How Baseball Changed My Life
For a majority of my childhood, the sport of baseball was the one activity I loved above anything else. Nothing could compare to the exhilarating freedom and satisfaction of bolting full speed around the bases, determined to steal, beating the "Throwdown" by a fraction of a second. The massive dust cloud kicked up by my cleats and the thunderous boom of the umpire shouting, "Safe!" made me feel empowered.
It was in moments like these, when I was in control of my own fate, choosing whether to stay or to run, whether to play it safe or to risk failure, that I learned one of the most paramount lessons of my life.
Sadly, my enjoyment of baseball was short-lived. As I transitioned into middle school, the sport became overly competitive and far …show more content…
When I received my class rank at the start of sophomore year, I told my father “11th is decent, but I can do better.” When junior year came, and I received the updated numbers, I felt the same way about being 4th, I could do better. Here I am, 3rd in the class, battling through my senior year, and still pushing myself to do better. Pushing *myself*. My determination to improve doesn't stem from my parents, my coaches, my teammates or anyone demanding me to, but rather because I know that I am capable.
The same aggression to improve that I put into rising in ranks academically, I also put into my new sport of choice; tennis. From very early on, I have been determined to improve as a player and have thrown myself at any opportunity to do so. This drive has helped me transition from the bottom of varsity to the top-ranked male player and team captain for both my junior and senior years.
There is no place on an application that I could explain how deeply this motivation lies within me. There is no possible way that, with only a handful of numbers and check marks on a page, I could describe what lifts me out of bed every morning.
Similarly, if I leave out that moment, when I was a young baseball player rounding first base, discovering my inner motivation for the first time, I would be doing a poor job of showing who I
It was in moments like these, when I was in control of my own fate, choosing whether to stay or to run, whether to play it safe or to risk failure, that I learned one of the most paramount lessons of my life.
Sadly, my enjoyment of baseball was short-lived. As I transitioned into middle school, the sport became overly competitive and far …show more content…
When I received my class rank at the start of sophomore year, I told my father “11th is decent, but I can do better.” When junior year came, and I received the updated numbers, I felt the same way about being 4th, I could do better. Here I am, 3rd in the class, battling through my senior year, and still pushing myself to do better. Pushing *myself*. My determination to improve doesn't stem from my parents, my coaches, my teammates or anyone demanding me to, but rather because I know that I am capable.
The same aggression to improve that I put into rising in ranks academically, I also put into my new sport of choice; tennis. From very early on, I have been determined to improve as a player and have thrown myself at any opportunity to do so. This drive has helped me transition from the bottom of varsity to the top-ranked male player and team captain for both my junior and senior years.
There is no place on an application that I could explain how deeply this motivation lies within me. There is no possible way that, with only a handful of numbers and check marks on a page, I could describe what lifts me out of bed every morning.
Similarly, if I leave out that moment, when I was a young baseball player rounding first base, discovering my inner motivation for the first time, I would be doing a poor job of showing who I