Henry Politz was off to a blistering start, the best in his three years as a starter at Jesuit. The senior led the nation’s top-ranked team in batting average (.526) and RBIs (13) through nine games. 

Soon after, Politz’s season — and high school career — were over.

The Florida High School Athletic Association canceled the seasons in all spring sports because of the coronavirus pandemic. 

Though his senior year was shortened, Politz still received plenty of notoriety. He was named the Florida Athletic Coaches Association’s Class 5A player of the year for District 13. 

Politz also could take solace in knowing he had a collegiate future in the sport. In November, Politz signed with Holy Cross. 

Months later, there was more bad news. 

Politz’s father lost his job as a doctor. The family did not qualify for financial aid. They could no longer afford the tuition at Holy Cross, which does not offer athletic scholarships in baseball.

“Holy Cross needed a decision, and we just couldn’t make it happen,” Politz said. “There were no other college options, so I knew I was retiring from baseball.”

The search started for Politz’s next chapter. He loved broadcasting. In the fall of last year, Politz called football games for the Jesuit Tiger News Network. 

He did acting skits. He even started his own YouTube Channel, where he produced two episodes so far for a show called “Six Feet, 60 Inches.”

Politz found his calling. He looked into journalism programs across the country. That research led him to Missouri, which was still accepting applications. Politz wanted to find out more, so he talked to Fox 13’s Kelly Ring, who graduated from Missouri’s renowned School of Journalism.

All the work paid off. Politz found the right fit. He was accepted not only to Missouri but also to the school’s journalism program. 

Better still, he qualified for an academic scholarship and will be paying the equivalent of in-state tuition. 

“When one door closes, there are a lot of other opportunities that open,” Politz said. “There are no regrets. No doubts. This where I was meant to be.”