Life Changer

My grandpa played semi-professional baseball. My dad was getting recruited to play Division One baseball as a sophomore in high-school with no repeat years. My brother was featured in the paper because of his outstanding performance in his travel baseball team. I however was not the best at baseball.

When we moved to Connecticut from Florida in 2000, my dad signed me and my brother up for little league baseball. This didn't pose any challenge for me. I was a rather athletic kid at the time. I was always running around and playing with my friends. I could throw and catch just fine because that basically all me and my dad did during my little league years. As I progressed throughout little league, I had realized that I have never hit a home run, or a triple... I could barely hit doubles and singles... I could barely hit. Catching and throwing was easy but I was an awful hitter. I couldn't hit a beach ball if I tried! This when I realized that I had no future in this sport. I knew that I needed to change to another spring sport but I had no idea, then one of my best friends at the time suggested lacrosse... this changed my life.

I picked up my first lacrosse stick in third grade. Little did I know that this was meant for me. The first year I played was a developmental year with no games, just practices for beginners like me. I excelled and I was already one of the best. The next year, I played for the West Hartford Youth Lacrosse A team. This is when my coach introduced me to the defense stick. It was a six foot beating stick given to defense men. I was intrigued beyond belief. I picked it up and I knew this was meant for me. I played defense all the way throughout the rest of my elementary and middle school career and at my sophomore year, the K-O head lacrosse coach switched me over to play Long-Stick Midfielder because I was small and speedy and could easily get ground balls and cause turnovers.

I am now currently being recruited to play college lacrosse at my position and I would have never seen this coming as a young third grader that though he was awful at all sports because I couldn't hit a baseball. Little did I know that playing lacrosse would take over my life and become such a huge part of it. I give many thanks to my friend Connor Byrne for introducing me to what in my eyes is the best sport in the world.