There is no second chance in one ball

(This essay was written for Mr. Yun's counseling class assignment)

There are many social roles that one must perform in modern society. I indeed have many positions to take charge of in my life; as a normal student, son of parents, representative of students etcetera. While performing diverse roles in daily lives, people often confuse their identities and lose themselves easily. Since modern society requires an individual to perform several social roles at the same time, more and more people confuse their public persona with their original personalities. I, however, have one social role which allows me to find myself and be myself: a baseball player of the school. I joined the baseball club when I entered the school, practiced much time with friends and seniors, and now became a captain of the team. Baseball always gives me inspiration, and I could develop myself playing baseball.

 To begin with, no player is bigger than the team. This maxim well represents the appealing points of baseball. Baseball is a sport which requires strong togetherness even among the team sports. Each player except designated hitter has the role of both hitting and defense. In defense, each player has his own area to take charge of. While each player has divided area and role in defense, all players have to communicate and work in harmony since right fielder cannot tag the runner dashing to the home plate; organic solidarity is needed to make outs. I am the second baseman in defense position, and thus I have to cooperate with third baseman or shortstop to do double play. There are numerous situations in baseball, so each player has to commit himself to his duty and also cooperate with each other. Furthermore, in batting, each batter should make a hit, but also do team batting. To explain, if there is a runner in the second base,the batter should push not pull the ball to prevent a double play. As I play baseball in the club, I could naturally achieve the spirit of teamwork, and learn how to take my responsibility for other people. I could learn how to make a harmony with other people while playing baseball. Thus, I could work better in other social roles.

 Furthermore, a genius cannot win over one who tries and one who tries cannot win one who enjoys. When I first joined the team, I made errors frequently which had a negative impact on the entire team. Also, I could not hit the ball when I am in the batter box. The balls pitched by counter pitcher looked so fast. To overcome my drawbacks, I struggled hard every day. I received a bunch of fungo hitting which allowed me to enhance my defense skills. Moreover, I practiced swinging even in my dormitory so I could increase the swing speed so that I can respond to the fast ball easily. In the first game with other school, I played as a starting member and made no mistake. While I made no mistake, I did not contribute to a team a lot since I was nervous and my play was stiffened. After the first game, I focused on practicing mind control to enjoy the game. I tried to think in a positive way and encourage other team members. I could have a more wide view while playing the game. Thus, I could perform better and contribute to the victory of the team. Due to baseball, I could train my physical, mental health and become a better person.

There is no second chance in one ball. This is the motto of our team. I and team members do not waste the opportunities that are given to us and try the best in all times. With responsibility and cooperation, every player could develop and thus play better. Baseball occupies a significant portion in my life since it led to the huge development of myself. I would continue playing baseball and keep developing myself. I also want to let other people have a similar experience.