HSBN Scholarship Essay Entry: Steven Andrews

Steven Andrews gives us his take on him and his teammates losing their senior season.

Steven Andrews, #6, from American Heritage-Delray, is a pitcher that graduates with the class of 2020. Steven is a pitcher that is signed to play at Tulane University next year, but before he leaves, he gave us some insight into what the past few months have meant to him.

Essay:

Friday, March 13th. Everyone knows Friday the 13th is an omen of bad luck, but no one could have known to what
extent.

Friday, March 13th will be forever emblazoned in my mind. It was most likely the last high school baseball game I would ever play. At the time, we thought it would be the last game for a while, not forever. But as time passes, it seems like that will be the final game.

It was a hard fought game and people from all over came to watch it, not because the level of play was so high (it was, as both teams threw pitchers who are going on to major college baseball programs). It was because so many people wanted one last chance to watch these kids, my team and the opposing team, play one last game before everything was shut down.

Parents came to watch other people’s kids play. Former teammates came to watch friends play. Coaches, scouts and more came to watch what appears to be the final game of our 2020 high school season. After the game, we celebrated with teammates and family – one last time.

But the next day, the reality started to sink in.

Baseball has always been my true passion. I tried many other sports, but I always came back. When I walk on the field, sit in the dugout, swing in the cages, get on the mound, I feel a peace that I don’t feel anywhere else.

The weight of the world is lifted off my shoulders for just a little bit of time.

Last summer I spent weeks and weeks playing in tournament after tournament, trying like so many others to get
recruited. Even though the summer didn’t end with me being recruited, when I look back, I remember the fun I had with my summer teammates, their families, the coaches and most importantly, my own family.

Long road trips, stops at convenience stores and playing DJ while my mom drove us from Florida to South Carolina and everywhere in between. We played baseball, a lot of baseball. But we also laughed, sang karaoke in the car, hiked to lakes and waterfalls, watched movies and listened to our parents laughing in the stands while we played.

They were watching us for sure, but they were also making memories they would cherish for years to come.

I got lucky back in December and was recruited by Tulane University. I had achieved my goal, my dream had come
true. The Spring 2020 season for the American Heritage Stallions was to be one for the record books, or at least that is what everyone said.

We had lost the 2019 State Championship by one run and we were poised (are poised since it
hasn’t been canceled yet) to get to States again. Our season was going well, as anticipated. We have some
incredible pitchers on our team and we had scouts watching these guys at most games and many practices.

We were getting better by the day. Our hitting was starting to turn the corner. Pitching was great, and getting better.

We were supposed to travel to an invite only tournament in North Carolina the last week of March. This is a trip we had waited to take for years.

We knew from the news and people talking that things were changing. The COVID-19 virus had started to impact the USA and it was just a matter of time until it got here.

And then came Friday, March 13th.

We were advised that afternoon that classes for the following week had been canceled, extending Spring Break to 2 weeks. We didn’t know at the time that our game at 7:00pm could possibly be our last high school game.

The North Carolina tournament was canceled.

We heard coaches and administration speak of postponing the season which gave us a glimmer of hope.

Now four weeks later the glimmer of hope is starting to fade. Palm Beach County public school graduations have been cancelled. I know my Principal and the school’s administration are doing their best to hold off on canceling, but I feel it may be out of their hands.

The milestones of our senior year are fading quickly. Senior Prom, Grad Bash, Senior Week, Senior Breakfast, Senior Skip Day, Senior Dinner, and finally graduation may not happen for us.

Yes, I should be and am thankful that no one I know has been infected with COVID-19. I know it has impacted many people so much more than I can even realize. People are out of work and are trying to make ends meet and I am thinking about senior year.

People are sick and dying and I am thinking about senior year.

There is a silver lining to this pandemic. I have spent more time with my family over the last four weeks than I have in ages. My siblings also play sports and we are all typically going in different directions. We have eaten dinner together more times in the last few weeks than we have in years.

We have played card games, made our own back patio workouts, made Tik-Toks, played wiffle ball, and so much more. It is a shame that our lives were so busy that we didn’t have time for this before.

As I will hopefully be starting college in the fall, these are times I will truly treasure.

I am just 17 so forgive me if I forget that there is more to the world than my senior year and baseball. I want nothing more than to get back to “normal”. Get back on the field, even if it is for a pick up game with my teammates and friends.

I want everyone to get better and get back to work, get back to their “normal”.

I miss my friends, coaches and teammates. I want it the way it was, or at least get to our new “normal”.

Editors Note: Seniors wanting to enter the competition, follow the link below:

HSBN Senior Essay Scholarship Competition

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