Some people are considered to be “adrenaline junkies.” Somebody considered to be one of these finds joy participating in activities that give them an adrenaline rush. They are especially keen on stressful or dangerous activities. For me, what gives a rush like that is hitting a baseball. There is nothing quite like it. Something about trying to hit a ball humming 80 miles per hour straight at me makes me feel more alive than any other time. 

From a young age I had always taken an interest in baseball. I loved the idea of pitcher vs. batter. The man with the stick against the man with the rock. While I had enjoyed pitching, I always enjoyed getting up to the plate for my chance to hit. Having the pressure of everything on me at that moment I was in the batter's box forced me to play at my best. They say pressure makes diamonds. 

I remember hitting my first home run. It was a cold May night. The stars were drowned out by the harsh field lights. It was the bottom of the fifth inning, there was one out and a runner on second base. A 12 year old me had worked the count to a ball and a strike. On the third pitch, I swung and immediately could feel I got a hold of the ball. It sailed all of 230 feet over the fence at Infinity Fields. I was elated. I rounded third base to see my grandpa’s and dad’s beaming smiles. My next home run would come less than a month later.

Hitting is not always fun, however. There are times when frustration can’t describe the feeling. It can leave you wondering: what am I doing wrong? Why do you think professionals break their bats? Like all hitters, I went through my fair share of slumps. When you’ve struck out the last four at-bats, the motivation to walk up to the plate and try again is low. 

When I was playing on the high school JV baseball team. I went through a period like this. I had gone zero for my last eight, and my morale was quite low. Walking up to the plate, I could feel my heart pounding, not because I was excited to hit, but because I was fearing screwing up again. After watching strike three go by, I walked back to the dugout, like an angry bear, ready to demolish my helmet. The only thing stopping me were my friends on the team. I sat on the bench and realized I wasn’t going to get out of the slump by walking up nervous, I had to be confident in my abilities. The very next at bat, with this method in mind, I broke the slump with a double. That's the only way to get out of it. Eventually, with the right mentality, a hit will come.

Although I don’t play anymore, hitting gave me a rush I had never really had before, and for the most part, I loved getting my crack at swinging at pitches. I have made memories, good and bad, standing in the batter's box. I’ve gained mental experience from it that I can take to all other aspects of my life. Hitting is done between the ears, it's a mental skill that pushes players to find ways to battle adversity. That's what makes it for adrenaline junkies.