Hey, I’m Shota! I’m on a mission to represent Team USA at the World Championships in Graz, Austria, but I need a little help to make it happen.

If you know me, then you probably know dodgeball isn’t just a game for me, it's turned into my life. If you don't know me, then it means a lot that you're reading this and want to get to know me a little better.

This isn't my first sport, but it is my favorite. I never thought I'd find something that would make me want to give up college baseball, but this community has shown me mad love...so here we are.

Thanks to dodgeball I found some of my best friends, my girlfriend, and honestly, y'all are family. This has been my obsession for the last year, and dodgeball people are the best people in the world.

For the last year, I've been traveling as much as I can afford to get to know this game, and try to be the best at it. But it hasn’t been easy. Since moving to Seattle, I’ve been hustling at two jobs to get by and afford to go to tournaments.

TBH, my mental health was suffering for a while there, and the grind has been holding me back from training as hard as I know I can. That’s why I'm hoping some of y'all can help me.

Your support won’t just help me get to Graz, it’ll help make me be the best athlete I can be. I want to show the world what the USA is capable of. We're not just making the podium this year, we're taking gold!

I hate asking for money, so I will make sure you don't regret supporting me. No matter how much you give, you better believe I'm going to make you proud. Thank you to everyone who has believed in me up until now, and everyone who is able to support me now.

Thank you for being a part of my team. Your support means everything to me. Let’s Goooooooo!!!