If you were to ask my friends what I love to do, my guess is that the majority of them would come up with this reply, "He loves to play sports". Sports are a big part of my life, and if I had to choose my favorite sport to play it would have to be basketball. I couldn't imagine going a week without being able to touch a basketball, and I thought I would never have to. But on one summer afternoon, that all changed when I broke my leg. It left me on crutches for two months, and not being able to play basketball all that summer. At first I thought it wouldn't be so bad, getting all the attention and sympathy from everyone. However, after one game I soon realized that I would do just about anything to get rid of those horrible crutches and get back on the court.
It was the start of summer 2002, and the Mid America Youth Basketball (MAYB) national tournament was taking place in Andover, Kansas. Along with the rest of the team, I was excited to play some basketball for the first time since the middle school basketball season was over. Our team, Carlon Oil, had been together and played every summer for the last four years. We were a really good team, with an overall record of 65-4 over those four years and were hoping to continue our legacy. Lonnie Lollar, our coach for the summer, was also the coach of our high school basketball team. I had a history of groin injuries, and every summer it seemed that I would have to sit out at least a game on the bench icing my groin. But this summer was different, and I along with everyone in the gym wouldn't have expected my summer to end with a injury such as a broken leg.
We arrived at the Andover High School main gym thirty minutes before the game and started to stretch.
Starting my freshman year at County High School, I played basketball and loved every minute of it. I wouldn’t be conceited enough to say I was good, but God did bless me with the talent to play. My life revolved around the sport of basketball; some would say I slept, ate, and breathed every part of it. I spent all my time training and practicing to make myself a more dedicated athlete. This dedication not only helped me as a player, but also molded me into the person I am today. It somehow helped to prepare me for what defeat I would face with back surgery in the future.
Basketball was born in 1891 in the United States, specifically at the University of YMCA, Springfield (Massachusetts), where they studied the career of Physical Education and taught practical courses in athletics, rugby, cycling and gymnastics. James Naismith, professor of Physical Education, wanted to create a team sport that could be practiced in the gym during the winter cold. After analyzing the sports that were practiced at that time, such as rugby, football, baseball, etc., he wrote eleven rules of a game, which today is known as Basketball. Naismith placed two baskets of peaches nailed to the ends of a track, 3'05 m above the ground. From here arose the name of basketball (basketball), English compound word that defines the goal of the
“Our deepest fear is not that were are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be?” This is one of my favorite quotes to which I associate with greatly. It derives from the book A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of "A Course in Miracles" by Marianne Williamson. Now because of hard work I have overcome adversity and almost reached the point in my life where I am content with myself.
As the trainers began to come towards me, I get up off the court stumbling and limping. All of a sudden I feel pain rushing up my leg with a pop, following that my knee slams back in place. Hobbling to the sideline trying to avoid showing the pain I was in. I take my seat thinking and remembering how my teammate Felicia was out for the entire season after her knee injury. I said to myself, I cannot, and will not be out for the rest of the season. After two-quarters go by, the game comes to an end. A feeling of nervousness ran through my body as I prepare to see the trainers. With whispering going on between the trainers and the look they were giving my coach I was not pleased. The trainers insisted that I see the doctor first thing the next morning. The next morning, as I listen to the doctor tell me my season looks like it will have to come to an end ; with tears rolling down my face I asked the doctor what can I do so I can still play. He began first to tell me I have to get some of the swelling to go down in order to start the healing process, but I really would suggest you hang this season up so you can get a full recovery said the
I didn’t care I still tried out. The cheers they had us do were easy the jumps were jumps I was doing in first grade. I made the team. I was happy even though deep down I was upset that I could be on the worst team in history. So as I started on the team, I soon realized that my idiot brother had no idea what he was talking about and it was a good team. I wanted to go back to my old coach so that I could learn how to do a back hand spring because everywhere I went I just couldn’t get myself to do it. Some coaches told me that it might be because I don’t trust them enough to do it. So I had a private class with her before her normal cheer practices. We were working on my round offs and cart wheels when she walked away to go answer her phone I went for my round off and didn’t land right and fell because it felt like my knee gave out. I got up and kept trying. When it was time for her teams to practice I was sitting on the floor in pain doing stretches with the girls thinking maybe if I just stretch it out itll feel better it didn’t I ignored it for a while till I went home and took my shoes off my foot swelled up like a balloon. I could barely walk
The one thing that an athlete doesn’t want to hear is that they cannot play their favorite sport because of an injury they recently got. This actually happened to me when I injured my knee while lifting high amount of weight. After my lifting class I was walking perfectly and prepared to get through the rest of the day. Only an hour later I couldn’t walk with my right leg and had to limp through the rest of the day. Two hours after I was limping and trying not to cry from the sharp, acute sting in my right knee.
With the rest of the basketball girls from the surrounding area, I began summer basketball camp. There was a basketball tournament where we played 4 games in one day. During the game an opponent stole the ball, so I chased her down the court. Once I reached her under their basket, I tripped over her foot, fell, and heard something snap. I was absolutely freaking out. The referees ran down to me. All I could say was “Something popped! Something popped!” I couldn’t bend my leg at the knee, it was scary. I was brought to the main lobby to walk it off. I couldn’t bend my leg for two weeks.
As my deadline got closer and closer, my decision started to become clearer. After weeks of thinking, I had finally decided what I wanted to do. Basketball. It was my outlet, my way to get noticed in society. It would help me in the long run and have a great impact on me and my families lives. Of course, it would take a lot of hard work and dedication, but I was willing to accept the challenge and start a new career.
There I am, starting my first varsity basketball game while only being fourteen and a freshman at Ballard High School in the suburbs of Louisville, Kentucky. The loud and rambunctious crowd driven by the rowdy student section yelling chants and jumping up resembled the same atmosphere as a Chiefs game at Arrowhead Stadium. As the other team comes up the court, I run up to to the ball handler to try and defend him. However, about three steps before I get to him, I heard a pop in my knee and fell to the ground in immense pain. As I grabbed my leg while squirming around, I was scared because I had no idea what had happened to me or what was going to happen. Fast forward a few months, I am laying on a table in a doctors office while facing the bright ceiling lights, I couldn’t keep still and desperately trying to ignore the dreary situation. I was trying to focus on staying warm in the oddly cold room, but the events from that one night kept running through my head— The pain, my overwhelming fear, and my mothers frantic face when i was being rushed to the hospital. The doctors told me I had torn my ACL and part of my meniscus. I can remember the innocence of my response to the news: “So
Basketball is where I found my first passion. Through it I have learned many life skills and how to become a true leader. I have learned to understand others and to use that understanding to lead with compassion. Throughout my early years of basketball I learned how to work with others and that you must discipline yourself to achieve success. Later on I learned that making mistakes is okay and that your body language speaks volumes.
Outside of ASB, the only sport I play is basketball. I am currently playing for the LOHS JV boys basketball team. Even though this is a vast commitment, I still manage to meet my responsibilities in ASB, school, and at home. I have the mentality of getting my work done before anything else. Of course, basketball comes last on my agenda. In order to manage all these commitments, I must be great at time management. First, I make sure that my most paramount work is done first, and that I focus on the task at hand. I must limit my distractions. There are times where I just lock my phone away, just so that I can get my work done as agile and efficient as possible. I make sure that I have time for ASB and basketball because I keep myself determined
I was thirteen years old bouncing a basketball in my front driveway. Playing for pure joy, never thinking twice that this sport could take me any further. Little did I know that what I thought to be the simple sport of basketball would soon change my life forever.
Early childhood I was involved in playing two sports which were basketball and football until the time came that I had to choose one. My initial decision was basketball until I was influenced to switch sports by my closest friends just when I thought I was committed in playing basketball. My parents were not very keen on me playing sports, but had tons of support from my friends and siblings. The high school I attended which was Alief Taylor high school had a very strong recruiting system which was because of the coaches we had and talented athletes. Teachers and coaches played a huge role on my future while I was in high school and it was up to me determine how my future was going to be. I was not a varsity football player until my senior year and were many time when I felt like I was going to quit, but my friends and coaches recognized that I had talent and continued to
Basketball a sport that is played throughout the whole world. When playing this sport all you need is a ball and basket. Though the basket does have to be a certain height kids play it in their classroom or outside. What I mean by this is that kids and even adults in the office treat a trash can as a basket and whatever their trash is as a ball. I got interested in this sport when I was in middle school in eighth grade moving on to high school. I was never interested in basketball until I played it with a group of kids who today are still my friends.
Basketball is a very complex sport that takes many years to fully grasp the Complete concept of. Basketball is for anyone who is willing to get a little physical, for you are running up and down the court with ten other players while playing defence and offence. There are just a few things you need to focus on when starting off. These include; dribbling, passing, shooting, and defence. You need to learn the rules and regulations in the game as well. Not only that, but, Always be in triple threat position, meaning you have your elbows are out and you are balanced. This assures that the ball is protected and you are in the position to either pass, shoot or dribble.