College Admissions Essay: My Future NBA Player

One of the activities that I took part in that I feel has shaped me as a person, was basketball. I joined the Sea Point High basketball team in the tenth grade, in South Africa. Now basketball was not very popular in South African high schools, as such we lost our coach in my junior year. The choices that were given to the team was to either end the program or to continue without a coach. As team captain I rallied my teammates and we persevered through without a coach; we showed up for intensive training and competed against other schools. At the end of my senior year I was presented with the basketball player of the year; however I feel that award did not necessarily celebrate my skill in the sport, but it acknowledged the determination and

In the poem, “Ex – Basketball Player” by john Updike, (which is a narrative poem) illustrates the nature of life on how life is potentially is seen has a mirror to other people’s life, especially people who play sports. Life is the physical and mental experience of an individual. An in the poem the main character Flick, supply the poem with a good example of how life is potentially a mirror for other people. This poem is formally organized, even though it locks some qualities, it still haves the qualifications of a good poem. The “Ex Basket Player” is an interested poem because it has a good theme, tone and lots of figurative languages.

Basketball has been more than just a game in my life, it has always been a big part of my life, but it has been a part differently than what it is to others. I love everything about basketball. I have done everything from keeping the official book for a men's and women's collegiate team to washing a high school team's practice clothes and even making sure everyone has their uniforms and shoes before leaving for an away game. You don't have to be on the court, you don't have to be the one taking the winning shot or calling the play to be part of the team. I want you to think about this instead of feeling sorry for yourself because you didn't make the cut. I hope by the time you finish reading this you will realize

Basketball was my favorite sport growing up. I’ve played since I was little and I still play the game today. I played basketball at my elementary school, St. Cecilia, from Kindergarten till 8th Grade and also played AAU basketball for about 2 years before entering High School. Going into my freshmen year of High School, the first sport I played was basketball. Tryouts began in about the start of November and ended about 2 weeks after. I had made the Freshmen A team. I was excited and as the season progressed, we didn’t win many games but I still had fun playing. Nearing the end of the season, golf was another sport coming up that I also wanted to try and play. I say “try and play” because at the time, I was also going to play AAU basketball. I had set in my mind that I was going to play basketball for all of my four years of high school, but my parents pushed me to tryout for golf. When the basketball season ended, golf tryouts started. Tryouts lasted for about 2 weeks, and I made the JV team. When I found out I made the team, I was very surprised. I hadn’t put in the hard work as others before tryouts came around, but the coach saw potential in me and that I can become a great player. The coach saw so much potential in me, that every week, I kept progressing in skill and fine tuning my mechanics. Halfway through the season, about 4 or 5 weeks after I made the team, my coach gave me the chance to play with the Varsity Golf team for a couple days. I was excited and eager to

For most of my life, I was skilled in organized sports, especially soccer, which I had played for many years. After a successful soccer season my freshman year, I thought that I would make the JV team for sure. At tryouts, I went through the motions of each drill. I breezed through the conditioning tests, doing the bare minimum for each test. I didn’t try as hard as others, as I felt that I was more skillful than most of my peers.

Ever since Kevin Garnett, a teenager who by-passed college, was drafted as the fifth overall pick in the 1995 National Basketball Association (NBA) draft, more and more high school teenagers have been making the jump straight to the pros. Since the league draft of 1995, 17 first round picks have been high school players. This means that about 7 percent of first round draft picks in the NBA have been high school teens skipping out on their college education to make the jump to the NBA (Chylinski).

Basketball has always been an easy sport for me. I was the team captain and one of the carriers of the team. I was quite confident in myself and knew the consequences of not playing. But when I became a freshman in high school and could not play on the middle school team I had one option, to play on the varsity team. I was nervous because I had made friends on the middle school team but did not know the dynamic of the varsity team. When the first practice rolled around I was anxious.

I have gone through many experiences and journeys throughout my life. However, out of all of them, one stands out the most. That one journey that stands out the most is making the middle school basketball team. It was a two long journey that I will never forget. It all started seventh grade year at Sebring Middle School when I tried out for the basketball team. The whole month before tryouts, I conditioned and played basketball nonstop preparing for the week-long tryouts. Finally, the first day of tryouts came and everything went well. The second day of tryouts came, which is when they do the first cut, and I was lucky enough not to get cut. After the second day, the next two days were a breeze. Then Friday came, the last day of tryouts. At

Michael Lechler - Narrative Introduction I have accomplished many things throughout my career as an NBA player. Things that stretch from the smallest milestones, to the largest awards. As well as having these milestones ,such as scoring 30,000 points, being 7th on the all time scoring list, and racking up the hardwear, I have made choices that have changed my career as a player, and as a person. From leaving Cleveland and returning again, to being a three time NBA champion. As an NBA player, have reached many milestones, won many awards, and have made career changing decisions, and moves, in the process.

I am excited about my college experience that lies ahead. My hometown is small and I am anxious to spread my wings a bit as I did when I spent the summer in Europe. I am looking forward to becoming a part of the UW Whitewater community where I plan to be a cheerleader and be involved in the campus life. For the past four years, I have been a part of a competitive cheerleading team in Janesville, WI. I quickly learned that in order to succeed, our team had to get along, work together and trust each other.

The end of November was one of the most important days of my basketball career. I was trying out for the junior basketball team to represent this school, P.G.S.S. It was a really nervous experience for me but, I had known some people that were trying out, including one of my best friends. When the tryouts were over, I was the last one that wasn’t called up yet. In my head I was thinking,” I didn’t make it.” Then couch Troye and Jenni called me up and told me there is a spot on the team, and it is mine if I want it.

I spent the five years competing to acquire skills and experience. I trained five days a week for ten months leading up to the tryouts. I filmed my practices to analyze my techniques. Tryouts consisted of a morning skills session, the competition, an interview, and a written test. I felt like my morning skills and the written test did not go well; however, the interview and the competition went incredibly well. Unfortunately, when they announced the nominees for the national team, I was not chosen. My dream that I trained so long for had been crushed and there were no second chances. I kept thinking if I had trained harder, studied more, that there was more I could have done.

Short after I was cut from the basketball team, I had told myself there is always a better opportunity therefore giving up wasn’t an option. The next day after being cut I went out onto the basketball courts and shot around to improve my skills as to the feedback I got back from the coach. There would be days where I just wanted to give up because of how cold it was in the middle of winter. By the time I was done shooting around I wouldn’t be able to feel my fingers because of how numb they would be; there would not be a week where I did not have a cold. Going out onto the courts had helped

I decided I was going to keep practicing and practicing until I became good enough to win. After school I would practice dribbling, free throws, and 3 pointers.

When I was in the seventh grade, academics became more difficult, and the work load increased. However, as all of my friends did, I signed up to play middle school basketball. I was very excited to play for a new coach, who happened to be at the time Chris Wheelock. After the first week of practice, I was feeling very good about my chances to be a key contributor to a good team, as well as feeling comfortable with my coaches and teammates. Then, after one hard practice, I