Everything I’ve needed to know up to this point in my high school life I have learned from playing baseball. The major rules of baseball can all be related to high school and life.

Three strikes, you’re out
The simplest rule of baseball is that when a hitter gets three strikes without putting the ball in play, he must go back to the dugout. When you mess up three times with a person in high school they probably won’t want to be with you anymore. If you’ve already messed up twice with a person, you’re probably going to mess up again, so you should be really careful.

Don’t bat out of order
There is a lineup in baseball and all the players must stay in it or else they become an automatic out. During your time in high school, don’t act like you are in a different grade. There are going to be times when you’re a junior and think it’s okay to act like you are a leader of the school, but wait until senior year. You are only making a fool out of yourself, and it makes it less special when you’re actually a senior. Also, don’t act like somebody you are not just to fit in with a certain group. Be who you are and you’ll be happier throughout high school. Nobody likes a tool, and there are unfortunately numerous amounts of them at CHS.

Throw strikes or you’ll have a bad game
A pitcher must throw strikes in order to be successful during the game. I’m going to compare throwing strikes to being honest. A big problem at CHS is gossip and people making things up about others. Don’t do this. Be honest. It sounds corny, but if students would put themselves in other’s shoes every once in a while, and stop themselves from speaking badly about others, we’d have much less drama every day.

Always run hard to first base
This, in baseball terms, means always give 100 percent in running to first base and then you’ll get to relax for a little bit. Work hard when it matters, and then you can relax during the easier times, such as second semester senior year. The time to slack is not junior year; work really hard for that year and it will help you in the long run. You’ll have all the time to slack in your final year, just make sure you go 100 percent for the first three years or you’ll be panicking when it comes time to apply for college.

Hit the fastball, don’t wait for the curveball
Fastballs are easier to hit than curveballs because they come in straight. Curveballs often move a lot and are therefore harder to hit. This means when opportunities come your way, jump right at them. Many times in high school I was afraid to do things. It’s true that “You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take,” so go out there and do stuff in high school. I regret more of what I did not do rather than stuff that I did do. The only way to meet new people is to put yourself out there. There are tons of great people at CHS and the only way to get to know them is to be outgoing.

You must hit the ball fair in order for it to count
In baseball, there are both the right and left foul lines that one must hit the ball between in order for it to count. At CHS, this means acting appropriately. You can cheat your way to get things done, but in order for your time in high school to be meaningful, you should do things yourself. There are going to be times when it’s easier to cheat, but have integrity and you’ll be happier in the long run.

If you fail 70 percent of the time
you are still successful
A good baseball player is marked by his batting average, and having an average around .300 is considered to be successful. A .300 batting average means the player is successful only 30 percent of the time. Many times throughout high school, you are going to fail, but it is how you deal with this that matters. Find something to help you deal with the failure that occurs during high school. Baseball was something that I could always go to during the tough times of high school. Having a hobby or interest that will be there when nothing else is going well is crucial to enjoying your high school years.

Follow these few baseball rules and you will be set for your time in high school. My final parting words are have fun; high school can be incredible stressful, so live it up during those fun times.