My name is Eden Nalin.
I was born a people person. I was also born to play baseball.
When I was two years old I was given a bat and ball for my birthday. Since then, baseball has been the center of my life.
When I was seven years old I saw the movie about the life of Jackie Robinson. This movie changed my life. I could not fathom the hatred of someone because of the color of their skin. I couldn’t comprehend the ill treatment of others. Jackie Robinson became someone I wanted to emulate. He became my hero because of the way he dealt with the adversity he faced. He played with heart, purpose, and dedication, delivering over the pain he experienced to becoming a champion on and off the field.
As many people have, I, too, have faced adversity. I strive to lift people up in games and in life. I play as a team player, often sacrificing myself for the team and for the game itself. Baseball has been a metaphor for my life, competing and yearning to become better while developing grit when I fail.
Baseball has taken me across the country to compete, and to play with many types of people. I gain from every coach, every player, every person I have encountered in my life, and someday I hope they may gain from me. Baseball has taught me the most important life lessons a person could learn, especially as a young and developing individual. Playing baseball has taught me how to deal with conflict, and within that struggle, I am not alone; I have a team, a family, and support to rely on. Baseball taught me to learn from failure, to continue striving while failing, and this creates something indestructible within.
