We used a pitching machine, but if we struck out he would scream at us. At the end of the season, I was in a slump so he kicked me off the team. Here we are in second grade playing baseball for the city of Ballwin in a league they don’t even keep score in and I get cut. I was heartbroken because there was no room for me. My dad told me one bad thing can lead to many good things so never give up. I listened to him and luckily we found a team and my dad became the assistant coach. The next year the head coach quit and my dad became the head coach.

It has been six years since my dad took over the team and things couldn’t be any better. Throughout the years, many of my friends joined the team, the Fireballs. The assistant coach is the best you could have. Everyone on the Fireballs is happy.

It is the middle of a game and all these things are going through my head. It’s now the 7th inning and we are down by two runs with a man on 1st and 2nd. I am in the batter’s box watching my friend Michael strike out. The team  that we are playing is the same team that kicked me off years ago. I was having a bad night at the plate, 0-4 and hitting into two double plays. I hear the hopeless moans and whines of my teammates as I walk up to the plate. I was still thinking about my dad’s advice. The first pitch is a strike. The pitcher winds up and chucks in for strike two. I thought I was done when I heard something. At first it was soft, then I heard it! It was my teammates chanting my name over and over. The pitcher wound up and fired, but I was ready. I took the hardest swing I have ever taken in my life. As the ball connected with the bat I hardly felt anything so I thought it was a pop fly. But I didn’t care, I just turned around ran. I got to first and started on my way to second when I heard my third base coach say “Austin, look up!”. I looked up just in time to see the ball sail over the fence and into the pond behind the field. I was stunned. I rounded second and made my way to third with a speed that would have made David Eckstein proud. All around me people were screaming but I heard nothing. As I stepped on third on my way to home the only thing in my mind was “Never give up, never give up”.

It has been a while since that day but I am still using the advice I got from my dad along time ago. I am glad I listened to my dad and hopefully I can continue to follow that advice because of what it did for me and how it helped me. Advice is eternal, every time you are given it you should listen, you don’t know if it will help you in the future.