Have you ever felt like you were born to do something? Or have you ever been doing something for so long that it has become your life? When I was born, I was given a stuffed basketball toy that I carried everywhere with me, and I slept with it in my crib at night. I had a Little Tike Easy Score Basketball Set, and once I was able to start roaming around, I shot hoops whenever I could with the new rubber basketball that came with the set. As I continued to mature, I would always be playing basketball either at the park, at my friends house, at my house, or at any of our family gatherings. My grandpa always told me, “Nothing can stop you, and you will one day be the basketball player you want to be.” I have always been playing basketball, and …show more content…
From the feel of the rubber basketball of the Little Tike Easy Score Basketball Set, to the real feel of the rubber and rough texture of a basketball, I have always had a basketball in my hands whenever I could. My friends Trent, Matthew, Garrett, Drew, Koltin, and I were a part of the basketball team ever since third grade, and we would always go against tall and lanky competitors. For example, we were in third grade competing against sixth graders those tall and lanky people. I have won many medals from the tournaments; in fact every tournament that we have been in, we have gotten medals. The cold and metallic feel of the medals is something that the team always relished in after a long and hard day of playing basketball. Matthew’s dad, Steve Slechta, and my dad, Jeff Sparks, helped pave the way to creating the basketball player I am today. My dad would always say, “Don’t let anyone stop you!” “Take it to the hoop!” “Don’t get down if you miss, just keep shooting!” Because I was playing basketball ever since I was born, and with the help of Steve Slechta and Jeff Sparks, I have continued to grow as a basketball player. I haven’t only grown as a basketball player, but into the person I want to be as
Another person that has influenced me is an entrepreneur and retired professional Hall of Fame basketball player Michael Jordan. Michael Jordan is not only a retired professional basketball player that went to the University of North Carolina but he also hosted a numerous of basketball camps to give children the opportunity to live out their dreams. Mr. Jordan stated. “If you 're trying to achieve, there will be roadblocks. I 've had them; everybody has had them. But obstacles don 't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don 't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it” (“Quotes by Michael Jordan”). Ten years ago I came across a rerun of a Michael Jordan press conference telling the world that he is retiring from the NBA because his father was murdered and he had no longer love the game of basketball. I had always found Mr. Jordan basketball skills to be remarkable and had been very interested and why people praise him highly. I found Michael Jordan and his documentaries to be very enlightening and I love to watch videos of him play basketball because I wanted to be like him. I notice that he loves playing basketball because his documentary mentions he hates losing. Not only did Michael Jordan seem passionate about basketball, but he also talked about more than just basketball and hoping to educate younger people that he has dealt with adversity to get to the NBA. When he said that he did not love basketball
Michael Jordan once said “I will not let anything get in the way of me and my competitive enthusiasm to win”. This have help people of all ages get through their burdens and do something they love instead of doing some negative. For many people basketball has become more than a game, it’s the way of life. The American game of basketball has traveled now, it’s played by more than 250 million people worldwide.
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
In my life, I had not had the chance to be a part of something that influenced me much, until I joined football my freshman year in high school. Joining football was perhaps the most devoted and wisest thing that I did because shortly after joining I began to see changes for the better, and from then I saw the person that I wanted to be in the future. In other words, it shaped the person that I am today and will be for the rest of my life. Not only did the sport influence me but it also equipped me with a new mindset that affects me today in my decision making skills, time management and many other beneficial life virtues. I believe that these virtues will bring me success in the nearest future because I feel confident about myself and I feel more in control in my life through my actions, all thanks to simply joining what seemed to be a “regular” extracurricular.
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.
“The odds of a high school basketball player making it to the “next level” to play college basketball (DI, II, or III) is slim. In fact, only 3.4% of high school players go on to play college basketball. Taking it even further, only 1.2% of college basketball players go on to get drafted in the NBA” (Winters, 2016). There are two types of players in the game. There are the kids who play basketball because they are athletic, and all they are seeking to gain is the recognition and awards. They want to be known. Those players are self-centered, they do not play for the team, and generally don’t play because they love the game. These are the types of players who don’t usually go on to play at the next level. On the other hand, there are the players that absolutely dedicate their life to the game of basketball just because they love the game. That is what coaches are looking for in a player, and that is the kind of player I am striving to be.
Attention Getter: “I wish I was a little bit taller, I wish I was a Baller, I wish I had a girl who looked good I would call her.” That timeless phrase coined by Ski-Lo in the early nineties, resonates with so many of us because all of those goals are things that people relate to being successful. And while I can’t help you with the first and the last respectively, becoming a “Basket-baller” is quite feasible, with a little hard work.
It happened watching it on television seeing all the great players such as Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon and Larry Bird. The most important influence would have had to been my mother who in her younger years played basketball for the Canadian junior national team. It was when she was playing at the gym I would tag along and just play around. Although I played both basketball and hockey until grade seven it just seemed I was better suited for basketball. With that rate that I had been growing at I was taller and with all the help that I received from my mom I had developed basketball wise much faster than many of the other children my age.
Ever since I was a little boy, about eight years old or so, I had an extreme passion for the sport of basketball. On weekends, I would wake up in the morning, eat a bowl of frosted flakes or cheerios, put on basketball shorts and then go in my driveway to shoot around. I would be out there for hours just shooting around or playing with some random kids that I would occasionally see walking around my neighborhood. This was satisfaction to me, but even better was playing on multiple public teams and not just playing in my driveway every day. In elementary school, I played in a recreational league, just like almost every other kid who tries out basketball when they were younger. This was fun and all but it was nothing too serious. There were never any practices, it was just one or two unorganized games per week. I never took
I had always heard playing basketball at a high school level was always the first step in order to become a professional. Though I only played once throughout high school I was still interested in how one could become a professional at basketball. For my senior project I chose to research about it and found out many interesting things I didn’t know about it. My knowledge for basketball grew even more.
A basketball represents my life. Basketball has been my life. That's all I have known since my first days of high school and it is and will continue to be the most important thing to me through college. Sometimes though when you've done something for so long, it's healthy to get away so you can find that spark again, that fire, that love as to why you started a passion for the sport in the first place, but I am just getting started. It has taken me places I thought I would never go, and I am hoping it continues to do so.
Basketball seems to get into your blood. It is said by those who play, "You eat, you sleep and you play basketball." When I was a little girl all I wanted to be was a professional basketball player. I couldn't count how many times I pounded that dumb ball in our driveway until it was too dark to see, then I would play for hours more by the porch light. Now I realize that was only childish insanity. Back then they didn’t even have a girls’ profession basketball league in the states. However, that didn't stop me from walking away empty handed. One thing I learned was how to prepare oneself for life. Well, at least, how to prepare oneself for a game.
Basketball is one of the interesting sports I have always wanted to engage myself; even as a little child. It was a dream come true when I started playing basketball in my high school.Moreover, I was very good in it, and I became the team leader. Of course, I enjoyed every bite of the time I spent playing basketball.
When I was four, I received my first Fisher Price basketball court. The court was in my house and the basket was only five feet tall. My parents placed it in the living room since it was the only room in the house without carpet. I practiced shooting every day. I would wear my father’s sneakers and imitate basketball moves that I had seen on T.V. At that age, I did not yet have any self-awareness about my potential for the sport, but my father knew it was very likely to become a passion. By the age of five, my father was taking me out to the park with a basketball and I can actually remember the day I made my first basket. After that, I went on to play in basketball leagues, as well as work out with my father in gyms every night. Those were the best of times.
When I was about seven years old my dad wanted me to go out for basketball so I tried out, he is one of the most athletic people I know. Well ever since he had me go out for basketball I have been doing sports then when I want to give up when I can’t make that perfect lay up or when I can’t make that perfect over hand serve he will sit there and help me do it till I get it done and done right. My dad also taught me how to play half my spor...