From the Future: Dear First-Year Kevin...

Dear First Year Kevin,

You've just stepped on campus and are more than excited to embark on the journey that you have worked so hard to achieve. Although you may be thinking that you have worked hard and are more than ready to compete at this level, you are grossly underestimating the amount of blood, sweat, and tears that will be dedicated over these next four years. There will be ups and downs throughout each semester, but I will give you some tips to help guide you through your experiences.

Tip number one: DO NOT wear the same exact thing as your roommate, Kevin Long, EVER. The second you do that, the two of you will be labeled as "The Kevins" and be counted as one person for the next four years. But in all seriousness, Kevin will be your best friend throughout college and he will help you through the bad times and rough patches. Having an accountability partner as great as him will help you grow as a person and a player, while keeping you focused on what is important.

Not only will Kevin always be there for you, you will also have 33 other brothers each year who will take a bullet for you. The Lehigh University Baseball Experience (LUBE) will be the tightest bond you will ever have with any set of people outside of your actual family. Even though you are about to be stepping onto the field with a group of players you know nothing about, you will be welcomed with open arms. Listen to the upperclassmen; they have the team's best interest in mind and will guide you where you need to go. The feel of this team is magical. Until now, you have never seen such a large group of people all pulling in the same direction to achieve one goal--a Patriot League Championship.

Another crucial tip I will give you is to always listen to your coaches and trust the process. Sure, they will get on you at times, but it is just to push you to play to your potential. Coach Leary will get the best out of you, and you just need to trust that when you are struggling on the mound, he has your back. You'll need to work hard together to get your pitching up where it needs to be. Trust the process.

As a first-year, you will be told to start diversifying your friend groups and join as many clubs as possible. However, that has never been you so do not worry yourself over sticking to a tight group of people. You have a tight group of teammates and a family to be there for you. For you, it works better to have a smaller amount of friends who you are close to as opposed to a large amount who you are just friendly with. To each their own.

Right now you are also probably worried about all of the horror stories you've heard about having a long-distance relationship going into college. I'm here to tell you that your girlfriend, Kait, will be your best friend and is one of the greatest things to ever happen to you. Like the rest of college, there are going to be some rough patches, but she will always be there for you and will always be your biggest fan (except SpongeBob).

From an academic standpoint, you need to realize how lucky you are to be at such a strong university with some of the best professors in the nation. Use your resources! Although you may think they are mean by how tough their exams are, the accounting professors are unbelievable advisors when it comes to future career paths or any other questions you come across. Come senior year, you will develop a website and it will not be possible without the plethora of help received from numerous different departments the college has to offer. Invest in those relationships early and often… you do not know what one may lead to.

Lastly, and probably the most important piece of reassurance that I have for you, is that your family will continue to be the steadiest rock during you have over these next four years. Make sure you call your mom at least once a week! Your parents have been so essential to who you are as a person up until now, and that won't change a bit. They will always be there for you, even though they are 80 miles away. You may think you are thankful for all they have done so far, but you soon will truly start to realize everything they have put into your life to give you the opportunities to be where you are.

Now, I don't want to ruin any of the surprises or accomplishments that are in store for you these next four years, but just know that when times are bad, they will get better. You will succeed in school (stick to accounting, it's tough, but worth it), baseball, and in the relationships you make along the way.

Now get going to your first practice, and make sure you're early!

Senior Kevin

Lehigh University Athletics

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