Baseball has been a driving factor in my life, pushing me to be the best version of myself on and off the field. Although there were amazing trips, plenty of walk-offs, and countless other memories, it was the people I met and the lessons learned that made me love the game. I grew up playing basketball, baseball, and football. I loved all three sports, however there was something about baseball that brought out the competitor in me. I always made my parks all-star team, and when I became 12 I began my travel ball journey which involved year round work. There are many things baseball has taught me since beginning travel ball, but the most influential has been learning how to fail, how to lead, and how I value relationships.

People like to say that the career batting average for hall of fame players is .300, meaning that they are going to fail at the plate 7 out of 10 at bats. Baseball is truly a sport of failure, which is why I've become a resilient person. If I chose to quit during a slump then there was no way I would get out of it. The game has shown me that there are always people looking up to you, making me have to be positive throughout failure. I know I will fail again in many aspects of my life, and baseball has shown me how to bounce back and persevere.

High school baseball, my favorite part of my journey in the game, forced me to be a leader. As a junior and senior, it was my job to lead and if I did not the entire team would be impacted. This meant that even during my own struggles I had to remain positive in myself and the team. On the field, I tried to bring a love of the game to practice everyday to make the teams' experience better. Whether it was staying after practice with a teammate, or taking the guys to dinner, I was proud to say the team looked up to me. If baseball was not a huge part of my life I know I would not have gained those leadership skills that will continue to help me throughout life.

I believe myself to be a very happy person, and that is largely contributed to the relationships in my life. Specifically through baseball, I built relationships outside the classroom with many of my classmates during the high school seasons. Being with them throughout our highs and lows created a unique bond with one another. As a travel ball player I met kids from all over the state and nation and learned about their life experiences growing up in a place outside the bubble in which I lived.