Cohen C., Centerville High School
Confidence
I was overwhelmed with the task ahead of me. My heart beating like a hummingbird’s wings flapping in the wind. I step out to the on deck circle, bases loaded, 1 out. I pick up some dirt and rub it between my batting gloves, grinding the rust colored dirt into powder, to make my gloves stick. It’s the bottom of the 7th inning, the score is 4-3, they’re winning. I hear my teammates tell me, “Go up there and don’t get nervous. Swing at strikes, and don’t swing at any bad pitches.” I understand this, but it’s going to be tough. I look at the pitcher, and I see he is throwing very hard. I feel very hot, shaking a lot. “Strike 1.” I prepare for the worst. “Strike 2.” I think in my head, I got this, be confident. “Strike 3, batter’s out!”
As I’m walking up to the plate, I hear the other team, “You got this, one more out and we win!” In my head I repeat to myself, I got this, I got this, I got this. I take three deep breaths, and I step into the box. I look at the pitcher, he looks at me. We make eye contact for a couple seconds, and then I look at the plate. I take a practice swing and then I’m ready. I got this. The pitcher throws me a curveball, but it’s in the dirt. “Ball 1.” The pitcher gets back on the mound, and throws a ball way over my head, I swing and miss. My teammates are disgusted. I turn to my coach and he says, “Don’t swing at bad pitches!” The next pitch, the pitcher throws it right down the middle, and I swing.
I hear the sound of my bat and I start running. I hear the crowd gasp, and then I hear a cheer. I look up and I see I hit a line drive up the middle, we score two runs. “Ball game!” My teammates crowd me and I am filled with happiness and relief.
After my game-winning hit, my coach asks me how I prepared for the at-bat and I say, “Confidence.” This situation in my life is important because it taught me to never get nervous before a situation and to stick through it and be tough. Also, I learned to have confidence when I’m doing anything. Today, I am confident in any situation I come by, and I’m still getting better at not getting nervous. I learned that if I am not nervous, and I am more confident, I do better and the results make me happier.
