The ballpark that was once painful is now the place I want to return to

"The place I want to return to"

When I saw this title, the first thing that came to mind was my university's practice field.
I have memories from elementary, junior high, and high school. There were many fun times and many painful ones.
However, I think my university life is what remains most vividly in my memory.
And that ballpark is the place where my life changed significantly.

I practiced hard every day at a ballpark where you could see Mount Fuji.
During the time I had surgery, I would skip classes to go to the ballpark and focus solely on rehabilitation.
Days spent in the early morning, hiding in a small shed in the corner of the ballpark, silently repeating tedious rehabilitation exercises.
An elbow that wouldn't bend. A knee that wouldn't move. I felt like giving up many times due to anxiety and pain, wondering if I would ever truly get better.

Even so, I didn't run away.
At the time, I couldn't think, "If I get through this, I'll be fine," but looking back now, I can proudly say that I am who I am today because of that time.

That ballpark and that shed are filled with such memories.
Every year during the off-season, I visit to chat about the old days with the manager and coaches, and it's a place that motivates me to work hard again.
I want to keep returning to that place with a smile.

Tomoya Kakinuma