Im nobody without baseball. I've played since I was 5 and my life in one way or another has revolved around baseball since. Tee ball and little league baseball gave me an early identity as a child. This identity of being a baseball player and athlete has resonated with me ever since. Baseball gave me a sense of belonging in those early years, but high school baseball had a big impact on my future aspirations and the person that I am today. One lesson I learned was how to work my way up the depth chart in life. As a freshman I was already at a disadvantage if I wanted to make varsity, so I used that disadvantage as fuel to make me work harder. I made varsity and that journey taught me how to work hard. The seniors and juniors on the team that season were inspiring and helped show me what a varsity player looked like. Kydese was a D1 commit, and seeing him play gave me the blueprint of where I needed to be with my skills. Seeing all the talented baseball players on the team made me want to be like them and play baseball in college, so that became a goal of mine. My Sophomore year of baseball taught me that I should never stop working hard and that everything is earned and not given. I was in a great position to obtain a starting position, but I got lazy and complacent, which made me lose out on the chance to be a starter. I did get the chance to start halfway through the season and I started every game for the rest of my high school career afterwards, but I still learned the importance of continuing to work hard. I also learned how to humble, Im no longer arrogant or naive but I'm grateful for every opportunity I get because it can always be taken away. My Junior year taught me how to be a leader. I was voted as one of the two co-captains of the varsity team, so I had to learn quickly how to motivate the team and lead the team during the ups and downs of the season. My experience being a captain in both my Junior and Senior year led to me wanting to use my leadership skills in the real world. I am going to pursue a degree in sports management, so I can oversee an athletic facility or an athletics organization where my leadership skills will apply. My Senior year of baseball shaped me into a fighter and resilient person. I broke my leg and dislocated my kneecap while playing travel baseball in the fall of my senior year, jeopardizing my chances of playing my senior year. I did not let the injury stop me and I worked hard in physical therapy, so that I could bend my knee again. I wasn't 100% for the start of the season, but I was able to play even without being able to bend my knee all the way. I played the whole season and helped lead the team to its first playoff win in school history. I learned how to fight against adversity and push myself through challenges because of baseball. I will be attending Cairn University to play division 3 baseball this fall. Baseball has influenced my college of choice, my desire to work in a field that involves baseball and has taught me many lessons that has built my character and has helped develop me in to the young man I am today.