Personal Narrative: High School Baseball

Here I am, a high school freshman, many students are ready to start his or her school year academically, except for me. The only thoughts going through my head as I start my high school career is baseball, baseball and more baseball. It is every baseball playing kids dream to do well in high school baseball in the hopes of being drafted to college and ultimately the big leagues. I knew from the start I would never make the varsity team my freshman year due to the stock of players our school had, which included my brother. Even though I knew this I still couldn’t wait for the spring to begin junior varsity ball.
The air is getting warmer, the flowers are blooming, the grass is green, but nothing is sweeter than seeing the greenest grass in the world on a baseball field, yes it is finally here. I don’t understand as I am walking out to the field for the first practice how most people do not see the beauty and poetry in the game of baseball. The greatest diamond I know of is the baseball field, the smell of fresh cut grass, the lines of the field being chalked, baseballs flying through the air, and the sheer joy of playing a beautiful game with the greatest of friends. The only problem was this, we were horrible. We won only two games the entire season and as we come to the final game I cannot believe this is

how my baseball career starts. That was how my freshman baseball year started but little to my knowledge that is not how it will end.
I remember earlier in the year during tryouts seeing the talent of our varsity baseball team and being awestruck as I watched them take infield and batting practice.

I’m standing there 5 foot 8, weighing a mere 165 and these guys look like giants, their pitches were major league levels and batting practice for them meant that anybody who parked their car in the parking lot behind the outfield, should move it immediately. They generally played after us and I think that was what I looked forward to the most. Dominating every team they came across, even to the point where the head coach would stop runners from advancing bases because they were leading so

much.
The varsity team ended their season undefeated and now it is time for the state playoffs. This is the point where I, my older brothers little bro is asked to be on varsity for the playoffs in case someone got hurt. The reason I am “called up” is somewhat controversial, my brother is not allowed to play in the playoffs because he neglected the school’s academic requirement for sports. Nevertheless, I am here, I am traveling and practicing with these “giants.” I’ve never seen anything like it, reporters are coming up to them and asking them questions, one even came up to me and asked how I felt about this team and that they were thinking about making a movie about it. I feel like I am in the center of greatness and I’m trying to soak in every word spoken to me by these players and trying to learn all I can from them. The first series was at our field against a playoff rival from the year before Charlotte Independence, it was an amazing feat to watch, there isn’t a place to stand around the field and there is even people watching from a parking deck across the road. They end up winning the series and moving on to the semifinals against a team from South Mecklenburg; it was our ace (Dustin Ackley) against theirs (Madison Bumgarner) both of whom are MLB players today. We ultimately lose the series ending my time with the greatest baseball I have ever been a part of, I will never forget the lessons learned and the awe I felt during this period of my life.