I Believe in the love of the game

I Believe in the love of the game

I rest my heart and soul on a baseball diamond.

Pitching is my release from all my troubles, a place where I am filled with confidence. One game last season, I was forced to leave a game early because of a hit to the head. It was one of those freak accident that prevent some from ever pitching again. I immediately felt the confidence rip right out of me.

I was two outs away from getting out of a slight jam, with a runner on first, with one out, and me on the mound determining my team’s fate. I threw a strike right over the plate, and the next thing I knew I was on the ground, ears ringing, unaware of what happened. I tried getting back up, thinking I was okay, and was told to get back down. I started to tear up when my dad came to the mound to see how I was. I wasn’t crying because of the hit, for my head was numb. It was the shock and the disappointment of feeling like I had failed so early in the game.

See, with me, I feel like I can do anything when I pitch. Never have I felt like a failure on the mound, and now, not only didn’t I last an inning but I felt like a failure. I felt broken down and defeated.

After the hospital treatment was over, I went home and relaxed. I still was upset, and I didn’t want to think about the game anymore, but I couldn’t get it out of my head. Others would think nothing of it really, just maybe a little sympathy for my well-being. Me, I knew what had happened, and it wasn’t just affecting me physically, but also mentally. I didn’t think I had the strength to pull through and believe that I could play with enjoyment again.

The next game day arrived, and I was mixed up with so many emotions. I’m not known for my hitting at the plate because of my size, but my first at bat was a miracle. I swung, made contact, looked up, and it was going. Next thing I knew the ball was off the wall, and I walked into second. My second time I did the same thing, stepped into the box the same way, andBAM, the ball flew through the air once again. Except this time the ball bounced at 360 or so and hit the fence at 375. The celebration went on throughout the whole game, as we ended up beating the other team 12 to 4. Now we were on to the semi-finals with the most confidence we’ve ever had.

Hitting those two balls was the best feeling of my life. I had been so disappointed and doubtful after the previous game, and I didn’t know if I could continue. I’ve never been hurt before, and I’ve never had a reason for a second chance at anything. But baseball taught me that some times get a second chance when we get back in the game. Some times we get a second chance when we persevere.