ACE YOUR GAME WITH BATTING BASICS
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“Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work.”
Stephen King
A PLAYER’S CAREER
Sport is in My Blood
TEAMMATE
As I teammate, I understand the struggle of wanting to be the “best”— most players struggle with this at one point or another. I also understand the desire for your teammates to succeed; when they do well, it benefits the whole team. I always do my best to support my teammates, whether they strike-out or make a double play. Being a leader— a supportive leader, at that— is one of the most-needed positions on a team. As my coaches have always told me, all you need to bring to practice is attitude and effort. Nothing else matters. Strive to be 1% better everyday and give everything your full effort and attention. Remember that the only player you need to be better than is the player you were yesterday.
PLAYER
Being a player can teach you so much; not only about the game, but about life. Through the years that I have played softball, I have learned that hard work is what defines success. It took failing over and over to find out what I was made of. As a player, you learn mental toughness. You learn how to get up again after you fail for the hundredth time. You learn how to be accountable for your actions. You learn how to respect not only your coaches, but also your teammates, yourself, and the game. Though there is so much more, these things have helped me navigate high school and life. Softball has helped me decide what kind of person I want to be: dependable, accountable, dedicated, disciplined, and respecful.
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ATHLETE
Being an athlete— especially a student-athlete— can be extremely taxing. I know this from experience: after a long day at school and a three-hour practice, I would go home and eat, shower, and do homework— only to get up early the next day and do it all again. This dedication is what defines you as an athlete and a person. Even as a beginner, learning how to time-manage, decide priorities, and juggle different aspects of life is extremely difficult. Personally, it was worth it, as those skills now translate into my day-to-day life.