The majesty of baseball
April 2, 2021
One year ago this month, we were riding the bus to an away game, playing music and feeling excited to compete for the love of the sport. One year ago we stepped onto the field, with the hope that we would win, not the hope that we could play. One year ago we sat in the dugout thinking about the score and our performance.
We took it for granted.
It’s been over 12 months since I put on my baseball uniform, 12 months since I put on my pump-up playlist before a game. As an athlete, going months without even having access to a field to practice on was beyond challenging. Nevertheless, over the nine years that I’ve played sports, I’ve learned to keep a competitive spirit and to “stay ready so I never have to get ready,” a quote from my middle school basketball coach, Coach Flava. That lesson translates to all sports, and to life in general. Over quarantine, staying ready was pretty much the only option, so practicing in the backyard every day became the extent of my conditioning.
In October, after months of at-home conditioning, we heard that we could finally start practicing again. Even though our first several practices were in the school parking lot, the idea that we could start playing again was majestic. The idea that baseball was back was majestic.
We’ve now been practicing on a baseball field once again, and we just got word that games are being scheduled. Nothing is greater than knowing that we’ll have the chance again to leave the field, heads held high after a win.
Now that the season’s back, I won’t take it for granted again, and I won’t forget the feeling of not being able to play.