The Many Paths to a Dream

The Long-Awaited Offer

Although I was playing college baseball now, it wasn’t Division I baseball.

And that sucked. I was disappointed.

But that’s when my dad reminded me that everyone’s path is different. I can’t be out there comparing myself to other people. There are multiple pathways to accomplishing a dream, and if I worked hard enough, I’d eventually find mine.

It really wasn’t until I bought into that mentality that things started to change. The coaches at South Mountain were incredible, and soon, I started to fall in love with the place.

You don’t have all of the benefits at a community college that you’d have at a Division I school. The facilities are basically two cages, and the baseballs are torn apart. You get three shirts and two pairs of shorts to show for it.

I can honestly say I would have never appreciated all of the things a Division I school has to offer if I never went to community college.

But make no mistake, the competition out there was fierce, and I really had to put my head down and work hard to succeed. You have to work for everything you get out there.

My coaches pushed and challenged me every single day until that offer from the University of Nebraska finally came through. I just remember how thankful I was for the chance to play Division I ball.

Getting that offer was one of the best days of my life.

You know, there’s a lot of kids that wish they could play Division I baseball, but it just doesn’t happen for them. If anything, I realized how much of a blessing it was to have an opportunity to play college sports at the highest level.

I could appreciate it more because I knew what it felt like to be the kid that didn’t get that offer.

It’s a feeling I’ll never take for granted.

Looking back, I’m very thankful that my baseball career took me through South Mountain Community College — not only for shaping the type of player I am today, but for introducing me to some of the greatest people I have ever met.