Good Experience #2

Baseball

            I went to a Christian School my whole life until 10^th grade when I started attending a public school. I came into public school with no friends, and feeling alone. I was always a band geek and never popular. I realized one day that I wanted to be popular and I wanted everyone to like me – so I tried out for the sports teams, although I had never really played. First came football – I tried out and made varsity as a running back / sweeper. I never knew how hard football was until I had to go through two a days. Practices were exhausting – practicing two times a day in 80 degree weather is close to hell. The first year I lettered and had a great time, but no one really knew me and I kept to myself, so then I tried out for basketball – I made JV, although basketball is definitely not my sport and I don’t really enjoy it, so I tried out for baseball.

This was it. There is no better feeling than stepping out onto the field for the first time in a season and playing baseball. If I had ever experienced a moment of euphoria, it would have to had happened on the baseball field. I tried out for baseball, never have played and I made varsity. I started out the season on the bench, but 2 games into the season I started. I loved every moment of baseball. I would stay 2 hours after practice twice a week to practice fundamentals, not because I had to, but because I wanted to- I loved practicing. My first year, my sophomore year, we won the 3a state title. I received all league honors and got the game winning double in the state semi finals.

For never had played baseball, I was pretty proud of myself. It was the most proud I had ever been of myself. The hard work paid off. I was on the front page of the sports section in the Seattle Post Intelligencer after my game winning double, and it would have seemed that it could not get any better, but it did.

My junior year, I not only received all league honors, but was All State First team. This was the highest honor that you can receive for high school athletics. I led the state in stolen bases, and batted .440. That summer, I played for a summer team, in which I played with people like Jake Locker – we graduated the same year. We had the opportunity to travel to China to play in the All World Classic, and although we didn’t win, it was still an tremendous opportunity.

It was when I started playing baseball that kinda felt like – this is what I was made for. I enjoyed every moment of it. My accomplishments in baseball are one of my greatest experiences.