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“A life is not important, except in the impact it has on other lives.” These were words said by Jackie Robinson, one of the greatest black men to ever play in the game of baseball (Dingle, 43). This man of great honor lived through many accomplishments in his life such as his high school and college years in UCLA, playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers, and his interest in politics after he retired. Jackie Robinson, born on January 31, 1919, lived his life through much criticism and racism, but in the end, he got a sports scholarship to UCLA. While in high school, Jackie led his basketball team in rebounding and scoring. He was the quarterback and runningback in football. He went against – and beat – his older brothers records. But in baseball, Jackie was the best in power hitting and base stealing (Dingle, 12-13). At UCLA, he also led in baseball, basketball, football, and track, taking him to the UCLA Sports Hall of Fame in 1984. He then spent the fall of 1941 playing football with the Honolulu Bears, a semi-pro team. He also worked at a construction site on the weekdays and was paid one hundred dollars to play games on the weekends. His professional year was cut short when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. Jackie had always wanted to serve in the army, and now was his chance (Dingle, 15).
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