Personal Statement

My name is Daniel Krabill. I am a rising senior attending St. Vincent-St Mary High School in Akron, OH. I am a 6’1”, 205 lbs catcher/first baseman. I bat left-handed and throw right-handed. I would describe myself as a hard worker, a leader, a supportive teammate, and an impact player. 

“Do or not do. There is no try” (Yoda) is a quote that I feel represents who I am and how I approach baseball and my life. I am a hard worker who is up for a challenge. My goal is always to learn and grow to become the best I can be. Being good at something isn’t always an easy path and it takes sacrifice, dedication, and passion. I am either making choices to get better every day or I am not. I want to be the type of player and person who gets involved, commits 100%, and keeps working at something until I get it right. I don’t believe in stopping part of the way and I am not afraid to fail. When I commit my time to something, I want to be the best I can be.

Just like so many others that play baseball, I loved baseball from the beginning. I tried other sports but wasn’t as passionate about them. I didn’t find myself wanting to learn more, get better, and devote my time to figuring out the game. These other sports were fun, but I wanted to be the best at baseball. I fell in love with the catcher position and decided early on I wanted to not just catch but be a catcher. Learning this position has given me the best opportunity to learn all aspects of the game. In addition, I have developed a love for defense and take a great deal of pride in being able to impact the game either through the signs that are called, the balls that I block, the runners I throw out, or the conversations I have with my pitchers. The catcher has a unique opportunity to strategically make an impact on the game with each play and this is what I love about this position. Regardless of the position I play on the field, I want to make a contribution. Success in baseball comes from a series of contributions from each person on the team. I go out every practice and game driven to make a contribution. Coaches describe me as coachable, hard-working, driven, and consistent. 

Baseball has taught me so much about myself. Baseball is a hard, demanding game. Rewards are hard to come by at times and you have to really be committed to understanding how small steps can bring you to big gains. Baseball has taught me the following:

• How to test my limits
• The mental parts of the game are just as important as the physical parts
• Leadership, Teamwork and team support are critical to success
• Believe in yourself
• Patience

I am still working to master these skills but know that they are important to me becoming the type of baseball player and the person I want to become. My high school baseball accomplishments include being selected as team captain multiple years, receiving three Varsity letter and being selected for the Dan Boarman V70 Coaches Award. I am also continuing to make progress with my skills. This year I improved my batting average to .424 and improved my pop time to 1.96. I had 19 singles, 3 doubles, 4 triples and 1 home run. I all started all 23 varsity games at first base, catcher, or DH. My fielding percentage was .966. 

I currently have a 4.3 GPA, have earned High Honor Roll recognition in twelve consecutive quarters in the Honors Track curriculum, and scored a 27 on the ACT . I am a Spanish tutor and volunteer as a student ambassador for my school. I have also been selected to serve as a House System leader for last year and my Senior year. I feel that being a part of my HS community is important so I make a point to try to attend as many other sporting events and school activities as possible. In college, I want to possibly study Physical Therapy, Data Analytics, Engineering, or Business. Although I am still exploring my options, I am very interested in building, problem-solving, and doing work that makes life easier and more accessible for others. 

When I am not in school or playing baseball, I am in the gym lifting weights 4-5 times a week. I really enjoy being in the gym. Weight lifting has challenged me to become more athletic and challenge my limits in ways that baseball can’t. I also like to ride my mountain bike on several of the mountain bike trails near me or volunteering for the Summit County Metro Parks. You might also find me spending time with my friends and family. I have a younger sister who plays softball so we spend time together helping each other. As a family, we like to take hikes, trips, and bike rides. I am fortunate enough to live close to several of my grandparents and extended family so I often see them as well.

I feel extremely lucky to have an opportunity to play baseball and want to continue to be involved with a sport I love for as long as possible. Pat Riley once said, “There are only two options regarding commitment. You’re either IN or your OUT. There is no such thing as life in-between.” I am committed to continuing to work each day to get better, set goals, and chase my dream of continuing my baseball journey after high school one day at a time.