The Baseball Player – Bryce Harper
As a high school baseball player, Bryce Harper was 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighed 205 pounds, which is huge for a kid his age. That doesn’t stop Little Leaguers from admiring him, though. “He’s a great role model,” says one Little Leaguer, “he makes me feel like I can do impossible things like him.” With all due respect, why is this young man admiring him in awe? Right now, Bryce Harper will be the number one pick in the 2010 Major League Baseball Draft by the Washington Nationals and will be one of the select few to play professional baseball at the age of 17.
We can’t just look at these achievements; he’s already hitting home runs that are setting records. On record, he hit an incredible 502-foot home run during the 2009 International Power Showcase at Tropicana Course. He had the honor of being on the cover of Sports Illustrated for his 570-foot home run. Harper is becoming quite popular among middle and high school students, and has even garnered support from some parents of young baseball players. Not many parents would support the decision to drop out of high school to train for a hard-earned baseball career, but Bryce’s parents did. However, according to Major League Baseball rules, he will finish his GED before the draft, probably during the summer of 2009.
Bryce Harper began swinging his baseball bat at the age of three. Little leaguers across the country were looking for Harper to play for them when he was 8 years old; he even offered to pay for hotels and airfare if he played for his team. People, who had known Bryce since his childhood, knew that he was going to achieve the impossible. Harper’s natural ability with the sport of baseball is undeniably incredible, and could be called a “once in a generation” genetic lottery.
In addition to being a role model based solely on his abilities, he also possesses a determination and dedication to the game of baseball that even veteran players should admire. Many coaches who have seen Harper play baseball say his dedication is that of baseball players of yore; he wants to play well and give his best for the team he plays for. Bryce Harper’s parents never promoted baseball during his childhood. Ron Harper, Bryce’s father, is adamant about it.
“We have to do what’s best for him. All he wants to do is play baseball. He always has. The best thing we can do as parents is do what’s right for his future.”
It could be said that many of Bryce Harper’s admirable traits come from his supportive family. Every strong baseball player needs a support system, and his family seems to be behind all of Bryce’s choices all the time. Aside from playing baseball, Bryce Harper does everything from playing soccer to snowboarding to anything else he wants to do. Bryce Harper’s parents say he’s still just an ordinary Joe, even though he stopped playing football. With his amazing ability in baseball, his inspiring achievements and his determined attitude, it is clear that Bryce Harper has the potential to be a role model for other young baseball players.