I remember my junior year of basketball as if it were yesterday. First off, my coach, Mr. Neal pushed me to my limits in order for me to reach my full high school potential. This strenuous effort was to make me into the leader of the team. Mr. Neal was about 5’6, African American, and very easy to relate too. He had much respect around campus, and his presence allowed others to notice that he was willing to put in the effort to achieve his goals set in place. With it being his first year as the head coach of the basketball program, he had lots of pressures on him, especially with our last season being successful in winning the championship. Another struggle he faced, was the team was made up mostly of juniors and only 3 seniors, which means
Entering my final season of AAU basketball I knew I had set myself up for a roller coaster of emotions, whether it was from the night of my first practice, the weekend of my first tournament, or my first time on the road with my new team. This was because a lot was on the line this season, and I strived to make this season my best, and most enjoyable. This is mostly because this was the final year getting the opportunity to put on my red and black jersey every tournament. It was my last season traveling around the country with my teammates every weekend with one goal, to win, and it was my last season to improve my skills all around, in an attempt to further my basketball career into college. During the first few practices I was nervous for how the season would go because I noticed my coach was a lot harder on me than he was to my teammates and I did not know how to take that at first.I was not used to to his coaching style of being loud, in your face, and tough, or his emphasis on "perfection" because on my past teams I was used to being the best person on the team, and my coach rarely had negative criticism for me, so I took his intense coaching style terribly.
Basketball is a big part of my life, one year ago in tournament final game two of our best players were hurt and the team was relying on me. With the time winding down on the clock we were down 8 points. Somehow I got our deficit down to two points with 30 seconds left, after an intense defensive stop 10 seconds remained on the clock; our coach called a timeout. A play was drawn up for me to take the shot. Mitchell inbounded the ball to me as I came off of a screen, I had an some-what wide open shot, I took the shot, you could hear the crowd go silent as the ball left my hand and headed towards the basketball. It felt like everything was going slow motion, the ball was getting closer and closer to the hoop and I…….missed it. The buzzer sounded
It 's the day before my last high school varsity basketball game as a senior… Wow four years went by this fast who would have imagined this day would have came. All day I was thinking about the season ending. This game meant everything to me, it wasn 't any ordinary game. It 's a section game! Win or go home.. With it being my last high school game I wanted to close the chapter knowing I gave it my all. Practice was probably the most intense it 's ever been for me. Emotions were flaring and we were all on the grind.
One December morning, right before Christmas break, I was talking with a friend when our football coach came over to talk to us. I really respected and admired my coach and we always got along very well. My coach told us he was leaving Melbourne Central High School to go work in California. I had no idea what to say. I was in utter disbelief I was barely able to mutter a simple "Good Luck". One of my goals for the upcoming year was to have a good football season, just for my coach, because I really felt he deserved it. Most days I would have lunch with the coach where we would talk not only about football but also life and current events. When he left, I lost not only a coach but a friend and mentor. I knew I would always miss him. I did not believe that his departure, however, would threaten my football career or my love of playing. I was wrong.
Our coach was truly incredible in his flexibility and knowing where to put certain players. He even changed our offense to adjust with our play style. Our team was a 3 point shooting team and he ran some plays in order for us to get good looks. We ended up winning a tournament in the spring season. I constantly wonder every day whether if our AAU coach was my high school coach whether we would 've won the state playoffs. This goes along with the banking theory because my high school coach would tell us that there is one way to play the game, and if we didn 't play it the way he wanted us to, then we would be scolded and get benched. This turned me into a robot in a way where I would be doing things a set way otherwise I wouldn 't be able to even have a chance. While my coach taught me many lessons about life, I believed that he was a better person coach then a basketball coach. He did incorporate life lessons into the game and him and our team were very close and did a lot of things
Coach came to me after practice was finished and told me I did well. I played hard, and showed my talent. He said that Luol Deng wanted to talk to me after I got changed. Luol Deng! I knew he was the one who organized the camp, but I didn’t know he’d be here. I hadn’t watched too much basketball growing up in Juba, I was more interested in soccer, like most kids. However, when I was given a chance to come to basketball camp I scooped up the opportunity. It’d be fun! My friends had always told me I should play basketball, I was tall, and strong, and even if I didn’t have the best skills I could always bully my way through my opponents when we were playing. So when one of the greatest African basketball players wanted to chat with me I was a little surprised. I changed
Sadly, my family was going through financial struggles, forcing me out of the school zone I was destined to attend. When I discussed the situation wih the high school coaches they told me they would pick me up from my new house and take me to school every day; with the condition that I’d play football for them all throughout high school. Even though this was illegal I continued to go ahead and accept the offer. My first year of high school was so exciting that it went by in the blink of an eye. Sophomore year came and the clock ticked closer and closer to when everything would change. I started in varsity as a corner back but soon would have big shoes to fill as the team’s quarterback. Not only did this require skill and hard work but the ability and qualities of a leader as well. Ultimately, playing this position helped me acquire traits that would soon be necessary for success. That year was tough for us because the majority of the team consisted of inexperienced players, however the coaches knew I would be the one to lead the
...h school I wasn’t a great player. Re-involvement came fairly quick for me because a short year later, this year as a matter of fact, I was asked to be a coach for a local high school team. I was honored by the offer and of coarse I took the opportunity. The fact that my father was the head coach probably had something to do with it, but I was just ecstatic to be back on the football field again, even though I wasn’t the one playing. With this coaching position I’ve experienced a lot of new relationships. From meeting a whole new group of players to other coaches it’s been a learning experience and I’ve already built new friendships that I know will last a long time. But the most important relationship I believe I have built because of this experience is a better relationship with my father. In the past we have had our differences but because of football we’ve been closer than I think we’ve ever been before. Football has proven to me to be worth while. It has taught me dedication, determination, teamwork among others. Football has given me an identity of being a part of team and friendships I will have for a lifetime, especially with the person that means the most to me… my father.
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
For the majority of my life, I always looked at the negative side of situations, constantly thinking I was inadequate and instilling self doubt in my mind. Questions like, “Am I good enough?” always came to my head. The thought of trying something new scared me because it meant leaving the safe comfort of my dull highschool life. Having a cynical outlook made me feel self-conscious, thus restricting me from trying new things. However, I forced myself to pursue an extracurricular, basketball Basketball had taught me many life lessons, like the importance of being prepared or how to work hard.
I was all about basketball my whole life. I started rec. center ball when I was about five years old and never slowed down, playing school and travel basketball year round , I thought basketball would never end for me. When I reached high school I realized my hometown was football, basketball, and baseball central.
After working hard the summer going into my Junior year, I felt as though we were finally going to change that reputation, and finally have a good season. It wasn’t until after our first game I realized how wrong I was, I had gotten better, but so had the competition. At first losing game after game after game took away my motivation to improve, I felt down and wanted to just give up. This type of
All I remember is the buzzer ringing, and the crowd cheering. We were just about to win our basketball game. It was the championship game. All I had to do was make that 3, and we would take the win. I was standing on the line, about to shoot. There were 2.4 seconds left until the end of the game. Suddenly, the ball left my hands, soaring through the air. Then everything blacked out. I couldn’t see a thing. I slightly remember falling and hearing a thud, but nothing else.
It has always been said that teenagers are defiant. Like some genetic flaw in the system from the years 12 to 19. Our reasoning skills and common sense go out the window. We make stupid choices and poor decisions. We hate being told what we can not, should not, do. I was no different when my doctor told me that I would never play sports again. My entire life I have been an athlete and sports have always dominated my life. I have always expected to play sports in college because that has always been my final goal. I am currently a two sport varsity athlete in lacrosse and softball and in a matter of about thirty seconds my world was turned upside down.
Have you ever experienced the joy and sense of accomplishment from winning a tournament? In the year 2006, I turned fourteen years old and I joined the basketball team. I worked really hard in basketball; I still remember the sweat coming from my body, the warmth of my sweat, and the enjoyment of practicing basketball. One month later I was named captain because I was the one that worked the hardest. As a captain I wanted to win the basketball tournament by myself. The first match was on Monday. My teammates and I went to a basketball court where my tournament was held. When I entered, I saw approximately 20 basketball courts inside. When I saw the basketball courts, I felt the game was waiting for me to win. By playing in this tournament I realized that I cannot do everything by myself and I