The Lesson on the Bench by Adrian

The Lesson on the Bench by Adrian - August 2026 Scholarship Essay

A time when I had to learn from feedback was when I was still playing baseball. I was looked at as one of the better players on the team, one of our leaders. It was my first time being looked at in such a way and I tried to be a good leader but its not always easy, because leaders still make mistakes. I felt since I was a leader of our team, I could not afford to make any mistakes. Baseball is a failing game, mistakes will happen and when they would happen, I would get very angry with myself. My coach would have to bench me one game because I had gotten so angry and he had to tell me that, "baseball is a mental sport, you're going to mess up and that is okay. Its just about how you respond to those mistakes is what separates good from great players". I have always known that but I think hearing him say that helped me see it clearly. I used that advice not only with baseball but with school. If I did bad on a test or quiz rather then getting angry I just said its okay I will just review more. In doing this it has helped me be a lot less stressed, and overall improved my mental health and for that I am grateful that my coach benched me on that day.