This I Believe

This I Believea

Baseball has always been a big part of my life. I grew up surrounded by it, and it has always been very important to me. I started, as many young kids do, playing in the backyard with my friends and learning from my dad. As I grew up and went through little league and into high school, I was blessed with many great coaches and teammates, and I was also fortunate enough to win a state championship.

After graduating from high school, I wanted to continue my baseball career at the college level. As I visited different colleges, the consensus seemed to come back from the coaches that I was not big enough to play college baseball. It was very difficult to hear these words, but it was a great motivator for me. It pushed me to practice harder and harder. Finally, a coach took a chance on me, and I am proud to say that I got to play in a college world series and was a member of a number one rated team for two years. Looking back, I am extremely happy that the other schools passed on me. I believe that everything happens for a reason, and I’m glad that things turned out the way they did, because I would not trade my experience for anything. I am also a firm believer in pursuing your dreams, no matter what anyone else tells you. If you know that you can and you want something badly enough, you will get it. To this day, I still love to be told that I can’t do something. A challenge is a driving force to me, and I seem to be at my best when one is presented.

Along the way, a lot of people have helped me reach my goals, and for this I am very grateful. I know that I wouldn’t have had the opportunities that I did without these people behind me, so I believe that you have to remember where you came from and give credit where credit is due.

Thank you.