The Athletes’ Voice: The Fun Never Left

I was just eight years old when I moved from New Jersey to Georgia. Up until then, soccer was my sport of choice. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to play against a lot of talented players, and competition was stiff. But when I moved to Georgia, I joined the local soccer league, and to put it bluntly, the talent pool wasn’t the same.

I didn’t have the same level of competition that I had grown accustomed to, and that’s when I decided to focus my efforts on a different sport: Baseball. I was still pretty young at the time, but I fell in love with the game. I joined my first travel ball team, and from that point on, it was baseball every single day. And I loved every minute of it.

Wanting To Play

In high school, I played alongside one of my best friends who got an offer to play at Georgia Tech. I remember thinking to myself, “if he can do it, I can do it.” Seeing him get an offer to play at the next level inspired me to work harder than ever before. I wanted to play baseball in college. I wanted to be just like my friends.

After my junior season of high school, I committed to Georgia Southern. I loved everything about it. The coaches were great, the facilities were fantastic, and I was just a short drive away from home. It was perfect. But after my first season, I had to make a very difficult decision.

I had a ton of fun at Georgia Southern, and I still talk to my teammates from Georgia Southern to this day. I loved everything about it. But I felt like I needed to take a step in a different direction to further my development as a player. And it was one of the most challenging decisions I’ve ever had to make. But it paid off.

I ended up transferring to Georgia Tech, and it was everything I imagined it would be. I was surrounded by the best players I’ve ever seen in my life, and I knew I’d have to work harder than ever before to get a spot on the team. But I was up for the challenge. I just wanted to play baseball. That’s all I ever really wanted.

A Different Path

In the middle of a game against Gardner-Webb, I noticed my shoe was starting to feel a little tight. As the game went on, it got tighter and tighter. And it started to tingle a little. After the game, I took my shoe off, and my foot was swollen and bright red. I was put on antibiotics immediately, but the swelling didn’t go away.

When I went to the doctor to get it checked out, he told me I had a staph infection and that I needed to go to the hospital. And I was in complete denial. I didn’t want to go to the hospital. I wanted to play baseball. I didn’t have a choice. I was in the hospital for two nights before I had to have surgery. And in total, I missed 23 games. And I honestly didn’t know if I’d be able to finish the season at all.

But I worked as hard as I could to get back on the field, and on the very day I was cleared to start jogging again, I was back. I couldn’t run very well, but I managed to hit a double. I was walking to second base, but I didn’t care. I just wanted to play baseball. I found a way to get back on that field, and I’ll never forget that moment. It was one of the greatest days of my life.

Sports Are Meant To Be Fun

The staph infection was a huge blow, but I was so grateful for the support of my teammates, coaches, and trainers. They sent me text messages every single day to check in on me and see how I was doing. Even when they were on the road, they hung my jersey up in the dugout. It meant the world to me to be a part of such an amazing group of guys. And I try to keep that same lighthearted spirit on the field, too. I just want to have fun and play the game I love.

One of our coaches was watching film one day, and he pointed out that I wasn’t in the position I was supposed to be in. And he made a joke that I was off eating hot dogs somewhere. I thought it was hilarious. So I ordered a custom hot dog bat and made my in-game debut with it during our first game of the season. I hit a home run with it, and it was awesome. My teammates loved it, the fans loved it, and I loved it. The school made a hot dog shirt with my face on it that sold out in the stadium. I even have a pair of hot dog cleats now, too. I know it’s ridiculous, but I don’t care. Baseball is supposed to be fun.

I’ve been playing the game of baseball for as long as I can remember, and I couldn’t imagine my life without it. I started playing baseball when I was eight years old. I started playing to have fun with my friends, and that’s what I try to remind myself of every single day. Now, I’m happy to say that the fun never left.