Excerpt: "All You Can Be: Learning & Growing Through Sports"

Ninth Inning: Never Be Satisfied (pg. 37-38)

I have played in a World Series. It is baseball's biggest stage, and getting there has been the highlight of my baseball career. But guess what? We didn't win, and I am not satisfied. My goal now is to win a World Series before I retire.

That feeling keeps me motivated and makes me want to strive for something more. It is important to set goals and to set new goals once you meet your old ones.

I remember taking classes where I could have probably gotten an A, but I got a B instead. I needed to do something different to get that A next time, and I worked at it and I did.

My mom and dad always told me there are little things you can do to get more out of yourself. I always try to dig deep to find that in myself.

I remember taking a college class called IDS 100. It was an introduction to computers, and I got a C. Meanwhile, I got As and Bs in all my other classes. But I passed the class and just moved on. I was guilty of just doing enough to pass. I was guilty of just doing enough to make the baseball team. Then I realized that I could become a much better player, so I began to work toward that goal.

Sometimes I look back and say "Why didn't I do it differently?" Later, I took another IDS class and I was determined not to get another C. I had learned my lesson, and I got a better grade.

When I look at my baseball career, there are still negatives in my game that I want to improve upon. There are awards I want to win and goals I want to accomplish. I want to plan in another World Series - and win it. I want to be Most Valuable Player, win a Gold Glove, be an All-Star, and play on the World team. There are a lot of different things I am reaching for.

There is something inside that drives me now. I want to keep moving forward. If I lose a game today, I want to win tomorrow. You should want to be a winner every day. No matter how well you do today, strive to do better tomorrow.

"All You Can Be: Learning & Growing Through Sports" courtesy of Triumph Books, Copyright November 1, 2011.