Motivated by his parents and older brothers, Garrett Brown, a charismatic and outgoing high school senior, began playing baseball at the early age of four. Unbeknownst to him, the sport would become a quintessential part of his life.
Brown started off on a T-ball team, the typical little league level for beginners. With the help of his father and his coaches, he quickly learned the basic skills necessary for baseball. As he grew up, he continued to practice both with his team and on his own in order to perfect his skills and make them second nature.
Once he reached middle school, Brown began playing on a club baseball team called the Blue Wave as a shortstop - the position he has been playing ever since. His team practiced almost every day and played tournaments and games on the weekends. “It was much more competitive than my other little league teams, but I enjoyed the competition,” he explained enthusiastically. When it came time to try out for Beckman High School’s baseball program, he was placed on the frosh-soph team. Though he was disappointed, Brown did not give up. Instead he devoted more hours for practice on his own and played his best during every game. At the end of the season, his determination and drive paid off: he was moved up to varsity for the play-offs. “The competition on varsity was much harder and the players put much more effort into every game,” he commented with a smile. Though the varsity team practices every day for three hours, Brown does not mind; he relishes the chance to become a better player.
As the middle of junior year approached, he participated in more college showcases and tournaments with both his high school and club teams in order to have a greater chance of being scouted by college coaches. “I love the game, making friends, and the competition and cannot imagine not playing in college,” he declared.  Fortunately, coaches from four different colleges asked him to play for their schools with a guaranteed scholarship. To help him decide which school’s offer to accept, Brown visited all four colleges. On his tour to Indiana University, one of the Big Ten teams, Brown fell in love with the campus and observed that the coaches and players were “really great people”. On signing day, he officially became an Indiana Hoosier.
Though he is unsure of whether he wants to continue with the sport once he graduates, he will carry the values he learned and the memories he made playing baseball for the rest of his life.