What I’m Losing Thanks to COVID-19
So unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know about the corona virus or COVID-19 as it is formally known. The entire world has seemingly shut down in response to this sweeping pandemic that’s taken us all by surprise and left us more uncertain than I believe we’ve been in a very long time. The sports world has halted. There will be no NCAA Basketball Tournaments, a staple of the month of March. There will be no college baseball. There will be no NBA, MLB, MLS, or racing for the foreseeable future. The world has seemed to stop turning for a while. But perhaps the worst part, at least for myself, is one that many may not quite grasp. You see. Schools have shut down in response to the spread of this virus. Now that may not seem so bad. I mean what high school kid wants to go to school? But that’s not what concerns me. You see, I’m a senior.
And I’m involved in high school athletics.
Though my high school sports governing body (Mississippi High School Activities Association or MHSAA for short) has not canceled sports for this spring yet, it feels like an inevitable decision that will be reached. My sport of choice is baseball. I have been my teams manager since my sophomore year and I have loved and looked forward to every moment I get to spend out there with my brothers on a daily basis. It is my senior year of doing what I love. My senior banner is up. My name is over one of the lockers of the locker room. I have given my everything to the sport that I love. The people I have met and interacted with have made this whole thing worth every single second I’ve spent doing it.
And I don’t want it to end.
You see, until you’re faced with a situation like myself and every other senior athlete in the country has been faced with, you can never truly understand what this virus means. It means the premature end to the greatest days of our lives. It means the shows over. Everything we have done. Every early morning and late night. Every exhilarating win and every devastating loss. It’s all history now.
For most of us, this is the end of the road.
We knew it had to end eventually. Just like everything in life, all good things must come to an end. But I’m not ready for it to end. You quickly begin to think about the little things. All the dugout chants. The friendly teasing. The long bus rides home after games. The hard work of practice. The friendships you’ve made. The bonds you’ve forged. The love you’ve developed for your teammates. You begin to think about what you could’ve done better. Could I have been a better teammate? Could I have mentored the young guys a little better? Could I have been more patient and more willing to help someone who needed it? Could I have worked harder? Could I have had a better attitude? Could I have treated everyday like it was my last?
The answer to all of those things is quite simple: yes.
But at the end of the day, you must ask yourself perhaps the most important question of all: Did I love the game even when it didn’t love me back? If the answer to that is yes, then you can look back on your time in high school with no regrets at all. Of course you’ve could’ve been a better teammate. Of course you could’ve have been a better mentor to the younger guys. Yes you could’ve been more patient. Yes you could have worked harder. Yes you could’ve had a better attitude. And yes you could’ve treated everyday like it were your last. But if you loved what you were doing. No matter your role. No matter your class. No matter what circumstances you could have been faced with. If you loved what you did, then no one can ever take that away from you. There’s always been this strange force that circles athletics. Once you’re pulled in, you can never truly escape it. Once you’re pulled in, nothing can take that love from you.
Not even a virus.
So though I’m losing most of my senior year of baseball to something beyond my control, I will forever hold onto and cherish my memories I’ve made along side my brothers.
I want to end this with a few thank you’s to the people who have been so very important to me during these past 3 years.
To all my teammates, past and present. Thank you for making me feel like one of you. You guys have made every late night and every task worth it. Know that I will always be here for each and every one of you. You guys have been my brothers from the start. I can’t wait to see how far you guys go in life. I could go in depth with each person but I fear I’ll leave someone out. So all I can say is thank you for making Bambino feel like one of you. I’ll never forget you guys.
To all my past coaches. Coach Scott Crenshaw, Coach Brian Jordan, Coach Howard Savage, Coach Christian Aycox, and Coach Jay Etheridge. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for giving me a place to feel at home and for allowing me to be your manager. I’ve grown so much thanks to you and I love and wish you all the very best that life can offer you.
To my current assistant coaches I work under. Coach Lee Wooldridge, Coach Kyle Barrett, and Coach Austin Elders. You three are the coaches I’ve spent the most time with. And I can honestly say I’d run through a brick wall for all three of you.
Coach Wool, though our time has been short, I want you to know that I appreciate every single minute of your time you’ve spent with us. Every laugh you’ve given us. Every bit of pitching expertise you’ve given our young team. We appreciate everything you’ve done.
Coach Barrett, yours is the first one to make me start to tear up. Man I can’t say enough about you. All three of my years as a manager have been spent with you on the staff. Everything you’ve done personally for not only me, but for every player on this team. Every time you’ve made me laugh on a day I really needed to laugh. Every time I’ve needed to rant. You’ve been there. Everytime. You’ve somehow become one of the people I’d do anything for at the drop of a hat. I’m going to miss you perhaps more than anyone. I’m forever in your debt for everything you’ve done for me personally. I will cherish every memory I made with you.
Coach Elders, I’ve always been told that gingers don’t have souls and that they’re the devils children. But dang it you’ve made yourself a place in my heart forever. I wish I could go on some great spell about how we’ve just made the most memories and how absolutely amazing our friendship has been. But that’s not what I’m going to do. You are the glue that has held this team together. You came from a program built on winning. Everywhere you’ve been, success has followed. And I have no doubt in my mind that it will be more of the same here at Quitman. When it comes to great memories, it’s quality over quantity. I can honestly say that I’ve laughed harder with you than I have with almost every other coach. You just have this knack for making people feel accepted and welcomed. And that’s what makes you great in my eyes. I will never forget you Coach. Thank you for everything.
And to the man who I owe everything to. The man who welcomed me into his program and has made me feel like the most important person in the world. Coach Matt Boone. Coach, it’s taking every bit of my strength to not break down at the thought of having to say goodbye to you. You’ve have been a role model, a father-figure, and most importantly, one of the best influences on my life. Coach, I can never put into words what you mean to me. When things were getting bad at home, you were here. When the world started weighing me down, you were here. When I needed somewhere to go, you gave me the opportunity to make baseball my outlet. You are the only person I have ever wanted to make proud. And I hope I have done so in the two years I’ve known you. I’ve given my all to this program that you are rebuilding and getting to the level it belongs at. I believe in you and you will have my undying support and loyalty until the end of days. Thank you doesn’t seem like an adequate enough thing to say to you. You’ve been everything I’ve needed in a role model and more. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, currently do for me, and everything you will ever do for me. I owe everything to you Coach.
To everyone else who has helped along the way. From all the moms and dads that speak to me every chance they get. To the concession stand ladies and gentlemen. To all the people who help run the scoreboard and music. To all of our PA announcers. To each and every fan that has showed up to Panther Stadium each and every game day. From the bottom of my heart. Thank you. I love you all and I will miss each and every one of you. I’ll never forget you guys.
So I guess that just about wraps all of this up. I shed far more tears than I told myself I’d allow. I will miss the game of baseball dearly. But it’s always going to be apart of me. I’ll end with a great quote I read the other day:
God bless you all. It’s been the greatest ride I could’ve ever imagined.
With love,
Bambino
And I’m involved in high school athletics.
Though my high school sports governing body (Mississippi High School Activities Association or MHSAA for short) has not canceled sports for this spring yet, it feels like an inevitable decision that will be reached. My sport of choice is baseball. I have been my teams manager since my sophomore year and I have loved and looked forward to every moment I get to spend out there with my brothers on a daily basis. It is my senior year of doing what I love. My senior banner is up. My name is over one of the lockers of the locker room. I have given my everything to the sport that I love. The people I have met and interacted with have made this whole thing worth every single second I’ve spent doing it.
And I don’t want it to end.
You see, until you’re faced with a situation like myself and every other senior athlete in the country has been faced with, you can never truly understand what this virus means. It means the premature end to the greatest days of our lives. It means the shows over. Everything we have done. Every early morning and late night. Every exhilarating win and every devastating loss. It’s all history now.
For most of us, this is the end of the road.
We knew it had to end eventually. Just like everything in life, all good things must come to an end. But I’m not ready for it to end. You quickly begin to think about the little things. All the dugout chants. The friendly teasing. The long bus rides home after games. The hard work of practice. The friendships you’ve made. The bonds you’ve forged. The love you’ve developed for your teammates. You begin to think about what you could’ve done better. Could I have been a better teammate? Could I have mentored the young guys a little better? Could I have been more patient and more willing to help someone who needed it? Could I have worked harder? Could I have had a better attitude? Could I have treated everyday like it was my last?
The answer to all of those things is quite simple: yes.
But at the end of the day, you must ask yourself perhaps the most important question of all: Did I love the game even when it didn’t love me back? If the answer to that is yes, then you can look back on your time in high school with no regrets at all. Of course you’ve could’ve been a better teammate. Of course you could’ve have been a better mentor to the younger guys. Yes you could’ve been more patient. Yes you could have worked harder. Yes you could’ve had a better attitude. And yes you could’ve treated everyday like it were your last. But if you loved what you were doing. No matter your role. No matter your class. No matter what circumstances you could have been faced with. If you loved what you did, then no one can ever take that away from you. There’s always been this strange force that circles athletics. Once you’re pulled in, you can never truly escape it. Once you’re pulled in, nothing can take that love from you.
Not even a virus.
So though I’m losing most of my senior year of baseball to something beyond my control, I will forever hold onto and cherish my memories I’ve made along side my brothers.
I want to end this with a few thank you’s to the people who have been so very important to me during these past 3 years.
To all my teammates, past and present. Thank you for making me feel like one of you. You guys have made every late night and every task worth it. Know that I will always be here for each and every one of you. You guys have been my brothers from the start. I can’t wait to see how far you guys go in life. I could go in depth with each person but I fear I’ll leave someone out. So all I can say is thank you for making Bambino feel like one of you. I’ll never forget you guys.
To all my past coaches. Coach Scott Crenshaw, Coach Brian Jordan, Coach Howard Savage, Coach Christian Aycox, and Coach Jay Etheridge. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for giving me a place to feel at home and for allowing me to be your manager. I’ve grown so much thanks to you and I love and wish you all the very best that life can offer you.
To my current assistant coaches I work under. Coach Lee Wooldridge, Coach Kyle Barrett, and Coach Austin Elders. You three are the coaches I’ve spent the most time with. And I can honestly say I’d run through a brick wall for all three of you.
Coach Wool, though our time has been short, I want you to know that I appreciate every single minute of your time you’ve spent with us. Every laugh you’ve given us. Every bit of pitching expertise you’ve given our young team. We appreciate everything you’ve done.
Coach Barrett, yours is the first one to make me start to tear up. Man I can’t say enough about you. All three of my years as a manager have been spent with you on the staff. Everything you’ve done personally for not only me, but for every player on this team. Every time you’ve made me laugh on a day I really needed to laugh. Every time I’ve needed to rant. You’ve been there. Everytime. You’ve somehow become one of the people I’d do anything for at the drop of a hat. I’m going to miss you perhaps more than anyone. I’m forever in your debt for everything you’ve done for me personally. I will cherish every memory I made with you.
Coach Elders, I’ve always been told that gingers don’t have souls and that they’re the devils children. But dang it you’ve made yourself a place in my heart forever. I wish I could go on some great spell about how we’ve just made the most memories and how absolutely amazing our friendship has been. But that’s not what I’m going to do. You are the glue that has held this team together. You came from a program built on winning. Everywhere you’ve been, success has followed. And I have no doubt in my mind that it will be more of the same here at Quitman. When it comes to great memories, it’s quality over quantity. I can honestly say that I’ve laughed harder with you than I have with almost every other coach. You just have this knack for making people feel accepted and welcomed. And that’s what makes you great in my eyes. I will never forget you Coach. Thank you for everything.
And to the man who I owe everything to. The man who welcomed me into his program and has made me feel like the most important person in the world. Coach Matt Boone. Coach, it’s taking every bit of my strength to not break down at the thought of having to say goodbye to you. You’ve have been a role model, a father-figure, and most importantly, one of the best influences on my life. Coach, I can never put into words what you mean to me. When things were getting bad at home, you were here. When the world started weighing me down, you were here. When I needed somewhere to go, you gave me the opportunity to make baseball my outlet. You are the only person I have ever wanted to make proud. And I hope I have done so in the two years I’ve known you. I’ve given my all to this program that you are rebuilding and getting to the level it belongs at. I believe in you and you will have my undying support and loyalty until the end of days. Thank you doesn’t seem like an adequate enough thing to say to you. You’ve been everything I’ve needed in a role model and more. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, currently do for me, and everything you will ever do for me. I owe everything to you Coach.
To everyone else who has helped along the way. From all the moms and dads that speak to me every chance they get. To the concession stand ladies and gentlemen. To all the people who help run the scoreboard and music. To all of our PA announcers. To each and every fan that has showed up to Panther Stadium each and every game day. From the bottom of my heart. Thank you. I love you all and I will miss each and every one of you. I’ll never forget you guys.
So I guess that just about wraps all of this up. I shed far more tears than I told myself I’d allow. I will miss the game of baseball dearly. But it’s always going to be apart of me. I’ll end with a great quote I read the other day:
“That’s one of the great gifts of this, the greatest of all games, baseball: it allows you, still, to lose yourself in a dream, to feel and remember a season of life when summer never seemed to die and the assault of cynicism hadn’t begun to batter optimism.”
– Mike Barnicle
God bless you all. It’s been the greatest ride I could’ve ever imagined.
With love,
Bambino
Comments
Post a Comment