How Basketball Changed My Life

I have been playing basketball ever since I can remember. My family has always been very athletic. My siblings played basketball as well as my parents. My grandma told me a story about how I used to shoot a little basketball into a 10 foot hoop and I would make it. I play in the point guard position. I work very hard at what I do so that makes me advance in my skill for the sport. When I really started to realize I had a passion for it was in 6th grade. We had a lot of new people therefore our team didn't blend great. But even with my team being the way it was I still put everything that I had into it. Two things at the end of the season happened to me that made me realized that if I worked at it I could do great things. One parent on the

Basketball was a new experience to me a few years ago, but i never realized I was going to love it. When I was younger, I’ve always wanted to play the sport of basketball, and I got my opportunity to play when I was in fifth grade at Monte Vista Elementary.

From the age of three, my life was nothing but Hockey. With a father who was a hockey player and a brother 3 years older already playing hockey, it was clear which sport I was going to get into. Once I started walking, my parents put me on the ice to learn the game of hockey. I instantly fell in love and I have continued playing to this day. Once it came time to play high school hockey, it all got serious. I was a freshman on the varsity team with my brother, who was a senior at the time. This was nothing but an emotional year for me, it was my first year in high school and my last year to play on a team with my brother. Once my brother graduated, he decided to go onto Juniors hockey, which is what I would do once I graduated. By the time I graduated high school, my brother would exceed the age limit for juniors hockey, so

Athletics had not always been a flauntable aspect of my life as they are now. In grades 1-4, I was uncoordinated and far too lanky to produce and store any muscle. I often ponder about what changed in the fifth grade, for I became very agile and have exercised almost every day since the beginning of that year. I did not pick up the sport of swimming until the seventh grade and I cannot imagine myself not swimming, not only as a source of exercise but as a source of pure pleasure.

“Right guy, right time!” My dad blurts out, as I dig my left foot into the batter’s box. The count is now 2-2, a pitcher’s count, knowing that I need to be extremely cautious on the next pitch, because if I miss read the ball, I would let everyone down. By the time the pitcher starts his motion I couldn’t be more excited, but nervous at the same time. I’m able to quickly tell that the pitch was a fastball right down the pipe, I put everything I had into that swing, a rip the ball into deep right-center field. The ball takes one bounce and hits the fence. So I take off, like I was being chased by some lions in the African safari. I swing out wide, as my first base coach orders me to go two. As I approach second base I look to see where the ball

It was the ending of winter and the snow was vanishing. It kind of sucked because ski season was coming to an end. Although, that also meant that baseball season was right around the corner.

I have been lucky enough to not have many major conflicts or negative circumstances in my life. As I have gotten older, however, I have had to make changes in my life and make decisions based on what I want to do in the future. The biggest change in my life came recently, with what I hoped would be a sports career. I have played sports, it seems, all of my life. I played three at a time when I was very young.

Over the years of my life I have matured greatly, I have matured in many different ways. Unlike my little brother who has a lot of maturing to go, in my thirteen years I have outgrown many activities that used to be funny. I have mature mentally while deer hunting and in my school work. I have also matured morally in the sports that I play.

I enjoy playing the game of soccer. This "get away" allows myself to calm down and get caught up in the complex strategy of the simple task. On the pitch, I feel like a leader; as if people listen to me. I believe I can change the morality of my teammates with merely my body language. I enjoy the thrill of problem solving situations as if it is instinct. The freedom I feel playing the game gives me a break from my stressful life. To be able to forget about school and society for a few hours and practice soccer makes me who I am. With the opportunity I was given in this life it only seems just to give back. This game has changed me for the better and I feel it is truly something special to be able to share this game with children in a poor state.

In sports you often think about going pro, very few of us will in fact make it there.

Basketball has always played an important role in my life, however, one game in particular stands out above the rest. In this game we faced our rivals and the fifth ranked team in the state, Pleasure Ridge Park. No one believed we had a chance at beating this team. We have only beat them once in our school’s 25 year history. Before this game I really did not have the confidence in my abilities. But this game allowed me to believe in myself in knowing I could play among the best.

Almost all of the activities I have participated in have brought about unexpected challenges that have contributed to my character. My hobbies and activities have helped me learn about the world and the obstacles I will face in life. Football, Speech, and History have played major roles in school and my volunteer work.

It was the end of my fifth-grade year.We had a graduation and when I went up on stage I got an award for perfect attendance. The award looked like a dolphin with a paint that sparkles and is blue it also had my name at the bottom of the award saying “Perfect Attendance Karsten Widick”. After that award, I got an award for but everyone got one of these.I also got an award for being there for 6 years. My parents said that they were proud of me. I started off my 6th grade year scared of all the work we will have to do because my brother told me it was a lot harder than Elementary School and it was my first year riding the bus. When I got to school the teachers were telling us to go to the gym I didn’t know where it was so I just followed everyone

When I was ten years old I played football. Though when I seen my brother play baseball that changed my intrests. The only problem was that I couldn’t join right away. The reason so is because it was in the middle of football season. I would have to practice alot. And I did with my brother every day until it became baseball season.

Basketball changed my life. The qualities and lessons learned while on the court has helped me overcome many challenges throughout my life. Basketball has shown me that the best way to face adversity is to conquer it as a team. I’ve grasped the true definition of teamwork, and how important it is