- I was a student-athlete for 13 years at IMG Academy in Florida.
- Jugging baseball and academics was difficult, so I had to learn time-management skills.
For most of my life, I've been lucky enough to pursue my passion: baseball. I have been playing the game since I was 5 and watching even longer.
My dad played and coached in the MLB, so I got to experience the highest level of the game at a young age. I learned what it took to be a quality player on the field and, more importantly, how to be a quality person off it.
When my dad became the manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates, we moved to Bradenton, Florida, for their spring training. I was in kindergarten and enrolled in IMG Academy, a sports-education school in Bradenton.
Thirteen years later, I just graduated from the school, and I've just been drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the MLB draft. I'm starting my journey in professional baseball with the Royals' minor-league affiliate the ACL Royals at 19 years old.
I had to learn how to manage school and baseball at a young age
My school helped form me into the athlete and person I am today, but it wasn't always easy.
When I entered my middle-school years, school became difficult for me because I wasn't prepared to juggle academics and baseball every day.
Whenever I got home from practice at night, the last thing I wanted to do was homework. I became stressed. This forced me to learn the value of time management. I quickly learned I functioned better in the mornings, so I started completing all my homework assignments in the morning and throughout the day. I was then able to focus on baseball once the afternoon rolled around.
Thankfully, I felt supported throughout my years at IMG Academy. Whenever I felt overwhelmed by schoolwork, I turned to office hours or tutoring. The academy gave me every opportunity to excel in the classroom while I chased my athletic dreams.
I had to figure out how to handle failure as a student-athlete
At IMG Academy, I sometimes failed in the classroom even though I was a straight-A student. I sometimes failed on the field as an athlete. I learned I was not going to win every game or always going to play my best.
Early in high school, I did not handle failure well, but my support system helped immensely. My parents helped me in all aspects of my life, but they really helped me talk through those rough patches of failure and figure out a way to move forward. My longtime English teacher helped me understand I didn't have to be perfect to excel in the classroom, while my coach helped me through the ups and downs of baseball.
I was also able to attend "athletic and personal development" sessions at IMG Academy, which helped me understand my mind and what made me tick on and off the field.
I eventually learned that I couldn't let failure control me and that I had the ability to move forward and grow.
I also had to learn how to prioritize my social life outside baseball
My school held several social events and activities to facilitate friendships, but I rarely took advantage of these events. I'm a quiet person, so I naturally drifted toward my core group of friends throughout school.
My friends knew my personality, my goals, and my schedule. They got that baseball was important to me, so we all understood that our plans wouldn't always work.
It was difficult to juggle a social life and being a student-athlete, but I don't feel like I missed out on anything socially during my school years.
Now I'm playing professional baseball, and I'm thankful I was a student-athlete
When I was drafted, I felt like I achieved my biggest dream. I get to wake up every day and do what I love. I'm lucky, but it took a lot of hard work.
Baseball takes dedication, and I have worked extremely hard to get the opportunity to chase even bigger dreams with the Kansas City Royals. I have sacrificed a lot, but at the end of the day, I have amazing parents, a supportive network, great mentors, a core group of close friends, a fun job, and an organization that is there to support me on my way up the professional-baseball ladder.
I went from a little kid in kindergarten, to a nervous sixth grader struggling with time management, to a senior heading to the MLB draft. Now I'm starting my career as a professional with the Royals.