Know Your Role

Intro

My role was base running. My whole life I have just adored the idea of getting to home plate as quickly as possible. The easiest way for me to do that was stealing bases. My love for it began in little league at Moss Wright Park. I wasn't allowed to lead off or go until the pitch was thrown, but that wasn't going to stop me. I stole second, third, home, when the pitch was thrown, and when the catcher threw it back to the mound. Any time there was an opportunity to make my pants as dirty as possible, I was going to take it. So, what is your role?

---

I didn't understand knowing a role until my senior year of high school. We were playing Battle Ground Academy when I rolled over first and broke my wrist. I expected to be out for the rest of the year, but there was no way I was going out like that. I begged Dr. Gregory

to find a way to get me on that field, and he did just that. I literally had a cast, foam, and a sleeve on my right hand. I ended being out for 4 weeks and stole 16 bases with a cast on. That was my role. That's how I was going to help our team get to the state tournament for the first time since 2004, and I was going to be the best at my role. Thankfully, this experience led me to success at Maryville College. I absolutely hated not playing at Maryville for the first half of the season my freshman year. I had a lot of experience in front of me, so I just had to find my way on the field somehow. Base running was going to get me on the field, and I would be alright with that. I started embracing it. Every half inning I would run to the foul pole, stretch, get my timing off the pitcher that was throwing, and run back. Every 8th or 9th inning I would go in, and I was going to score. I think I ended up being top 5 in the conference in stolen bases without even starting a game. Knowing my role led me to a day I will never forget. Coach Church called me into his office one day and told me to get ready, I was starting. He told me that the seniors classified me as the energizer

bunny, and I could be the spark to turn things around. Base running and knowing my role led to that. I started every game for the rest of the season and as I look back on it, it's a lesson to learn for everyone that is trying to find out what they can offer to a team.

---

Everyone has a role. This could be in sports, a job, your faith, and overall life. I have roles of loving Alex to the best of my ability, praising God in all that I do, being the best son I was raised to be, and shaping the lives of young high school athletes. As an athlete, don't be someone that you're not. Don't compare yourself to someone else. Don't try to do anything

more than you're capable of. So many players these days are focused on so many other

things. They focus on hitting homers when they can't, being the quiet guy when they aren't, and acting like they have speed when they don't. If you want to get on the field, here is my advice. KNOW YOUR ROLE. Find it, embrace it, and run with it. Coaches love when a player understands their strengths and weaknesses. They love when a player does whatever they can to help the team win. Don't get upset that you aren't playing because you think you hit bombs when you don't. Learn how to steal bases, learn how to play multiple positions, learn how to bunt, learn how to make every routine play, and learn how to help a team way in every capacity. This is going to set you up for success in all aspects of life.

---

Questions below! Would love for y'all to reply so I can connect with you and help any way I can! Thank y'all for reading!

• Think about what your role is in the sport you play. What is it?

• How can that role get you more playing time on the field?

• What is a role that you can adopt to lead to more overall success?