How High School Sports Changed My Life

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Raised in a small town of 750 people, where high school sports meant everything, sport has played a tremendous role in my life. Basketballs and footballs replaced stuffed animals in cribs, and dribbling a basketball came before learning to ride a bike. I started playing basketball in the second grade, and I hated it. We always played in the division above us and we hardly ever won a game, but after watching Coach Summitt and the Tennessee Lady Volunteers win back to back National Championships, the same years my high school girls basketball team won back to back State Championships, I fell in love with the game. In fact, sport is what led me to the University of Tennessee; I admired Pat Summitt, not only because of the number of wins and National Championships, but also because of …show more content…

Working for the Lady Vols is a dream come true. Basketball has taught me life lessons, created numerous memories, and granted me lifetime friendships. However, my sophomore year of high school, in our last tournament of the year I suffered my first concussion. I look back at the moment and the recovery time and it was awful. I missed weeks of school, was unable to participate in any physical activity, had to wear sunglasses everywhere, and took ibuprofen like it was candy. My senior year of high school I suffered another concussion the first week of practice, and then another a week after I had been cleared to play again. My concussions now make it difficult for me to take tests, to be outside when it’s sunny, affect my memory, and I still suffer from severe headaches, but refuse to take ibuprofen or Tylenol for the headaches. I made the conscious decision to continue to playing

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