Eleanor Anderson-Miles Foundation Scholarship

The most difficult time in my life was the unexpected death of my father. I was 13 years old in October of 2015 when I received the most devastating, most terrifying information of my young life. My father, my hero, my baseball coach, my mentor was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic renal cancer. My entire world changed in a blink of an eye. Within a few short months, 3 months to be exact, he was gone. I was devastated as any one can imagine. At this time, I was unsure what to do next with my world. My life as I knew it was destroyed and gone. My mother is wonderful and so supportive, but she was not my dad. I had to learn to go on without him. I trudged forward with each day at school. I still made straight A's while in junior high. I continued to play baseball. My heart was not in it, though. Every time i rounded second base to turn to third, he was not there. My heart was broken with each and every step. I decided to stop playing baseball after that season. I do love the game and it was the memories of my father that helped me decide to go back to the game and pitch again for my senior year of high school. My adversity I had to overcome was that all of the other pitchers had not stopped for the last 4 years. I decided I would overcome the adversity of this tragedy and play again just one last season. I went out for the team, and I was welcomed with open arms. I started against one of the major teams of my district and threw for 3 1/2 innings with no runs scored. What a way to start back!! With each team we battled against, with each adversary we met, I put my heart and soul into every pitch. And in the end, I found myself walking onto the mound to close out the game for the semi finals on my birthday! We did win that game and what a special day it was for me. I know that my father was watching from heaven and enjoying the victory as much as I did. I overcame so many obstacles and adversaries to win that game for the teammates that I had grown to love as brothers. I am not playing college ball but did decide to coach as my father did. I continue to grow and learn from all he taught me. I continue to meet adversity every day in my life without my father to go to for advice but i feel him with me everywhere I go.