Running into the gym with my team, knowing it was my last middle school basketball game, but first championship game I felt elated and truly blessed. My knees quivered with anticipation after seeing all the bleachers filled with people. After realizing even the press and other media was in attendance I grasped the moment like a newly elected president at his inauguration. I am warming up doing basketball drills, when I began to look at the flags on the gym wall depicting the history of the basketball team. The years and dates of the last championship game, Historically a championship game had not been won since 2007 . The more I stared at the flags, the more it made me want to win this game and make history in this gym. As the crowd and cheerleaders start to chant, cheer and get loud, I started to feel more comfortable and rowdy more than I had ever felt in any other game that I’ve played. Waiting for the referee to blow the whistle for jumpall to start. I felt my fingertips tapping the side of my leg, which for some reason gives me a sign to myself that I am pumped up and ready to play! As the referee blew the whistle, it was game time! My teammate were on her tip toes already in motion to jump, she jumped and smacked the ball before the other opponent could even get a chance to jump! The ball came my way and I dribbled the ball three times, crossed doubled between my legs two times, I lingered up, did the Lebron James basketball shake before I took my shot and put up
It all began on November 3, 2015 during my first middle school basketball tournament. The grey brick walls of the gymnasium looking more like a prison than a school. The school’s “Lincoln Park Elementary School” sign had graffiti and missed a couple letters from the name. The court was terribly small, but we began by playing the superb team of Jam on It. We were blown out and I headed back up to my mom and dad in the parent filled stands. The game wasn’t even fun to play and we looked like third graders playing them. I looked up to my parents as sad as could be.
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
There are many , many people that play basketball. Me, being one. Some of them may not be too skillled yet. And others may be very skilled like people in the NBA or the WMBA. Basketball is one of my favorite sports and I’m so happy I was able to learn it myself. I hope you get the chance to someday.
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
The crowd is cheering, the pressure, the weight of my team on my shoulders I take three dribbles and then I spring up and take a shot and. It was a December night on the day of the Oley Championship Basketball Game, against Oley. After the tip off, the game was in Oley’s hands. They played great defense, made a lot of their shots, but our team just played horribly and they were up by 16 points. At the end of the third the score was around 26-10 Oley, but in my head the game was not over yet because we still had 8 minutes to come back, and I always want to win. Nothing really happened in the first 4 minutes, but in the last 2 minutes I contributed with an assist and 5 points including a layup and a three.
That day still feels like it was yesterday, that day was one of the greats, we were playing the undefeated team for the championship. Boy wasn't I excited, the park gym was packed to me it felt as if I was playing at Staples Center. Before tipoff I had all these thoughts and doubts running through my mind cause everybody in that gym was rooting for the other team. This game was close as we both fought for the title, there were many lead changes in the game who knew who was gonna come out on top. Clutch time, fourth quarter ten seconds left, tied game, the crowd is going wild as it felt like the building was about to collapse. My coach calls a timeout as I run towards the huddle I glance at the score tie game with ten seconds left we have a chance to prove everyone wrong. This was it, this is what he feels, this is why we practice, I knew I had to make this shot. As we set up in our positions that our coach had scribbled on his clipboard, the referee hands in the ball and we begin to run the play, as i struggle to get open I knew the clock was ticking I had no time to waste as soon as I catch that ball. Finally
“Wake up……….. It’s game day” my dad says. “ It’s the day we've all been waiting for and it finally came, your sophomore year of high school and you're starting on varsity” my mom adds. I get up and go eat breakfast. My dad takes me up to the school to get ready for the big game today. State Championship basketball game, 13 seconds left in the 4th quarter, my team is down 73-70, we rebound the ball and they pass me the ball, rushing down the court as fast as we can to score before the clock runs out. I have the ball dribbling down the court as fast as I can. Sweat dripping hard like rain drops, my legs and arms are all bruised up, palms are sweaty, and I'm out of breath. I pass it to my teammate, Josh, and set a screen on his man, 9 seconds left. No one is open, so I roll back up to the top of the key and Josh passes the ball back to me. 7 seconds left, the guy that's guarding me is playing up close, so I hit a crossover on him to get past him. 5 seconds I move to the side 3 point line and hit a step-back move, the defender stumbles and the crowd goes ”oooooooooooooooooooo’’ 3 seconds left my heart is racing really fast, 2 seconds, I shoot the ball, 1 second, the ball goes around the rim, HORN BLOWS, it was so quiet and it felt like the world paused for a minute and it finally goes in and the crowd goes wild, the score is now 73-73. My teammates rush to me and pile on me. Everyone is happy and yelling, “ Tyler, Tyler, Tyler” We go to the bench listening to our coach talking
Being invited to the LSAM State basketball tournament was kind of a big deal. This was my first year playing on the 7-8th grade team at my middle school. Going into it we were heavy favorites to win, but that all changed after our first game. Standing on the side of the lane for a free throw, I could feel the cold sweat dripping down my face. My coach yelling “Andy get the rebound”, which actually meant to run a play after the shot. Down two points, I watch the ball bounce off the rim and I leap towards it. Grabbing the leathery ball, I hurl it to my teammate who is down the court. The play is executed perfectly. Our best shooters is spotted up on the three point line. He puts up the shot and the crowd goes silent. In slow motion, I watch
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.
It was finally my time to be picked and my head has felt as if it was spinning in circles and my legs felt of jello and I finally made the walk to booth. coach told me I made the team and the season had begun. Our first game was highly anticipated and the game was the talk of the school, I was ready and excited to finally play my first game. Once school was over we walked to the small primary school for our first game walking past kids and roads this would be a game to remember. The court was clean and you could hear the sqeaks of the shoes The team arrived there size intimidated my teamates.By the time the
Basketball is all I have ever known. I started playing when I was about 3 years old. At the time, I was living in a big house in the suburbs of Vallejo with a large backyard as well. My father had acquired and assembled one of the little Fisher Price baby basketball hoops in the backyard for me; it even came with a baby ball! For the duration of all of my summer, I was in the backyard, playing with the basketball, pretending I was as marvelous as a professional player like Michael Jordan. I spent so much time outside practicing, I’m surprised I didn’t get sick of it. Eventually, as time carried on, I outgrew the baby hoop. When I became of age, I started using the regular sized hoop my father had in the backyard. And I fell into the same routine
Have you ever look at someone and assumed they play a sport or they’re an athlete? Well that’s what 90% of people do when they look at me. Pretty judgmental and bold but there’s not much that I can really do about it because well... they aren’t wrong. I am an athlete, but I don’t just play a sport I live a lifestyle.
The coach blew the whistle. I took a deep breath. LSU vs UCLA. Game on. Our team, LSU, snatched the ball immediately and ran, while UCLA chased after
"Swish!" The pleasant sound the basketball hoop makes when you perfectly sink the ball. It was a skin-frying day in the small town of Campo. We could hear everyone else in the pool right next to the basketball courts but we would rather play some ball. "Pass it, pass it!" Aricia shouted to Jacob. Jacob ignored her and took it up to the hoop himself. "What the Heck!!" Aricia said, "Pass it sometime you ballhog." Everyone mumbled, "Ooooh" egging on the situation. This time Jacob passed it to her as fast as a bullet so she wouldn't catch it but she did and shot. "Hahahahaha" everyone laughed at her shot. Now Travez and I have the ball and we were ready to score this time. Travez passes it to me and I shoot but only to get the ball stuck in between
I laced up my shoes as tight as a business man's wallet. I stepped on the court the hardwood feeling like clouds under my feet. I was getting ready to make the jump not a doubt in my mind that I couldn't do it. And then I took off like a bullet coming out of a gun.