Robert Saltzman '17 Recruiting Profile

    My name is Robert Saltzman and I'm from Madison, Wisconsin. I am currently a junior at Madison West High School. I am a committed student and photographer.  Along with playing baseball, I am on my school's Latin board and Co-Captain of Madison West's state-placing Mock Trial team. I take pride in the fact that I always have, and will, work harder than the competition.

    As not only a high school athlete, but someone who enjoys both learning and practicing the arts, baseball isn't the only thing on my daily agenda.  That said, I think my various interests and involvement in the Madison Jewish community will benefit me in many ways. Thanks to my non-baseball interests, I have developed communication and leadership skills that are evident in my everyday life, and will be for a very long time.

    I have not been able to attend many showcase events or national exposure tournaments because of my aforementioned various interests, but I have had the pleasure of being coached by more than one ex-MLB player.  The teams I've played on the past few years have not only elevated my game, but opened my eyes to just how incredible of a game baseball really is. It's like photography in a way; both are just as much about the process, if not more, than the result. You work day in and day out, to create something beautiful, something to be remembered. You're never done after just one click of the shutter, or just one swing of the bat or just one ground ball. The drive to succeed through the sometimes seemingly pointless endeavors of everyday practice is evident both on, and off the field.

    Perhaps the most noticeable thing about me is my leadership. Not just in Mock Trial, not just in Latin, not even just baseball. My leadership is an extremely important part of me. I not only love being in the pressure situation, but I make others love it to. Both on and off the field, I make the team around me better. From founding a youth group in Madison to taking my school's Mock Trial program to state for the very first time, it's evident in everything I do. I love to lead, and I lead by example.

    My grades aren't perfect, and they never will be. That doesn't mean they're bad, in fact they're on the rise. My most recent semester G.P.A. was a 3.22, not great. That said, it's not bad either. This doesn't mean I don't work hard, and this doesn't mean I don't study. The time management is the hard part for me. Look at my standardized tests; all at least in the 90th percentile. This is because of my ability to focus on a single task,  and get it done to near perfection. I pride myself in knowing that if I really put my mind to something, or if something truly speaks to me, as this wonderful game does, not only will I make time, but I will use it wisely. Put me on a tee for 2+ hours, no problem. I know what I need to do to improve, and I'll get it done. 

I'm a hard worker, my grades are on the rise, and I love baseball more than anything. I'm a leader; let me show you what I can do.