- October 2019
Personal Statement
I love baseball. I have played basketball, soccer, thought about football and other sports, but baseball is me. I play baseball pretty much from March – November. My Dad told me he signed me up for NCSA for skills development and recruiting and I didn’t know what to think; a little nervous I guess. I will approach it like being down by a run in the bottom of the last inning; me and the team need to make a play. I play for the love of the game, and you love the game when it gets tough.
My name is Cole and I am a freshman in high school, class of 2023. There are many reasons I love baseball, I work hard at it each day. I have played every position on the field, but pitching and infield are my favorite. I have always like outfield too, and while I can still throw someone out at home from center field I am better inside the bags right now. It is the best game ever; making plays, spending time with my teammates, great wins and hard losses. My Dad keeps saying it is uphill from here, and occasionally I will get a downhill if I work hard. I am seeing that now.
My mindset in playing baseball is this, to be the best player on the field for any team and in any game. Whether in the batter’s box or inside the diamond I know what I did in the last at bat or in the last defensive play is over, next pitch is up. I want to get better each play, each at bat and each time I play. I know this is hard, and I am working hard every day.
I like the competition, beating the other team; or even shaking their hands at the end after a tough loss. I guess I can be positive about both of those because I am working hard with my teammates, my friends. I know wins and losses are part of any game, but I don’t know how to lose. My Dad says you can win even when you lose and I am learning he is right.
In middle school I was the first ever sixth grader to make the team. We only lost three games in three years. I know our success was not because of me, but because of all of us at teammates. Little league was little league, fun. I have been playing travel ball for six years and that is a different story. We are a good team, we win and we lose. I have been asked to play for other teams, better teams. I play with my friends and coaches, and I am loyal to them.
It’s my first year of high school and I played summer HS ball this year in 2019. It was great, a challenge, and a lot of hard work. I can’t wait to see what happens over the next four years. I do strength, conditioning and speed training at least three days per week and I really like my trainer. His name is Travis Lindhorst and he runs The Edge Sports Performance in Durham. I also hit regularly with my batting coach Rocky Coyle. He is such a nice man, a minister, mentor and person. He even played MLB with the A’s and Blue Jays. I wish I could spend more time with him.
I want to play hard every game, every at-bat, every inning. I don’t know what to expect in the next few years in high school or in going to college. I don’t know where or when playing will end. I guess every ball player wants to make it to the next level. I know if I work hard I will be successful, it may be on the ball field or in life. As long as I work hard and give 100% every day then I guess that is all I can ask of myself.
Cole
