Dylan Kakuda '23 Recruiting Profile

Baseball has always been a part of my life.  But it was my 10U season that transformed me into who I am today as a player and a person. Three of my teammates, and myself, were nominated for an All-Stars Team.  They all made the team, and I did not.  That was my defining moment.  I decided right then and there that I was going to work harder and do whatever it took to become the player I knew I could be. In 11U, I was again nominated, but this time I made the team.  Being a part of this team opened up doors for me and led me to the travel team that I have now been on for five years, NW Premier BBC.   This is my second year on my high school's varsity baseball team, starting at either second base or catcher.  I also play high school football, playing running back and linebacker.  

I have a lot of goals for my future, first of all to play college baseball at any level, while earning my four year degree.  Eventually choosing a career path as either a physical therapist or an FBI agent.  I currently hold a 3.8 GPA taking all AP/college preparatory classes.  I also participate in extra curricular activities, which include being a Highland Helper (leadership position at high school), and I volunteer at an elementary school.  I am now a member of The National Society of High School Scholars and have been nominated and accepted into the Leadership program at my high school. 

I pride myself on being a good leader and communicator on our team. Being a catcher requires those qualities on the field. I feel that I have always had those attributes, but being a baseball player has helped to define them. I also work hard to be a selfless player on the field, knowing that it is about my entire team.  In fact, when I was selected as a Triple Crown 14U Pathway Impact Player (July 2019) at the World Series in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, they stated that I was a "SELFLESS team player. Strong team leader, blocks well, throws well, sub 2.0 pop time."  In the 6th grade, I was awarded The Lothspeich-Dowd Award for Fitness, Leadership and Sportsmanship 2016-2017.  Also, in March 2021, I was awarded with the Shadle Park High School Student of the Month for the character traits of Kindness and Respect. 

I appreciate how baseball is setting me up for success in all areas of my life.  It teaches me how to be humble, how to persevere, how to compete, how to self-reflect, how to grind, how to fail, how to succeed, how to be a teammate, how to be a learner, how to communicate, how to lead, and how at times that I need to follow.  However, the main quality that I have kept close to me  is how to be an overall good person.