Post Little League baseball

When I was 13 years old, I joined the Babe Ruth league which played their games on the high-school baseball field. I had never stepped foot on a field so large, and I was still small compared to everyone else. I was roughly only 5'0", maybe even shorter. We played on the same team as 14 year old's who were twice our size. I thought I would be terrified at stepping up to the plate against some of the pitchers who could double my pitching speed. As the year went on, I was never thrown out running to first base. To me, that was a major accomplishment. I made the 13 year old All-Star team in my first year playing in the Babe Ruth league; however, the same coaches that coached the Little League All-Star teams were once again the coaches. If you read my last post, you'd already know what happened during my All-Star stretch, I sat the bench. I watched my team win and lost from the dugout, only stepping onto the field to hear my name called and to occasionally play in an inning or 2. My family was beyond angry at the coaches for putting kids in that they thought I was a much better player than. At 13 years old, the only thought that ran through my head was that I was on the team and I enjoyed being there even though at times I was upset from not playing. As the great John Fogerty sang, put me in coach, I'm ready to play.

In what would be my last season of playing baseball in my career, I had a breakthrough season. I batted over .600 on the season with having multiple games of going 5-5. I once again was never thrown out running to first base. I had hit my first home run; however, the ball went foul. I never hit the ball over the fence after that. At the end of the season, I received a call from coach Joey Adamik. He said over the phone that he was the All-Star coach for the season and he wanted to have me on the team. Hearing that a different person was becoming the coach gave me hope, and that hope became a reality for me, I started every game playing left field and batting 3rd in the lineup. In our state tournament I batted over .800 and received several game balls. I had coaches and parents from other teams approach me after the games telling me how great I was on the field. We lost the championship by one run in a story that I could tell in a post all by its lonesome.

During my freshman year in 2012, I "threw my arm out", or better known as tearing my UCL ligament. I would need surgery to fully recover to play baseball again; however, I never had the surgery completed. My baseball career ended and I would no longer have the joy of strapping on my cleats and spreading eye black across my face before a game again. I now play on my church league softball team playing second base so I don't have to throw much. I bat first since I overrun anyone who stands on base before. In this past season I had hit 7 home runs, none of which had gone over the fence. If I was ever given the chance to play baseball again, I would do so in a heartbeat, but for now I am enjoying life outside of sports in which I am able to spend time with my family rather than attending practices. My baseball playing days are over, but the memories will forever remain in my mind and the love for the game will always be held in my heart.