Back when I was just a little kid I was a super competitive and lively kid. I was a real tough and determined kid. I wanted to do whatever I could to win. I played baseball, basketball, football, and soccer. A year later my parents told me I needed to quit one of my sports if I wanted to keep playing the rest of the three. I was so invested in all my sports at that time I didn’t want to let any go. I told my parents, baseball was the one I wanted to quit. My dad played in college and he told me most definitely not. I was upset as a little 9 year old telling him that was my least favorite. Now, nine years later it’s the only sport I’m playing and it’s the way I'm getting a scholarship into college. I didn’t play machine pitch when I was younger, I played a couple years up and was always pulling my weight. The passion I had for the game when I was younger is shocking. I’d cry after each game we lost and be upset if I didn’t hit the ball or play well. I joined an academy when I was nine and haven’t looked back. Natural Baseball Academy has made me into the man I am today. Winning doesn’t matter to me as much as the memories and the family I've joined. When I was eleven, I was on Natural Baseball Academy 11U. This team consisted of a lot of good players, but I felt like I shined as a left handed pitcher. I didn’t get the playing time and as an eleven year old. All you want to do is play, not sit and watch, so I joined another team called NBA Sprinkle. My favorite memories came from this team. The coach's son actually had cancer. My 11 year old self trying to understand one of the kids I’m playing with might pass away was scary. The team wasn’t better than my old team, but it had a fight and was determined to win. We won tournament after tournament and went to the Alex Gordon classic. The biggest part of the tournament was Alex’s Lemonade Stand. The tournament had a fundraiser to see how much money we could raise and see if we could go on the Royals field and be honored before the game. We won! It was an extravagant event and we met all the royals players. 9 years later.. I'm in the same academy and I’m committed to Benedictine College. The effort I’ve put in to this day has shaped me into one of the best players at my academy. The bulldog mentality of not letting anyone defeat you is my mindset. Benedictine is going to shape me academically and athletically into a smart, competitive, and most importantly into a person who will put all effort forth and fight until I’ve achieved my goals. -Andrew Ryan