Rebecca Beutz

ERWC/ Mrs. Ebel

Period 1

28 January 2021

Integrity Essay

Baseball, one of the few things that has been a constant in my life. From going to any

game that I could with my parents, spending almost every birthday or spring break in Arizona to

watching Spring Training, to playing softball since I was five. I love the sport and wouldn’t trade

the experience for the world. A sport that is seen by many people as boring and simplistic has so

much more than what meets the eye. Everything about the sport has a reason why it is done in

order to execute a plan perfectly; like running the bases, analysing the best swing for that person,

and even how the ball is made.

The part of the baseball that I chose to describe for my plan is the core of the baseball. If

you look at the middle of a baseball it looks messy and just a bunch of rubber string and cork but

without the ball it wouldn't go anywhere. I chose this to describe my plan because I don’t know

exactly what I want to do yet but what I do know is that I am going to do something that is going

to change lives and I hope to go far with my future career. From an outside perspective my life

may look messy and unplanned but I know that somehow, that is going to guide me to where I

am meant to be.

The brand of a baseball defines the uniqueness of the ball and how good it will be.

Nobody wants to play with a generic Walmart baseball that has no pop on the bat. People want

Rawlings and MLB balls that are known to travel far and be a little more pricey. While the brand
of the ball defines its greatness, every ball has some type of similarities. For example, every

baseball will be the same size and color. But the uniqueness comes in what materials are used in

the ball, is it real leather or pleather. This is the same as people. I may have the same height and

hair color as some people but no one can be just like me. I am my own person who makes my

own life choices that will lead me to a different end than anyone else. Every person has their own

unique potential.

Just like the leather of the ball that holds everything inside together, my family holds my

life together. In my house, I have been taught that family is what will stay with you till the end.

Friends will always come and go, but your family will always be there. I rely heavily on not just

my parents but my aunts, uncles, and cousins. They are what get me through everyday struggles

and lift me up when I am not at my best. I am unbelievably blessed to have the family that I do

and without them I can see my life falling apart at the seams.

The wool in the ball protects the rubber and cork in the middle from being broken and I

can compare that to my parents. The cork of the ball is the reason that a ball can travel so far

when hit, without it, the ball would be useless and that is why the wool is so important. My

parents are who I look to when I get stressed or frustrated and it feels like they always know what

to say. They have given me every opportunity to succeed and always push me to be my best.

They are my biggest supporters even when I am beating myself up. They remind me that I can be

anything I want to be as long as I work hard and put my full effort in. I owe them everything for

what they have had to put aside in order to help me pursue my dreams. My parents are the reason

why I have made it this far and why I continue to push through life.

The rubber in the ball is what makes the ball last. That is going to be like my mindset. As

long as I still want to finish my end goal, I will get there. My mindset has always been a big issue
for me. I tend to give up easily believing that I cannot accomplish what I set forth to do. I also

tend to overthink everything I do. No matter how good it was, I always find a flaw. Baseball has

taught me that I have to let go of past mistakes and focus on what is in front of me. If I continue

to focus on the negative, then everything else will continue to fail. If I have a good mindset then

it will be very difficult to break my will just like it is to break the rubber. The mind is a very

powerful thing that can be the key to success or someone's great downfall.

The stitching of the ball is what makes it spin a different way and what keeps the ball

together. This can be compared to my dad. My dad is one of my biggest supporters in whatever I

do. He pushes me to keep going even when I don’t want to and reminds me that life gets tough

but I need to get tougher. My dad has become a big reason why I love baseball so much and we

always have the best conversations about the aspects of the game. He has shown me that a sport

that may seem boring from an outside perspective is entertaining if you can take the time to learn

it. He has taught me that you can work from the ground up and make a name for yourself as long

as you always work hard.

All of these aspects of baseball tie into my life one way or another. Without these key

aspects I wouldn’t be who I am today.