Alex B

For the Love of the Game

When I was in seventh grade I couldn’t wait for it to be spring. The school year was flying by and soon it would be time for baseball season. I was so excited to get out on the field to work hard and show the coaches why I deserve a starting spot on the team. Tryouts had come and I was so nervous believing that I wouldn’t make the team. When my name was called, to talk to the coach, I felt my heart beating through my chest. I walked into his office and waited for some type of good news, “Alex congratulations you made the team.” I was so relieved and ready for the season to start.

Since I was new to the team I had to show the coaches what I was made of. I was back up to an eighth grader who was better than me, but I didn’t let that stop me from taking that role from him. Every day at practice I tried to work the hardest and show everybody that I deserve to be in that spot and not him. For the first couple of games he got the starting spot because he was more experienced in that position, at this level of play, than I was at the time. We battled hard at the position to show who the better player was and I was determined to not let him beat me.

When a game came that we were winning by five, coach let me go into center field and try to get a feel for the position. The first pitch was thrown and it came right to me, I was scared that I wouldn’t catch but I let the adrenaline take over and the out was recorded. After that moment I knew that I could play that position and I wouldn’t let him take it from me. At the next practice I worked my tail off trying to show everybody that I am better than him at this position. By the time the next game came I was still not on the lineup card and I was so angry, I didn’t know what else could be done to win this position. The next few games went by and I was still not on it, by this time it was spring break and we had it off. I knew that this would be the perfect time to work on my game and get the start next time. Over the break there wasn’t a time that I wasn’t working hard to get better and improve at my position. By the last days of break we had practices scheduled and I came back at a higher tempo and pace than everybody else. At the first practice I was fielding and hitting at a higher level than I had ever before. The coaches had notice and they told me “Alex we know you are working hard and we are going to give you the starting role and move Josh into left field.”  I was ecstatic and couldn’t wait to play.

By the time came to play the first game, that I started, I was so nervous not knowing what would happen. We were playing Northside, who has always been tough, and we put our best pitcher on the mound. It was the third inning and all was looking good, I had a hit and a walk and a ball hasn’t come my way yet. We take the field and the first pitch thrown was a line drive right over my head, I hustled to it and threw it in. I was scared that the coaches would yell at me for miss reading the ball, but they told me that it was okay and that all of the butterflies should be gone. The next inning came around and there were two outs with a runner on second base, the ball was lined out to me and I got it on the hop but the runner was trying to take home and I threw the ball and he was out I had just saved the game and gave us our eighth victory for the season.

All in all, baseball is loved by many, and people who love it will do anything to play the game. I would never sit at a baseball game because I wouldn’t let somebody else be better than me. I work hard and would love to earn the starting position; if you don’t work hard then the position could be taken by somebody else. Never give and play the game you love, if you work hard it will pay off in the future and could eventually make a career out of it.