High school sports may not seem like a topic from which to discuss personal development, but it was the catalyst for me. I had not been truly challenged in school until I tried out for a JV sport. When I was a freshman, I tried out for JV softball with a slight overconfidence in my abilities. Consequently, the morning that results were posted, and my name was not on the page (surely, a misprint?), brought feelings of disappointment and disbelief. I tried brushing it off, forgetting about it by 3pm. But on my way to the bus, my would-be coach pulled me aside. That conversation marked the beginning of not only my baseball success, but a battle with failure.
"You caused the coaches a lot of trouble last night." - what a great start! "We talked for a good while about your attitude." He went on to describe what he saw as a determined freshman "surrounded by 13 opportunities." He invited this impressionable 14-year-old to practices, offering words of encouragement. So, I joined as a redshirt with my sights set on next season.
When it came around, I went in front of new coaches and players as a Varsity-eligible sophomore. Yet novelty soon yielded to déjà vu: the same excited friends, and the same misprint on the roster. But one thing was different. This time, I took the initiative to seek out my coach. Somewhat surprised to have a cut player come and ask …show more content…
In preparation, I signed up for Strength; I took Little League games seriously; and I considered tryouts a proving ground. Sure enough, there were no more misprints. My name appeared on the list, and I was issued a Dragon uniform. Even though I was no starter (my tournament average was 0 for 0), I served my role as a "strategic pinch-runner," stealing bases where needed, and the opposition's signs when benched. Regardless, I was in the huddle with everyone else when we swept the conference, I was on stage with the gold medal, and I was even in the team Facebook
"You caused the coaches a lot of trouble last night." - what a great start! "We talked for a good while about your attitude." He went on to describe what he saw as a determined freshman "surrounded by 13 opportunities." He invited this impressionable 14-year-old to practices, offering words of encouragement. So, I joined as a redshirt with my sights set on next season.
When it came around, I went in front of new coaches and players as a Varsity-eligible sophomore. Yet novelty soon yielded to déjà vu: the same excited friends, and the same misprint on the roster. But one thing was different. This time, I took the initiative to seek out my coach. Somewhat surprised to have a cut player come and ask …show more content…
In preparation, I signed up for Strength; I took Little League games seriously; and I considered tryouts a proving ground. Sure enough, there were no more misprints. My name appeared on the list, and I was issued a Dragon uniform. Even though I was no starter (my tournament average was 0 for 0), I served my role as a "strategic pinch-runner," stealing bases where needed, and the opposition's signs when benched. Regardless, I was in the huddle with everyone else when we swept the conference, I was on stage with the gold medal, and I was even in the team Facebook