My name is Aidan Elfering, and I am a senior at the University of Dubuque. I am currently completing a bachelor’s degree in accounting and business. During my time at the University of Dubuque, I have competed as a baseball player, and I have been able to strive and complete many things as a Division III athlete. I would attribute this to being on top of my physical and mental health. These two key components allow me to compete at the highest level when I am on the field. I believe that baseball is about 90% mental and 10% physical. Baseball is a tough game when it comes to the mental side, as you need to be able to handle failure over and over again. Ted Williams once said, “Baseball is the only field of endeavor where a man can succeed 3 times out of 10 and be considered a good performer.” Through all of the failures that there are in baseball, if you are able to stay positive, you will reap the rewards.
Baseball has taught me about my physical health, and that to compete against other elite athletes you need to be in great physical shape. I learned this aspect recently, as I didn’t take my physical health very serious until I got to the University of Dubuque. I attribute the majority of my knowledge about physical health to the outstanding strength and conditioning staff we have along with the excellent athletic trainers. I will continue to look upon the positives this season as I am gearing up for my last season as a Spartan and hope to accomplish everything that I could ever dream of.
