Yash J., Centerville High School
Bringing out the Best in Us
“Broken growth plate on the right elbow, you’re lucky you don’t need Tommy John surgery”, I was ecstatic and disappointed at the same time. I had just been saved, by who, I don’t know. Tommy John surgery means I wouldn’t play any sports for almost 2 years, instead, I’m out for 2 months. I was already past the happiness and sad again, baseball, the thing I loved most hurt me and took me away from it. I was mad at my old coaches for pitching me too much, mad at my new coaches for pitching me so much, mad at myself for not listening to my body when it told me I was hurting.
A month later, and I’m on the bench with a cast on my arm. I’m watching all my friends have the time of their lives, hitting, pitching, just overjoyed that the season is back in full swing. I was disheartened. I saw another teammate of mine who was in a slump, looking down at his glove in disappointment. At that moment, I realized there’s more to being a teammate than just contributing your skill and athleticism to the team. We’re a family, we pick each other up when we are down. I reminded him that he was on this team for a reason, he made this team for a reason, and that he should be happy for his other teammates as was I. He got up and cheered on our teammates with me.
In baseball, in any sport, in life, you’re never alone. You may feel alone but you are not. Your teammates, your coaches, your family, your friends, they’re all there with you. I realized that even though I was hurt and I couldn’t contribute in that way, there’s much more to being on a team. I chose to be happy that I was with this great group of guys, I chose to help my teammates when they got down, help them even when it wasn’t asked. This is because it’s the little things that matter. So choose to live life, have no regrets, choose to be happy.
Mahatma Gandhi once said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” I believe this goes well with what I’m trying to say because I was sad that I couldn’t play, I wasn’t confident in my skills other than baseball skills and I felt alone like something was taken from me. I realized that helping other people on my team made me happy. Seeing them succeed didn’t inflict jealousy upon me but happiness. I realized that helping others before yourself is important, and being happy even when you don’t feel like it is very, very important.
