Learning to Adjust: How Baseball Taught Me Accountability, Confidence, and Growth by Matthew

Learning to Adjust: How Baseball Taught Me Accountability, Confidence, and Growth by Matthew - February 2026 Scholarship Essay

Something challenging for school is keeping myself accountable and being responsible for my own work. It can be difficult to be motivated when I don’t feel connected to the subject. I would get distracted by other things that weren’t as important, and I struggled to get work in on time and get good grades on tests. It affected my motivation because I didn’t think I was actually smart enough to do some assignments. Over time, other people started noticing I wasn’t staying on task enough. I would put things off and say that I would do them later, but my friends pointing it out helped me start doing my work at a more reasonable time.

Something I’ve learned on my own is how to study something if I don’t enjoy it. I can easily find ways to make something that I’m not interested in into something I look forward to. Traditional school hasn’t always reflected my abilities, but I’ve learned how to find ways to study effectively, even when I’m not naturally interested in a subject. I can turn something I don’t enjoy into something I look forward to. I became better at asking peers and teachers for help. I used to be scared that I was going to ask a bad question or ask about something that should be obvious. But now I learned that asking questions can be helpful and useful.

Baseball is much easier for me because it is something I enjoy studying and watching. It interests me because of the infinite outcomes any game can have. It doesn’t feel like work. I really got into baseball around 2016 and got to see some of the greatest World Series. I watched an entire 18 inning game ending with an iconic homer. I stayed up until almost 3 in the morning, and it made me realize that this is something I'm going to love forever. That was also when I realized I didn’t just like playing baseball, I liked thinking about it too.

I have studied the game of baseball for a long time, and through that process I’ve learned how small details can create major outcomes. I notice that just slight changes, like a different stance or a different team, can make a huge difference in a player. Studying these changes helped me understand the number of outcomes and possibilities in a game. When a player is slumping, I compare their recent at-bats to when they were hitting well. Even an adjustment in how a batter holds the bat can change everything.

Once, my classmates started naming random players, and I would tell them their career path and some of their stats. For me, some of them weren't that hard, but my classmates seemed dumbfounded. I felt proud of myself because it made me realize that I am good at this, and I can get better. Talking about baseball with friends for hours actually helps me learn more. I’ve connected with a lot of people just through that shared knowledge.

This mindset helped me beyond baseball. I didn’t make it to where I am by myself. My parents help me through school work and support my passion for baseball. My coaches helped me grow closer to the game while learning more. One of my coaches always says to pick each other up, and no matter the result, make sure that your teammate isn’t down. Giving back is a good way to pay forward for others who got you to where you want to be.

There were times where new people came to my school and didn't know anything or anyone there, so I helped guide them and get more comfortable in the school. They were very thankful and appreciative of my help, and it was fun for me because I got to meet someone new and introduce him to my own friends. I try to talk with everyone I know and check up on them to make sure everything is OK. I am able to make someone’s week better just by taking the time to talk to them. I treat people with respect.

From baseball, I learned that making mistakes is okay. Everyone makes mistakes, but what is important is how you respond to them. Adjustments in your daily life aren’t easy, but after a while they come naturally. I now find it pretty simple to move on from something in the past. My current coach has influenced how I think about effort and preparation. He taught me that effort can lead to success, even more than natural talent.

I want to major in sports management because I hope to become a baseball scout. I use my passion for baseball to help others and build community by giving advice to others that struggled with similar things I did, while continuing to learn more about sports management so I can make a difference in the game. In five to ten years, I see myself working in a position where I can help improve baseball players, whether as a scout, coach, or another role. This scholarship would help me continue learning and moving forward in the sports industry.