Basketball Identity

No other sport will mean so much to me as basketball will. Every time I step on the court, I lose myself and become a whole other person. When I hear my name yelled in the crowd, I get an adrenaline rush to my brain, causing me to swiftly move quicker and focus on the game. Deep down I know that I am not here to win the game, but to enjoy myself. Each basket I make are like my worries trapped into the ball, and then expelled when it goes into the basket. This game is where my mind gets lost in the sounds of the dribbles. When the game is over, I look back to my team and give them warming hugs knowing that the game is over, and we will not stop playing the sport because there is always time to get better. Although I frantically wash my jerseys the nights before games, and leave my stinky shoes in my car all season, I would not trade pulling a jersey over my head every Friday night, dancing to blaring music in the locker room, and lacing up my shoe for the world. It means a lot more to me knowing that it is more than just a game. While I know I am having fun with my best friends and some of the greatest mentors that I have, I know that I am learning true values of life, which will make me become a better

I have had many opportunities to create relationships and memories that I would otherwise have not have had. The game of basketball has shaped me into a well-rounded and more productive member of my community. Many hours of practice and studying have allowed me to become successful and earn many honorable awards and recognitions from my teachers, coaches, and administrators.

Learning the game of basketball has changed my life for the better. As a little girl, my father believed that I would be an incredible athlete. As soon as I could shoot a basketball, my dad took me to a park to develop my skills. Practicing constantly led me to fall in love with the sport. Basketball became more than just a game, it became a passion. Pursuing this passion has been rewarding, inspiring, and empowering.

Initially, basketball was an outlet for me. It was an activity in which I did not have to think about the daily complications in my life, even if it was just for a moment. However, as I grew older, it converted into more than a temporary respite. It became my route to a free college education. That was the objective I worked towards every practice, training session, and game. The best way to achieve this goal was through AAU basketball.

When I was younger, basketball was all I wanted to play, it just looked like so much fun. In fifth grade I had my parents sign me up for CYB, then in sixth grade I tried out for middle school basketball and played all the way up until ninth grade. In middle school when I was in eighth grade I was awarded the captain position and that helped me build leadership and responsibility. All of the players especially the younger ones knew they could always come to me at any time if they needed anything or help with anything. High school basketball was a lot different than middle school. In middle school I was one of the star players so I played a lot but in high school that changed. I sat the bench a lot that taught me patience and understanding even

My entire life, I have lived and breathed basketball. When I was only three days old, I was being passed around in the stands of a basketball game while my parents coached my older sister. In first grade, I was begging my parents to let me play. I couldn’t, however, because in my town kids don’t start playing basketball until the third grade. They let me join an Upward basketball league that was near my area, but Upward wasn’t competitive enough for me. So the next year, I went a couple towns over to join their city league so I could play. From then on, basketball was my passion.

Identity is a person’s conception and expression of their own. Identity can be shaped by culture, family, hobbies, childhood experiences and the place where you live. For me, as a teenager, basketball shapes my identity.

When I look back to as far as I can remember I don’t remember my class schedules, the friends I played tag with, or the best lunches at school, but what I do remember is playing basketball and the joy it brought me to play and win. Basketball is the thing that keeps me moving day to day. Without basketball I probably wouldn’t have opportunities to travel off island to experience college visits as well as challenging better teams around the country. Basketball is more than a sport, it teaches you life lessons and how to overcome things that

Basketball has always been something I loved ever since I was a little girl. I remember when I was younger, we had a basketball hoop in my driveway and my brothers and I would always go out and play one on one or horse. I also remember losing, a lot. Although it wasn’t about winning or losing for me, I just loved the game. In fourth grade, I started playing competitive basketball and loved the sport even more. Maybe it was scoring points or getting an assist, I’m not really sure the reason, I just knew I loved the game. As I got older my love for the game only grew; until high school hit.

Picking up the ball at 8 years old for the first time, I did not really have a love for basketball. However, when I saw how Kobe Bryant competed and played the sport,

Stephen Curry, point guard for the Golden State Warriors, said about basketball, “What I tell people is to be the best version of yourself in anything that you do. You don’t need to live someone else’s story. It doesn’t matter where you come from – what you have, or don’t have, what you lack, what you have too much of – but all you need to have is faith in God, an undying passion for what you do, or what you choose to do in this life, and a relentless drive and the will to do whatever it takes to be successful in whatever you put your mind to.” Growing up I have always played basketball. It is like a haven for me considering whatever I am feeling, whether it is angry, somber, excited, etc. I can always play and depend on basketball. It makes me feel exceptional.

Micheal Jordan is the reason why basketball is my favorite sport. Basketball is one of the biggest sports in America. Basketball is my favorite sport because it’s an outdoor sport or indoor sport. I like to play defense against a challenging opponent. Another reason is because it’s a fast paced sport and a very exciting sport.

“The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they can be great in whatever they want to do.” That quote from Kobe Bryant, a 5 time NBA champion, illustrates a huge part of this story. I want to impart to you somebody in my life who has affected me enormously, my role model, Kobe Bryant. My role model is a hard working human being, who thrives on being the best person he can be and the greatest basketball player ever to play the game. The reason behind my hard work and success is all due to him showing me how hard he has worked throughout the years and the success he has achieved on and off the court.

Well the NBA has had a big impact in my.Life considering that my dad almost went all the way into the NBA.He got cut by a NBA scouter in a gym workout.He went all american all through highschool and two years in college and at one point was getting paid to play at AAU games.All the guys in see in the NBA I think of them as role models and try to reshape my game just like them if gotten a lot better like when kyrie irving told the reporters that when he was in highschool he dribbled the ball with a plastic bag on it to take away the grip and get a natural feel for the ball.And that's why he such a good dribbler today because he worked hard to get to the spots he's at in the NBA.I've

Basketball is not just a sport, to me it is a lifestyle; there is something about shooting the orange sphere through the net and hearing that “swoosh” sound that can force any problem to instantly go away. Nothing can compare to the satisfaction that is felt when stepping onto the court or feeling the padded outer-layer of the ball clash with the tips of my fingers after bouncing up from the ground. The court is a second home to me. I have been playing basketball since I was eight years old. It seemed to come as second nature. Once I reached middle school, I competed for a spot on the seventh grade girls basketball team and earned myself a spot. Those girls meant everything to me. I can recall practices when we got off task and goofed around for a bit, but we always got back to work.