Growing up, the weekends were spent at the baseball field, following my brothers to every tournament their baseball team participated in. At the time I felt like it was the end of the world. Looking back now I would never change a single moment spent by the baseball field. No matter where I go, baseball always calls my name. In a way, because I spent so much time watching my brothers play, baseball fields have become my second home.
What baseball has taught me:
1. What it means to be part of a family.
Outside of my direct family I had my “baseball” family. After spending years with the same families and friends, we became our own little family. There are so many of my brothers' friends that I consider second brothers, and I love watching them grow up. There will always be endless words of wisdom from the countless mothers I have gotten to know over the years and have become second mothers to me. Our baseball family is one I will remember for the rest of my life. I hope one day my children will be able to experience the same thing as I did.
2. Appreciate the moment.
The outcome of a baseball can change in a blink of an eye. Growing up around baseball fields and baseball tournaments, I realized you have to appreciate the moment. Time passes so fast, and in a blink of an eye your younger brothers are 8 years old on the All-Star baseball team, and then before you know it they are 17 playing on their high school's varsity baseball team. Appreciate the little things; appreciate the crushes you have on the boys down at the baseball field; appreciate getting a stain on your shirt from that ice cream you were bugging mom and dad to buy you all day. Most importantly, appreciate the fact that no one can take away the memories you have made.
3. Take pride in yourself.
No matter what team you are rooting for, you aren't afraid to show it. Wearing head-to-toe baseball gear, you are proud to be a fan. I learned that the most important thing to have is pride. Never forget to have pride in yourself and those you love. There are many times that people around me didn't support me and the things I was accomplishing, but I never forgot to have pride in myself. It was always exhilarating to sit on the bleachers with other fans who were proud to say they supported such a talented baseball team.
4. How to be part of a community.
There is always a strong community within sports. Everyone is rooting for the same team and you are all sharing in the same excitement. Growing up around a baseball field taught me that there is more to life than just being your own person. When watching a game, you become part of something bigger than yourself. The team wins, the team loses — it affects everyone.
5. How to read people.
I always tried to figure out what the signs were that the coach was telling the players. Is he telling them to steal? Is he about to bunt? I learned that it is actually very easy to read people. It is very easy to look at someone and expect something. Some may call this “judging the book by its cover,” but I see it differently. You learn to notice signs. Signs of weakness, success or dedication.
6. How to accept change.
Time changes and people move on. “Life is change. Growth is optional. Choose wisely.” In a very short period of time things can change. You must be aware that change can and will happen in your life. Circumstances will not turn out the way you want. You must learn to embrace the situation. Accepting change, instead of resisting it, allows change to unfold upon you and understand how it changes you.
7. How to expect the unexpected.
We all have plans, we all have wishes and expectations. People will act differently than we expected. Things don’t always work out the way we hope. All of a sudden you are caught off guard and something happens. Baseball taught me that you can never expect what will happen tomorrow or the next day. No matter how organized we are or how we plan, we can always expect the unexpected.
8. How to accept defeat.
After a tough loss, you realize that you need to work harder and fix the things you had trouble with. When things don't go in your favor the only way to fix that is to look at the bigger picture and figure out what you can do to help yourself. Baseball has taught me that the best is yet to come and not every game or day can go your way.
9. Focus on what you can control.
There are so many things in your life that you cannot control, but we can control our attitudes. When you remember what you can and can’t control and focus on your attitude, things end up working out in the long run. In baseball, you can’t spend your time focusing on the negatives. The same is true in your life — we waste way too much time and energy on things we truly cannot control. I learned that you must shift your focus on what you can control and spend less time worrying about what you can’t.
10. Failure is part of life.
There will always be failure in baseball. Even when you are considered the best, you will always have to deal with failure. This is true in life — it isn’t if we will or will not fail, it is how we will deal with failure when it comes knocking on your door. Failure is a part of life. “To succeed creatively, you have to be able to fail creatively.” Learn from your mistakes, take risks and learn to grow.
11. How to commit.
The game may get tough and you might feel like you can't move forward, but the team is relying on you. Outside of baseball the world keeps spinning and you must always follow through with your commitments, whether it be to your friends, family or employers. "Commitment is what transforms a promise into reality." — Abraham Lincoln.
"Baseball is a lot like life. It's a day-to-day existence, full of ups and downs. You make the most of your opportunities in baseball as you do in life." - Ernie Harwell
Thanks baseball for teaching me all I need to know in life.
