In the top of the 13th inning of the sectional championship, the visiting team went up one run which ended the Spring Valley Baseball Team’s season. In that moment, I was crushed. This was the season our team was supposed to win the AAA state title, but we fell short. I won’t forget the feeling of unshakeable loneliness during this moment. Even though I was surrounded by the best teammates a player could ask for, it seemed we couldn’t find hope or encouragement in each other. This feeling sparked a need for change in me, but I questioned how I was going to create it. Then came my senior year, and it was my time to make a difference in my team.
As a senior, I was able to lead the team to the best of my ability through words of encouragement, and maybe some tough love. My favorite phrase being, “Play hard and don't suck” courtesy of Matt Greene. Being in this leadership role allowed me to stress the importance of treating each teammate as a brother, so that we could work together rather than apart. I encouraged our team to think positively during this season. Though not every game was going to go our way, it was important to maintain a positive attitude so that we could continue to show up with a want to win attitude every day. This team’s bond has shown how successful a team can be when it is created with positive, good teammates. I feel that a positive teammate can make the environment enjoyable for all involved. Good teammates can also change the demeanor of a team for the better. Every single athlete on my team deserves respect and a person to lift them up during the highest highs and the lowest lows. I have tried my hardest this year to become that teammate for the most important team I have played on.
Though I have played on many teams growing up, the 2024 Spring Valley Baseball Team has been the most important because we have something to prove. We want to prove that we work just as hard as every other team and deserve to win the state title. Our goal this year is to win sectionals, regionals, and state, one step at a time. Not only did we set big goals, but our teammates all worked every day towards the same goal with relentless drive and effort.
This season started off a little rocky for me, and I felt I was letting my team down. I could not spare a base hit to save my life, and it seemed like all my training and my mind was failing me. Midway through the season, anxiety had taken over my whole life. My attitude, my decisions, and my performance on and off the field suffered. One Sunday, I decided to make a change. I went to a service at Christ Temple, and I truly feel like it has changed my performance in baseball and life for the better. The sermon felt like it was meant specifically for me and my recent struggles. Since that one Sunday, I have consistently been going to church allowing my anxiety to decrease, started re-building my relationship with God, as well as living life through him. Baseball has become enjoyable now and I’ve been able to turn my performance around. Though baseball can be difficult, I know that God will lead me to preform to the best of my ability and be the best teammate but most importantly person to all my brothers.
Thank you!
What does it mean to be a good teammate? I get this question quite a lot. Being a good teammate means you will do anything that your team needs no matter how hard it might be. A good teammate will never turn their back on their team: their family. I have seen teammates go against their team and you can see how it really affects everyone. A good teammate will stand up for their team and will be there when you really need them. You will make sacrifices and never leave your teammates side when their in need. When you have this type of team that you are willing to do any of these things for you have an important team in your life.
I have been on many different teams in my life such as softball, basketball, soccer, and volleyball. Yet, the most important team I have been on has been the Spring Valley High School Swim team. This swim team is my second family. We have spent countless hours in the pool and have swam thousands of yards together. Many things have happened in our lives during this season and we are all there for each other. I have had the same coaches on this team for the past four years. They have seen my skills improve yet still continue to push me daily to get better. Not only has my team taught me valuable lessons, but so has the sport. When you are in the pool you realize how hard you have to push yourself to succeed and beat your previous time. It is a constant mental battle every time.
When I had my first meet as a freshman competing against more experienced seniors I was absolutely terrified. I was so scared the first thing I did and the only thing I could do was to pray. So now before entering the water on any event I pray. It helps me to realize that I am not alone. It helps to center me and to make my legs quit shaking. During my first event at regionals, this year, my relay team suggested we pray before we dove in to try and beat our previous time and hopefully have a spot at going to the state tournament. So, in front of over three hundred people we circled around eat other and put our hands on top of each others swim caps and prayed. Not only did we pray but we prayed out loud, which was great because I knew I not only had my family around me but other children of God by my side no matter the outcome. We had teams finish strong enough to head to Morgantown to the state tournament. I was asked by my coaches to be the alternate on the 400 yard freestyle relay and the 200 yard freestyle relay at the state tournament. It was an easy yes for me. I had swam those relays all season and I was really bothered when I got pulled off of them for the potential that the coaches saw in another swimmer. I wouldn't be a good teammate if I chose to be bitter about not being about to swim at the state tournament or thought I got cheated out of a spot. So instead I choose to be their biggest fan and cheerleader but also their insurance policy as an alternate. I feel like my job as their teammate now is to encourage them and pray for them.
