We all make choices. For the person we are today is the subtotal of the all the choices we have made. Choices have benefits and consequences. Sitting around, slugging it out at our own pace seems like the most comfortable way to live. When we look at the consequences of that choice, it might have temporary comfort, but what about the long term effect? I have learnt to make choices not based on short term benefits or consequences but the long term. How will it affect me weeks, months or years to come? No one said it will be easy and no one said it is impossible.
While growing up, every Dodgers game would keep me glued watching and participating from our living room. I still remember each game with nostalgia. The truth is that when it comes to baseball my mind is like a file cabinet. I have a huge amount of incredible memories experiences and lessons learnt. I gravitated to the thought that I might actually become a pro player like Derek Jeter.
Baseball has been part of my family’s history. My mum and dad played softball and baseball respectively. Not forgetting Josh, my older brother who also excelled at it. It gave them a sense of teamwork. Working together to create a plan, following it to the latter, in order to achieve a common goal and victory. It was inevitable I would one day join the league.
I started playing tee- ball at the age of seven for Mount Jumbo Little League. Practice was mandatory, with a coach whose job was to keep us on check. Speed was never one of my strengths. During practice our coach would make me run a couple of times around the baseball pitch before playing. He said it would help me increase my speed .However, it made me more tired before the actual game, and sometimes gave a terrible stitch.` Practice makes perfect` was the coaches last remark after every practice. After that first year of tee-ball, I “graduated” to the senior league baseball with Mount Jumbo Little League. I was so excited. My dad happened to be the coach and that was a blessing to me. I always admired his commitment to succeed in all his endeavors. He was very dedicated and put in a lot of his time working with our team. He also put in more effort to help me become better in running. I remember when I was fourteen my dad challenged to become the fastest in our team. Well it seemed impossible, I mean I have tried my best and am still the average. He advised to begin morning run. One night, I pondered over why I had to sacrifice my sleep to run? What would I gain out of it? Why should I try something I have never done? The long term benefits were quit worth it. The next morning I was up by six, full of enthusiasm and purpose. Besides running I was taught the way to master holding the bat, to remain calm stepping into the batter’s box and the science behind taking a deep breath before the first pitch came my way. The constant “dings” of the metal bat hitting the ball became music to my ears.
Our first game was just around the corner. I was confident and prepared to work together with my team and bring home our first victory. It was a blustery night. I played first base and was more than ready for the opposing team. We won that night and celebrated by having a team dinner at Pizza Hut.The sweet taste of victory. Our record that season was nine wins one loss. My first real taste of competition had set in.
I was dedicated to striving to become an outstanding player. I had to learn how to balance between baseball, schoolwork and completing my daily household tasks. Time became precious to me and I used it wisely. Daily growth in baseball became essential. I saw myself grow mentally, physically and I was continuingly challenged. I competed within myself and other players. Not only did I want to be an all-star player, I wanted to be a better son, brother and friend. My competitive baseball years continued until the end of my junior year in high school.
Cognitively looking at my experience in baseball I can say Life is like a sport. It’s practically impossible to change the outcome of my baseball game if my mental state is negative. In everything I do, if I want to make better; I have to be mentally strong and optimistic. Always keeping my eyes on the price. I have to have faith in myself and follow my guts. That’s the only way to win.
Apart from how to win I also learn how to recover from a fall. We all fall down at some point, but we shouldn’t stay down. We need to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves and get back on track. I have and will continue to face many obstacles. In baseball I learned that hard work and determination does improve all areas of life. You have to compete and strive to be a better version of yourself. You can never give up. That’s the only way to live life and become great.
To know I am worth is a key ingredient to being successful. Taking that first step is an act of faith. I had practiced, studied and kept my eye focused on my goal, the win, the grade and the job. I have to work at having a successful career; I have to work at having a good relationship with family and friends. I have to work to get everything I ever wanted in life.
Key terms
Audience - My essay targets those having difficulties in making decisions. Those who find it hard to stay motivated or to better themselves. I have also written for those who feel run down and can’t seem to find a way to make things work.
Knowledge – I am passing lessons on the benefits of hard work, persistence and dedication. That the choices we make have consequences and benefits and how to correctly way them to come out better.
Reflection – In my essay I reflect back on how I began my baseball, and what it took to become the person I am. The skills, lessons I learnt and still using in y life till date.
Voice – It’s my inner voice urging my readers to be careful in the choices they make and from my experience I explain the benefits of the right choices.
Explicit – I have clearly described my experience in baseball. From how and where my interest begun to where I finally am.
Rhetorical devises – I have applied the use of rhetorical questions to help readers have something to think about after reading my essay
Discourse communities – In my writing I have implied the basketball team because the share common interest, work together to come up with a common goal
Context- The setting of my context was from the baseball pitch and at home
Genre – My Essay is based on life experience and how it influenced the person I am today.
Purpose - The aim of my essay is to motivate people to becoming better, embracing hard work and dedication in order to get positive results.
Implicit-. I have implicitly described about my problem in running and how I overcame it.
REFLECTION
In this essay I have taken my readers on a walk down my memory lane from when I was young. How baseball became part of my family and how it got integrated into my favorite sports. I have clearly shown how I begun in my interest in the sport and how my role model, that is my dad, played a big role in moulding me to become the person I am today. I have mentioned some instances implicitly but shown its relevance with my story. Writing about my life experience, I chose to aim at motivating people. When someone sees that you made it through they get the feeling that they can also make it. I try to reach out to those who don’t believe in themselves, those who think of always taking the easy and comfortable way out. I encourage my readers to think carefully before doing anything, Even if it’s something positive, it is important to know why you are doing it and the benefits you will gain.
I focused on baseball team as my discourse community because from there I could draw many valuable lessons such as, importance of practice, team work, hard work, persistence and determination. All this are the key ingredients to leaving a successful life.
I wasn’t writing this easy for myself and as I was writing I saw it important to give my readers something to ponder over. Something to trigger their thinking into a different direction. The direction my essay was leading to. I wanted to give my readers food for thought.
