Craig Upton

Marketing Account Executive

 

I have been given a gift, a talent if you will.  Some friends may say the gift of gab, but no, I have the talent to play sports and be halfway decent at them.

 

Golf may not be one of them, as some of you may agree, but I’m still working on that.  Each one of us are blessed with a talent in some form or fashion.  Of all things, I have been blessed with the talent to swing a bat.

 

Kind of silly, huh?  I’ll tell you more about that in a bit.  I have been involved in sports my whole life.  I have also been blessed with two older brothers that have pushed me to be a stronger person and player along the way, parents that stood by us and supported us through the years while they were living, and a loving & supporting wife.

 

It started out with a ball.  First, a baseball, then a basketball, then a soccer ball, then a football, then…..You get what I’m saying!!

 

Of all the sports that I’ve played, baseball was probably my better sport based on my ability.  My favorite sport growing up, even through high school, was football.  But with baseball, I was able to go to the next level (Hinds Community College).

 

I never thought it would happen, but I eventually got burnt out on baseball.  That may have had something to do with the love of a new sport that I was introduced to, softball.

 

Some of you may have played with your church in a softball league or in a local city recreation softball league.  This was a great and fun start for me too.  But it eventually progressed into something more competitive.

 

I’ve been playing softball since I was 19 years old and still play to this day in a 50+ division.  I’ve been fortunate to have participated on teams with players from all over the country at the highest competitive level.

 

Most people are not aware of it, but softball is a really big sport.  When you have things provided for you such as sporting equipment, flights, hotels, rental cars, and get paid on top of that…softball is big.

 

I have been fortunate and blessed to have this provided for me.  Being able to swing a bat and be pretty good at it has allowed me the opportunity to travel this country, gain seven (7) National Championships, meet a lot of people, and develop lifelong friendships through the years.

 

Not tooting my own horn but when you can swing a bat to hit for distance, have a great personality and attitude, teams notice.  When teams notice you, the offers start coming.  That has been my experience allowing me to play on teams from MS, AL, FL, NE, and NY.

 

Currently, I participate in the following:

• Major + division with a team from Alabama
• Black Softball Circuit with a team from Florida
• Prison Ministries with a team of local Christians

 

Again, having the talent to swing a bat has put me in front of a lot of people.  I have been able to use my talent to go into prisons with a group of guys that are able to use this game, this talent, to try and have a positive impact on other people during their time of need.

 

It all started with a ball.  I have had a ball my whole life.  When one door closes, another door opens which has led me to “have a ball” working for this great company and with an awesome team at HPIC.