Baseball

As a child, I loved playing baseball with my dad.

It started with the two of us playing catch, developing into a more sophisticated game of catch with baseball mitts and a tennis ball, trying to throw different kinds of pitches we would see on the field. Whenever my father had time, we would go out on the weekends to watch a game of baseball and cheer our favorite team on. We would put on our jerseys and hand in hand, walk to the stadium. My mom would always scold us whenever we returned with a snack in the other hand.

So I guess it was only natural that I played baseball during middle school. I joined a pretty big club in our neighborhood. We would practice six times a week, ending the week with a friendly match every Saturday.

The team and I also participated in multiple baseball competitions. I competed in the 8th National Children Baseball Contest, 16th Yongsan-Gu Baseball Contest, and 19th Guri National Children Baseball Contest, all in 8th grade. After every contest, I never returned home empty-handed. My team and I won third place in all 3 contests. I was and still am very proud of myself. I can't forget the wonderful team we were. We were always there for each other and no matter what mistakes we made, we understood each other and built up our teamwork. We balanced each other out - whatever I was lacking, my teammate would cover for me.

Out of the three contests, the National Children Baseball Contest was the biggest contest I had ever competed in. It was a real tournament, competing with multiple teams in different divisions. During the first game we played, there were so many professional-looking players on the opposing team, all in their baseball uniforms head to toe, warming up. Some ran back and forth shaking their arms and legs while others practiced their pitching against the fence. Some were standing in the corner swinging their bats. I couldn't help but be disheartened at the sight. I looked back at my teammates who also seemed taken aback by how organized the other team seemed. I reassured my teammates, saying over and over as if convincing myself, that if we play as we normally do when we practice, we'll do fine. As I looked at my teammates, confidence surged through me. We were going to win.

The game wasn't perfect from the start but as the innings carried out, I could feel the confidence of our team rise as we seemed to do well against the opposing team. Our fight continued and the next thing I know, we had won. Of course, this was only our first game, but it became the gateway toward our third-place medal.

Playing baseball during my middle school years is a memory I'll never forget.