Bryce Harper, Role Model

At 6 foot 3 inches and 205 lbs, high-school baseball player Bryce Harper is by no means small. However, that doesn’t keep Little League players from looking up to him. “He is very inspirational,” says one Little Leaguer, “he makes me feel like I can do impossible things.” In retrospect, why does this young boy look up to him? There are many reasons for this, but mainly, if the 2010 Major League Baseball Draft goes how man people speculate it will, Harper will be the among the select few to enter Major League baseball at just 17 years of age.

The possible achievements don’t stop there; Bryce Harper is already setting records in his home run hitting. On record, he hit an amazing 502 foot home run during the 2009 International Power Showcase at the Tropicana field. He also hit an “unofficial” (not officially recorded) 570 foot home run, which was covered by Sports Illustrated. Harper is becoming quite popular with middle and high-school students, even gaining support from some parents of young baseball players. This support is despite Harper’s decision to drop out of high school two years early, in order to train for the 2010 baseball season. As per with Major League rules, however, he will be finishing his GED before the draft, probably during the summer of 2009.

Harper began playing baseball at the age of three. By the age of eight, Harper was getting offers from Little League teams all over the country willing to pay for airfare and hotels, if only he would play for them. Early on, it was obvious to all who knew Bryce, that he was destined to achieve great things. Harper’s natural skill with the sport of baseball is undoubtedly incredible, and could be called a “once in a generation” genetic lottery.

In addition to being a role model based on skills alone, Bryce Harper also possesses a determination and dedication to the sport of baseball that should be admired even by veteran players. Some coaches have called Harper’s dedication very “old-school”, in that his main objective is to play well, and do his best to win. Even Bryce Harper’s parents deny any excessive pushing of baseball on Bryce at a young age. Ron Harper, Bryce’s father, is adamant about this.

“We have to do what’s best for Bryce. He wants to play baseball. Always has. The Number 1 thing guiding us is to do what’s right for Bryce and his future.”

It could be said that a lot of Bryce Harper’s admirable characteristics come from his supportive family. Every good sports player needs a support system, and Bryce’s family seems to be behind all of his decisions 100%. In addition to baseball, Bryce Harper is able to snowboard, play football, and pursue any other interests that he desires. Despite choosing to discontinue football in a previous year, Bryce Harper still is a “normal” kid, as stated by his parents. With his amazing proficiency at baseball, inspirational achievements and determined attitude, it’s clear that Bryce Harper has the potential to be a strong role model for other young baseball players.