When not in class or studying I like to occupy my time with athletics. I am a person who likes to learn new things that challenge both my mind and body. Sports has proven to be an area that allows me to do this. My athletic experience has ranged from the novice to the competitive in many different sports. My high school athletic program has provided me the opportunity to concentrate on specific sports which allowed me to be more specialized and focused. The sports I chose to pursue were wrestling and baseball. Both sports allowed me to be a part of a team and to challenge my own abilities. As a member of the team, I learned to work cooperatively for the benefit of the whole. I learned how to support my teammates in their successes as well as their defeats. These are all lessons that I apply to my life. I feel it is important for a person to be able to improve his own talents while being a successful supportive member of a team.
One of the sports I specialized in was baseball. I had played baseball since I was four years old. I played in recreation ball, Little League, and on competitive travel teams. I was very excited to make the junior varsity team at my high school my sophomore year. It was during this baseball season that I really felt I had developed into a strong player who could help his team. After being presented with the MVP award, I was called up to the varsity team for the CIF playoffs. I experienced the thrill of victory and the excitement of success. That summer I participated in Little League for my final season. I enjoyed baseball, the camaraderie of my teammates, and another successful season. By the time my junior year had started I knew baseball should be my only sport. Therefore, I decided to give up wrestling and really focus on making the varsity baseball team.
During the preseason I worked hard to demonstrate my abilities to the coaches and to make known my desire to be on the varsity team.