Senior captain Peter Avino has seen the baseball field for almost his entire high school career. From his freshman to his junior year, Avino’s established his dominance as a shortstop, as a player who’s played throughout left and right field, and as first, second, and third base. This year, Avino began as a catcher, finally bringing his journey on the field all the way around the diamond. 

  When asked what he saw for himself during his final year, Avino responded, “Coming into my senior year, all I was trying to accomplish was perfecting my craft.” Unfortunately, things didn’t end up going the way he, or anyone, planned. As the circumstances of day-to-day life shifted and became almost unrecognizable due to the coronavirus pandemic, more than a few ambitions were forced to a grinding halt. As a captain to his teammates, Peter Avino feels this in a different way than most Charter students. 

  Avino, and countless other athletes like him, have strived to reach as close to that ideal version of themselves these past four years. Knowing the endless hours they’ve put in puts a different face on the disappointment they must be feeling. When considering how the season was cut short, Avino said,“This season meant everything to me and my family.” The past four years of highschool baseball have probably been the best years of Peter’s life. He’s learned and honed his craft, aimed to improve every single day, and became a better person in life overall.

  That’s partly why, even despite this unexpected upset, Avino hasn’t let himself wallow in regret. In a testament to the dedication he’s said baseball has taught him, Avino’s now “in the process of obtaining baseball scholarships” and “deciding which university and baseball program” will be the best fit for him. As a captain, he knows something that’s harder for the rest of us to see right now: the game might be on hiatus, but it’s certainly not over.