For Love Of The Game by Caden

For Love Of The Game by Caden - February 2024 Scholarship Essay

I have always found sports to be an outlet for expressing myself in a variety of ways. Baseball, in particular, has improved my physical, mental and emotional health. Playing sports gave me the strength and confidence in myself that I wanted to share with others. While I have dabbled in a variety of sports-related fields, I am still looking for a place where I can maximize my potential.

A year ago, I decided to buy and resell baseball hats that I thought would be popular. The hats that I chose were in limited supply and only released to certain areas throughout the country. It was important to me to make money on the hats, but I also wanted them to be affordable, so others could afford them as well. During the first month of starting my business, I sold over 20 hats in 30 days and made a net profit of $300. My business has now developed to the point where I receive inquiries from people seeking certain types of hats. What started as a fun hobby has become quite a business, which sparked my interest in sports management.

After learning that a local faith-based homeschool co-op was seeking extracurricular art instructors, I contacted them and asked if they would be interested in welcoming a baseball program. Together with my brother, we started teaching a class for kids aged 9-12. As we approached the end of the first seven-week session, we were asked to extend the program for an additional seven-weeks and gained two additional participants. We received amazing feedback and the kids enjoyed the program a lot. It was a valuable experience for me. As a result, I learned how to communicate with kids of varying ages and personalities. Through creative methods of engaging the youth, I gained leadership skills and helped turn their interest in baseball into a love of the game. It has been an amazing experience and I am eager to explore other opportunities available in this field.

My current goal is to become more involved in our sports community. I am working with our local Little League on creating a youth board member group. My goal is to give Little League players a voice and incorporate their ideas for improving the organization.

Besides my work and volunteer experience, I am also enrolled in dual enrollment classes at Genesee Community College and Arizona State University. While I have currently obtained 34 credits primarily focused on general education requirements, I will begin taking electives in business and sports management in the fall of 2024. My experience in the sports industry, combined with the opportunity to take dual enrollment classes, will enable me to decide on a major by the time I graduate high school.