Hi, I'm twelve years old and going into the seventh grade in Carson City, Nevada, the hometown of my parents. 1995 was my final year of Little League and I'm going to share with you some of my experiences.

At the end of the regular season my team, the A's, which was the American league champion, went to see a San Francisco Giants game. Before the game I was voted by my team as the one who could go down into the dugout and meet Giants slugger Matt Williams. It was a real pleasure to meet a superstar baseball player like Matt. He is really looked up to by the kids of Carson City because he grew up in Carson and played on the same Little League fields we did. Matt Williams is not only an all-star baseball player but is a really nice guy who enjoys being around kids and is always giving them pointers such as keeping your eye on the ball and not pulling your head, extending your arms, keeping your weight on your back foot, and having a level swing when you're batting. He also respects his family and puts them first, which sets a good example for his admirers.

Because Matt is so loyal to his hometown fans, I was chosen from over 6,000 Little Leaguers there that day to meet him. To my surprise, I was also interviewed by the San Francisco television station about the value of baseball for young people.

This season, I made all-star for being the top pitcher and one of the top hitters in my league. The games our all-star team played were spectacular (we got to play a total of five games before we were eliminated). They were both exciting and fun. Of course, it was a lot better when we won, but we lost, too. It was great when we won because you'd feel good and proud of yourself and your teammates. When we lost we felt bad and we thought we didn't do well, and we were mad at the bad things that happened during the game. Even though our team didn't win the tournament, being on all-stars was still a memorable experience. This year's all-stars will be one of those things in my life I will never forget.

Something special I did before each game was prayer with my parents and reading True Father's words. Doing this before each game seemed to calm and comfort me and make me pure. It also seemed to protect me and my team because no one got hurt during the entire tournament.

Pitching all year, including all-stars, has made me a more mature, disciplined, confident and intelligent player. Being a pitcher has helped me deal with a lot of mistakes by myself and my teammates. Everything I learned this season will help me as a pitcher next year on the bigger fields and in the coming years of my life.

Also, during this baseball season I have deepened my friendship with my best friend Bobby. This summer I am taking him to our Church's One Heart Camp in California. During this time at camp together I hope our friendship will become closer and that he can really understand the Divine Principle lectures that we will have.

Playing baseball was a great experience for me this season because it helped me to deal with problems and situations in my life.

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