The Story of the Baseball Kid

The Baseball Kid

The impulse that pushes me forward is a force called motivation. The interpretation of motivation varies from person to person. Depending on the obstacle set forth, different needs will be required in order to overcome these difficulties. For some, the meaning of motivation can be internal, such as being inspired to pursue the activity even if the activity may be tedious. Motivation can also be from an external source, such as acquiring material wealth, recognition, and even a sense of belonging. For me, it was being able to ascertain my love for baseball. The countless hours spent learning the game and practicing, all contributed to my own personal accomplishment.

Playing baseball was not always one of my predilections. This all changed when my cousin, Thomas, introduced me to my soon to be favorite pastime, baseball. Sports were a major part of his life when he was growing up, particularly baseball. He was in love with baseball and tried to get me to feel the way he did about it. I honestly was not really interested in baseball, but I did not want to disappoint him. Once, he made me sit in front of the TV, watching baseball games all day long! It did not work out too well considering he never taught me the rules. Learning the rules was one of the harder parts of baseball. The task was laborious and seemed

unfathomable to me. I could have probably written a novel with all the rules I learned. It felt like going to school again without the friends, and everything else that makes school bearable. I hated it! Learning all the rules only made me resent baseball more.

Maslow stated, “the lower ones – the most basic – must be met before the higher ones can be achieved,” (Petterson, 44). I already learned the rules, so why not try out the games for real now? That was when he decided to bring me to the park for real practice. It took me a while to get the hang of catching and throwing. When I did though, I...