Compassion

If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion. -The Dalai Lama

My senior year of high school was going great. Everything seemed to be fitting into place. I started looking for schools to go and school just seemed a little more fun than it had in the past. But then one of the biggest role models during my 4 years in high school, Mr. Shipley, who was also my baseball coach my sophomore and junior year's had something to tell me.

He told me that since his situation with coaching wasnt going as planned and his life with his kids was being hurt by his coaching of baseball and football, he had to choose a sport. And of course it was my sport, baseball. Shipley had been one of the people to shape who I was not only in school, but also on the team we had. He had brought me up to the varsity team as a sophomore and told me I would be one of the leaders on this team and I would have to learn to grow up a little faster in this situation.

So after learning about him resigning as our coach. Of course at first I was really hurt. I felt like not only he was leaving me but, he wasn't going to be there for one fo the best times of my life. I felt like I needed him there no matter what. A few days later he pulled me into his office and wanted to have a chat with me about my future and where I was headed.

He told me he was going to help me with my recruitment process and anything that I would need over the next few months. He gave me his cell phone number, email and told me to visit him no matter when I had a question. Even though I was really hurt by him resigning. I was glad he showed me that he wanted to be in my life and still that positive figure that I had always seen in the past.

I thank Mr. Shipley to this day, for making me who I am, not only as a baseball player but, as a person. He showed me that people even though situations might be different you can always be there for one another and support someone. And he was the support I needed.