Personal Statement
Summer has been my favorite season because of sports and the outdoor things I can do. Playing travel ball has been a major part of shaping who I am today. Softball is what I give credit to for the majority of how I have grown as a person and as an athlete. Catching most games and spending time talking and having relations with umpires has brought me out of the shell I had 4 years ago, and has made me more outgoing, helping me in everyday life. I started out as a pitcher and later focused purely on being a catcher. I think that is one of the things that has made me a better catcher. I know pitching mechanics and how the pitcher's mind works more than I would have if I hadn't had that experience. I can call time outs and talk pitchers out of slumps and help them with what might be going wrong.
I have a huge work ethic and love to lead and help. I understand new concepts well, so I often work with classmates on my own time to give them a better understanding of the subject, either academics or athletics. I like to keep my grades as high as I possibly can, and push myself just as hard. I have a serious hatred of being unproductive. If I have my goals set I do anything I can to accomplish them. My freshman year, the girl I had competing for my spot in high school started saying I had never "earned" my spot. This led me to work harder than ever - I began spending extra time in the weight room, and working on as many drills as I could get a hold of to increase my ability. I have seen myself improve much over the past year because of this -my stats have gone up measurably, and I get the bonus of my coaches and other parents commenting on how much I've improved and how well I work. Our local field is where our travel teams practice in the summer. My dad and I spend hours on the field every week dragging, wetting, and cleaning up around the fields. If given an opportunity, I feel I could be a great addition to a team on and off the field.
