Nikai

What do they love most about playing their sport(s)?

I love the fact that baseball is a game of failure and it’s mostly a mental game. The failure part of the game makes the succeeding part the most memorable part of the whole sport. The fact that the sport is so mental makes me always have to stay aware of my attitude and mind space,I’m in during the game because the wrong mindset could lead me more to failure.

Who inspires them—on or off the field—and why?

On the field the people that inspire Nikai are Ronald Acuña and Jazz Chisholm jr. Off the field the people that inspire Nikai are his grandfather and older brother. He’s inspired by Ronald Acuña and and Jazz Chisholm jr because they are the light of their teams and really great at what they do. Off the field he’s inspired by his grandfather and brother because they are the smartest people he knows, they always give great advice and they have plenty of knowledge about a lot of things.

What’s one moment in their athletic journey that makes you proudest?

The proudest moment was when Nikai was 9 years old and he was hit in the eye with a baseball and had to have a major eye surgery. He immediately asked when could he start playing baseball again. He wasn’t upset with the kid that hit him and wasn’t afraid to play again, I actually think it made him stronger. Although Nikai has faced some adversity in baseball he always keeps a positive attitude and keeps encouraging himself. Nikai continues to work hard in school even though he has dyslexia.