Yogi Berra once said “Baseball is ninety percent mental. The other half is physical.” Berra obviously did not take Mr. Erickson’s math class, but the education at Cistercian is very similar to baseball. Our education is not only about making good grades, but also about creating positive relationships with our teachers and our classmates. In many ways, Cistercian is like a big baseball game. The teacher is the coach, our classmates and friends are our teammates, and we are the batter. Our classes, through tests and quizzes, are baseballs that we have to hit out of the park.

Many people say that when you are at bat, the only people there are you and the pitcher. I disagree, because all of your classmates and teachers are there to cheer you on. For example, if you get behind in your class, just like a batter gets into a slump, your teachers and classmates are there to help and give advice.

Our athletics program is similar to our school, as the coaches teach us the skills of determination, teamwork, and friendship. Sometimes we get thrown a slow ball to get us warmed up. This prepares us for the fastballs, like a hard test. Sometimes we get a knuckle ball that we don’t expect, like a pop quiz. We might also miss the ball, just as we could forget homework or not study for a quiz.

Legendary baseball manager Connie Mack is credited with saying, “Pitching is 75 percent of baseball.” The same rule applies to our education at Cistercian. Luckily, we have many teachers dedicated to our education. Every day our teachers teach us how to perfect our swing, so that in the end we can hit the ball out of the park. But after all that, we have to choose how well we study and learn the material in order to get better. During Form Master’s Period, we are given advice and life lessons, just like a head coach gives instructions to his team on how to play better. Similarly to running through the bases, we move up through the forms until we slide into home base. Through our Cistercian education, we are able to grow stronger in the different positions in life, such as son, father, husband, boss, employee, or co-worker.

As a team, we answer questions and share our ideas and thoughts. Our teachers make sure that we try our hard- est, but also that we don’t leave our friends behind. They are devoted to making us the winning team, and by the time we graduate, we will be ready for the exciting and challenging game of life.