Athletes from elite high school or college baseball programs often say the same thing later in life:
“I never want to go back to those days.”
Dorm life was strict. Practices were relentless. Relationships could be harsh. It was a place where many wanted to escape — even if they endured it to chase the dream of turning professional.
Shohei Ohtani is different.
He has said that from childhood through high school at Hanamaki Higashi and even during his professional years in Japan, he has never once wanted to quit baseball. He has never thought, “I hate practice.” He has never grown to dislike the game.
Part of that may be the environment he was raised in. But more fundamentally, it comes from his personality.
“When it’s something I truly want to do, I’m confident I can work harder than anyone else.”
For Ohtani, the key is ownership.
As a child, he tried sports like badminton, swimming, and soccer — not because he was forced, but because he wanted to. And when he stopped, it was also his own decision.
The same was true when he chose to join the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters. He thought deeply, discussed it thoroughly — including with his parents — and made the decision himself.
What matters most is deciding for yourself.
Once he makes a decision, he considers it a promise to himself.
And when the promise is self-made, there are no excuses.
Source
This quote comes from a Japanese book published in Japan and is not currently available in English.
Opening a Path, Crossing the Ocean: The True Story of Shohei Ohtani, p.291