Basketball Reflection Paper

The pressure was on as the timer beeped for all basketball players to come back on court after half-time. Richmond Spirit and my team, the James River Eagles, were tied 11-11. The crowd waited in anticipation; no one would have expected us to tie with the top team in the league. It was clear something was different about our team of merely eight. As I reflect upon that game, I had always thought it was our physical strength. Yet, as I write this, I have come to realize it was not our skills that lead to our previous wins and tying with Richmond Spirit. I believe our victories resulted from the strength of our minds and spirits, and within that one year we had truly embodied our team’s motto from the Bible, “But they mount up with wings as EAGLES…” (Isaiah 40:31) (Emphasis added).

Before I had joined the James River Eagles, I would have never thought of the Eagles having a winning streak after merely a season. At the time, I was a year in my homeschooling and had just moved to Richmond, Virginia. I had previous experience playing basketball in late elementary and early middle school, but I had

It was neither the opposing teams nor their basketball skills that had changed; they were as talented and fearsome to us as ever. Although our basketball skills drastically improved, it had not been to the extent where we should have surpassed the opposing teams on court and in score. Moreover, we were not perfect or as technically developed in the game as much as the other teams. What did change, however, was our force and power within. We had strengthened ourselves and our friendships to the point where our basketball games were not a battle of talent, but of will . No matter how tough or how large the team we played against was, we fought back with our determination and belief in ourselves and each other. Even long after we were aching and wheezing in each game, our collective wills never dwindled. It was truly mind over