Personal Narrative: Why I Love 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

“Are you interested in this?” , my dad asks multiple times about multiple sports. I as a four year old just learning about sports, and watching them with my family decide that basketball is for me. So I go on to rec league… I learn how to dribble, pass, and shoot. Time passes and by middle school I can shoot left-handed layups, cross-over behind my back and in between my legs. High school is here.. and I become even more advanced not just with fundamentals, but mentally, and even more aggressively, and physical. I have a purpose, I love the game, and I want to play it as long as I can.

Believing that my knee was strong and that it had a great deal of muscle control, I did not think to continuously strengthen it. I relied on the strength my knee had, which inevitably, turned out to be a massive mistake. By tearing the ligament that held my knee together, I was not able to walk on my own for at least two months, I missed out on many events my junior year that kept me busy and made me happy. Some of the events I missed out on were playing in basketball games, doing color guard at football games, competing at state for marching band, and competing at show choir competitions. Tearing my ACL and Meniscus not only taught me to not rely on my morals, but it also taught me to not let this setback keep me down.

My love for baseball started a long time ago when I was still a little kid, I Must have been six or seven years old. I could not have been younger than this, although I can vividly remember the experience as if it was yesterday. It was actually the very first time that my dad volunteered to take me to a real baseball game, he must have seen my love for baseball due to the fact that I loved playing catch when I was a young boy. From this observation he must have seen a future baseball player. He was also a baseball player, so baseball was not actually new to the family. I had the thought that I might have been a basketball star, however i enjoyed baseball too much and was much to short to be much good at basketball.

Getting hurt while playing sports is no fun, especially if it happens to you twice in the same season or should I say year. Having to watch your teammates train and compete while you are sitting on the sidelines really stinks, in fact it sucks.

Boring. That is the first word that pops into someone's head when I ask them to describe this beautiful sport. They either say the sport is too boring, too complicated, or just lengthy to both watch and play. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, no doubt. But the sport of baseball is one that has always mesmerized my brain when I play/look at it. It is perhaps the best metaphor to describe life, and also the best metaphor to describe me.

Hearing the pop of my knee was the last sound I wanted to hear while kicking a soccer ball during tryouts junior year. I fell straight to the ground, and knew instantly something was terribly wrong. To this day, I recall how heartbroken I was when I heard the news that I tore my ACL, and I never thought it could happen to me. Just the thought of not playing sports that year was emotionally difficult because sports have always been a part of my life. I could not imagine a year without participating in athletics, however at the time I did not know it could have a positive impact on me.

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.

Secondly, basketball is great exercise. When I am in the gym playing a game I am physical, running up and down the floor, and having to play defense. Many times in the summer I play pickup games. Talking about a work out. It is a great way to build endurance. The 4th quarter,

Can you believe that an injury at such a young age almost ended what is now considered my passion? That is the life of basketball a game I didn’t even image playing when I was younger. The game of basketball has helped to change my life for many reasons while allowing me to learn other life lessons. At the age of two I had an injury that change the way I walk but hasn’t affected the things I could do. When I first played the game of basketball I was treated in a bad way and made fun because of the way I walk. This criticism allowed me to prove to others that I can be good if not better than others. Ever since I started playing basketball it has become something that I’ve look forward to

Basketball is my favorite sport because I grew up watching Micheal Jordan .Growing up in my community, everybody wanted to play basketball like Micheal Jordan. He was one of the greatest players of all time in the history of the National Basketball Association. Basketball is a major sport in my community mainly it’s the only thing that keep you away from trouble.

I went down in pain and the next day I went in for an MRI and anxiously awaited the results. When the day came, I waited nervously in the doctor’s office. He walked in and said, “I’m so sorry Marissa, but your ACL is torn.” This was devastating for me, but I refused to give up. I asked him if there was anything that I could do to keep from missing the season. He paused for a long time then finally said, “You can postpone surgery and play with a brace. However, the brace is very large.” I played the entire season last year wearing a massive brace, but I did not miss a game. After every game, my coach would shake her head and tell me, “I don’t know how you do it” I would laugh and tell her, “It was my only choice.” In the back of my mind before, during, and after every game was my surgery. Every time I fell I feared making my injury worse, but I had to take this risk because I had to play. I persevered through a very serious injury because I do not know how to give up. I played my heart out every game and earned All League with that ACL tear. I handle most situations in this way, persevering through difficulties and becoming stronger because of it. I sat in tears in Whittier Hospital on March 5, 2013 awaiting my

I thought about what my dad said, and what my mom said, and ultimately pick to be a point guard. This year sucked. I was the worst player out on the court and was a complete train wreck. I shot and air balled over and over. I remember distinctly having to shoot a free throw and not knowing where to stand and I air balled both of the shots, I mean totally missing the entire circumference of the rim, it was extremely mortifying. I was made fun of a lot that season and didn’t get much playing time. Usually most people at this point would just look for a new sport and pursue something that comes natural to them. Well I didn’t, I used what he said that night to launch me into the deepest and most endowed training I would ever experience. That following summer I would go to the park and practice every single day from twelve in the morning to ten at night. This seems a little over exaggerated but it's not, sunrise to sunset. I prefered to play by myself because I could practice whatever I wanted and that’s where I got most of my practice in. So needless to say I got really good that year. Eighth grade came and this was my chance to show everyone what I got. I tried out again and this year I was amazing, and would prove my dad

Starting my sophomore year I was anxious for the season to start and to experience the exhilarating energy of a packed gym. As I got ready for my first taste of varsity basketball the worst thing I could think of happened. I injured my ankle at practice, but because of my determination to get on the court

Have you ever been injured? Well, everyone gets injured at some point in time, whether it be a minor injury like a sprained ankle or a severe injury like a torn ACL. Some injuries may take you longer to recuperate from than others. Have you ever been injured while playing a sport? 3.5 million Children ages 14 and younger get hurt annually playing sports or participating in recreational activities. Even though you may get injured in a game you shouldn’t counting to play, it may cause even more damage. If you do have an injury while playing a sport you should rest for a little bit, but do not give up keep being persistent.