a kid was not having too good of a round of batting practice or if a kid wasn’t hitting well in a game, they would poke fun at the kid in a joking manner to make sure they didn’t hurt their feelings and to lighten the tension the kid might have after doing bad. This really taught me to never be down on myself or others, yelling at someone isn’t going to help them. Instead make a joke and cheer them up and hopefully they will do the same for you when you are feeling down. Baseball has always taught me how to have a better mental approach to things. Once the game of baseball started becoming more serious for me and it wasn’t just little league anymore and winning actually mattered, I was taught to have a certain mental approach towards the game. Whether it be what type of pitch I am looking to hit off of a pitcher in a certain count, or on the field knowing what I am going to do if a ball is hit to me. This transferred over into my life because it really taught me to plan ahead of time and have knowledge of what you are doing. Like when I am focusing before the play on what I am going to do with the ball if it is hit to me, I can also look at it in real life as if I was trying to plan out how I am going to do my homework or when I should make dinner. Lastly Baseball has given me lifelong friendships with my teammates. I have played on numerous teams for baseball ranging from the local rec league to my high school team and to my aau team. I have had so many teammates over the years and I created some of my best friendships from baseball. I have had teammates that leave the team to go on to join a different team, but even after they leave we still have a strong bond, and all this took root from just meeting them one day in the batting cages and starting a conversation. Baseball has helped me form friendships, take a better mental approach to life, and overall just have a better personality. Baseball has shaped my life for me and continues to help me throughout my day to day routines. Even if I do not get to play the sport for as long as I wish I can, I will never forget all the memories, lessons, and friendships I have gained from this sport, it has given so much to me and shaped me as a person.