Personal Narrative: My First Bleacher

“Every strike brings me closer to the next home run”(Babe Ruth). I was wondering how much baseball really affected my life and the choices I make. The answer is a lot, and it still continues to leave a mark on this life I love. Over the many years of my involvement in the game I have learned that life is full of ups and downs. Baseball teaches people to bounce back from negatives, this I believe.

One summer day, me and my sister penelope received a call from my aunt. The call was to ask if we would go to a baseball game. Well of course we agreed, why would we not go to what would be our first game. The date was set, it was a day before Independence day. I was very excited I counted down on my cute marble print planner with a big blue sticker phrased “ seize today”. Finally I’m going to do something for the summer!

Last night I made my first visit to watch a home game at Waverly. The game when all was said and done turned out to be worth the 1:45 minute drive. A late fumble at the one-yard-line kept Waverly from taking a late lead, that was followed by a drive of championship caliber by the Pirates to put this contest away.

It all started when I walked into Island Coasts High School’s open house. I didn’t know what to expect, and was filled with trepidation about whether or not I would even know enough about football to sign up. I made my way to the cafeteria in order to sign up. I met the coaches,

Summer, a season where many are free to do whatever they please and not have a worry in the world. This is not the case, however, for a high school football player such as myself; for classes being released marks the start of another season, not summer, but football season. It was a hot day on Mount Diablo High’s football field; I could already feel sweat dripping down as I stood there in my armor. Players were separated between two categories: Skills players and the Linemen. The coaches came and said we had to do hitting drills to start of practice. So the linemen, Erik, D’antae, Xavier, Charlie, Jarreck, Anthony, Josh, and I, created a circle and waited to see who the coaches would call out first. To my surprise, there was someone in the

“When your legs can’t run anymore, run with your heart.” Spring is the best time of the year, because it is soccer season. Spring of 2016 was a special time to me, because I was a freshman at Wahlert Catholic High School trying out for the women’s soccer team. I went into the first open gym scared, nervous and excited all at the same. The open gyms were for use to get in shape for the actual season and for the coaches to get a better look at our soccer skills. Previously in the year of 2014 I played for a club soccer team called DSC or Dubuque Soccer Club. After that 2014 season was over I decided to quite DSC and try something different. So going into open gyms I knew that I was going to be a just a bit rusty because I haven’t played soccer in a while. As open gyms went on some upperclassman were telling me that the coach was very impressed by the skills I had. Being only a freshman it was very flattering to know that the coach thought that about me. Knowing this it drove me to keep pushing myself hard and hard, because my goal was to make it on varsity.

“This championship is the most important game, yet the team is more important than that regardless. On the off chance that I surrender one hit, that I may remove you for the game if you mess up.

Two years ago at Diamond Lakes Ball Field I started to play softball, I was scared and I really didn’t want to play because I was the youngest on the team. To begin with I started to practice with my team and at home with my mom, stepdad, and sister. After a little practice I became better and learned the skills needed to play the game.

it's a hot Texas Sun beat down upon my neck a fast ball whizzed past my bat and into the catcher's glove after you had another strikeout. I trudged back to the dugout thoughts of failure filled my mind of my confidence slowly vanishing. I wasn't accustomed to anything less than success before high school. I prospered in youth athletics while living in South Dakota. I had a phenomenal baseball coach to transform my robbed potential into success on the baseball diamond. Unfortunately, my father's Air Force career demanded that we move before my baseball season. Without me my team went on to win the city state championships advancing all the way to the Little League World. When I was younger my family moved to not affect my athletic performance the difficulties began I was torn from my tight-knit community in Northern Virginia and forced to adjust to life in West Texas prior to the start of my freshman year. I struggled to regain the close friends and relationships I left behind for the first time in my life.

Six years ago I played my very first baseball game and I was the pitcher. Now you may think that when I was four I couldn't pitch. Well you were right I just played next to the pitching machine. Getting any baseball that came my way. Popfly, grounder, line drive, you name it I caught it. I was very good at baseball and I loved to play baseball.

Until I became a high schooler my dream was to grow up always playing softball. Softball was my all time favorite sport to play. My dream was to be a softball athlete my entire life. When I was younger I started playing as a little kid and I grew up playing until my sophomore year in high school. I played on and traveling team and started on the high school team practicing and playing with all my closest friends. I played for DeWitt and Maquoketa and I had fun both way. I always tried to stay active in it.

I still remember the day it all happened. It was my freshman year of high school and baseball was right around the corner. Playing varsity baseball as a freshman was almost impossible to do. As coach called me into his office, the anxiety set in. I knew the varsity team lacked a starting pitcher but i never would have thought i would have the opportunity to get pulled up to play that year.

There was cars passing by the trees outside of the metal chain link fence bases set up at every corner ,but it wasn't the happy feelgood setting, no it was the gloomy halloween setting this was my backyard on multiple very unfortunate days.

My two closest friends in the baseball community have known about a struggle I've had for some time now. I've been wondering for sometime now, what would life be like without baseball. So, baseball and I are ending our 25 year relationship so I can spend more time with my daughter and traveling a lot more. I was blessed to coach Chris Tomkins, Mitchell David Crimmins, Brady Breitbach, John Thill, Jeremy Vaassen, Brett Bortscheller, Dan Millius, and Nickolas Kutsch for their entire high school career and wanted to go along an incredible ride with them. When they were sophomores we set a goal to make it to the state tournament when they played varsity. Not only did we make it to state, but we started off the season 19-0, ranked number 1 the

Again, tryouts came for the next greuling school year. The only difference from last year, I was prepared. I knew the cheers, I knew the feeling of standing in front of crowd so ecstatic from a winning game and I knew the feeling of a crowd sitting at a loss for words in the face of defeat. I knew my goal and I was absolutely determined to reach it. I could only be described as a lioness on the prowl and the Varsity squad was my prey. Just as anxious as the year before, though this time with a hint of confidence, I made my tryout a culmination of completely everything I had learned from my wildly experienced past. That night, I reached my ultimate goal and earned the prized name of Varsity cheerleader. The next day I practically walked around with an enormous V on my forehead, honored by the position. With all this positivity, I knew there was something to come. That same summer, I hadn’t received a lucky chance to become even a contender in the