How Basketball Shaped Me

Since I was third grade I was a kid that really hyperactive and enjoyed life. And one day my

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.

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.

I gave 100% of my time and hard work to my team, coach, and community. It was a hobby I love and continue too. No matter if it was basketball or softball, I had support behind me through teammates, coach, friends, family, school system, and community. I gained strengths in teamwork, communication, and life lessons. A life lesson could include the dedication I had toward a goal. I knew if I showed character, leadership, and skill of the game then I could have more potential of growing as a person and athlete for my future.

All my life, I have participated in sports. I ran track and cross country, and played volleyball, basketball, and softball. After all those years in multiple sports, I acquired endless amounts of participation trophies, medals and ribbons. These awards were given to me in hopes that I would continue to engage myself in the sport or to feel like my contributions to the team mattered. The adults might have even hoped I would fall in love with the sport. Unfortunately, that was not the case. I ended up quitting all of those sports excluding softball going into high school. I was not even that bad of a player. I actually was on the A team for a majority of the teams.

Sports taught me the qualities that help reflect in the classroom, in my team, and in the community. These resulted in my success throughout the academic year, in my team, and also in the community as well. I have accomplished a lot and plan to do more in the

My most significant basketball experience came when my team qualified for and traveled to the “Zero Gravity Nationals” in Boston. This was a great experience for myself and my teammates because we got to play against the best competition on the east coast. We had to work hard and develop together

I began to play organized basketball in 5th grade and have continued all the way through my senior year. Throughout my career I have grown tremendously each year, earning several improvement awards along the way. I had always struggled to assume my role on the team, but throughout my senior high career I learned how I best contributed to my team, earning several hustle awards and assist awards. I have learned through athletics how to be team player, and understand that not every player has the same role, which is also related to everyday life and life in the

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

Orhan Pamuk once stated, “A man’s sentimental attachment to objects is one of life’s greatest consolations.” Orhan is stating that through life the greatest way a man finds comfort is from an object that has a special meaning to them. Many people look towards specific objects based off their emotions, whether it’s for comfort or a sense of protection. Individuals use certain objects to depend on the reassurance they hope for. Therefore, from my own point of view, I agree with Orhan and have experienced comfort endlessly through basketball. Basketball has become my main consolation considering it helped me learn to overcome my fears, allowed me to obtain the qualities of perseverance, leadership and commitment, and makes up who I am today.

“Come on guys,” I yelled. I heard the screech of the referee’s whistle. Rushing to the bench, I heard the referee call out “Timeout, Heat.” Everything was on the line and our team’s championship hopes, being foremost on our team’s minds, was all coach could scream about. “I’m not going to tell you how to play basketball,” he yelled out. “That’s your job. I’m just going to say that right now, to us, this is a championship game. If we win this, we move on to the championship. If not, at least let us fall valiantly.” That got the whole team riled up as we rushed back onto the court. The crowd, encouraging as always, yelled out their approval on the fact that we were giving it our all. With just sixteen seconds left in the game and our team down by four, something special had to happen or we were done for the season.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to score the winning touchdown, the walkoff home run, the game winning goal, or even the basket that won you the game? I haven’t done all of these, but I have had the privilege to do a couple of them. The things that have helped me with my athletic ability has been the teammates and coaches, the work ethic that I have and my family. Having the athletic ability that I have today, is shaping who I will be in the future.

Playing the game of basketball has had its rewards. Having developed my skills, I was voted team captain six years in a row. As captain, I was able to lead my teams to the championships every year. Winning four out of those six championships, we were able to bring home a trophy every time. I remember the exact feeling I felt after winning my first high school championship. It was an indescribable feeling of awe. I ended up playing the entire game, and no exhaustion could ruin the happiness I felt that night. These achievements were very rewarding, not only at the time but also in the

Being involved in high school athletics has had a huge impact on my life. It has not only taught me the meaning of hard work and persistence but giving me the opportunity to build confidence on and off the court. When i was younger i would tend to keep to myself, always sitting through class hoping to never be called on because if I were to be called on, there would always be a chance to do or say something wrong. It wasn't until later, when I came to the conclusion that I feared failure, and at that time I would rather stay quiet and give in to that fear rather than face it. It was ultimately through sports that I came to the conclusion that you can't always do everything perfectly, and in the end all I could do was take the little control

I attended all training sessions and spent a great amount of time playing basketball since the thrill of winning games, of becoming better pushes me forward. I believed my efforts are worthy, since I had the advantage over other players in speed and keen awareness, and I trained harder than others every day. Basketball was the only thing on my mind. Then the time came to assemble the official school team to participate in formal basketball games. I thought for all my efforts