The embarrassing state of high school sports

I grew up in the small town of Mayo, where I was listed at 5’2” and 97 pounds during my senior season in baseball. When I would put on that jersey to represent Lafayette High School (LHS), I had a sense of pride knowing I was representing, not only myself and my team, but my school and my community. For the opposing teams that came to Mayo or hosted us at their place, I understood I may be the only representation they would see of LHS. While I wanted to win at all costs, winning did not outweigh the risk of embarrassing my school, family or community. As a high school athlete, it was relayed to us that it was a privilege to represent our school and wear the jersey that had LHS written