Personal Narrative : Basketball

“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.

The day was October 8th, 2014. I hardly played. One school day, my 5th teacher, Ms. Smit said, “flyers for the basketball team on the table” ordinarily I took one. Kids from 4th, 5th, and 6th grade came to try out for the team. After tryouts, a paper next to the nurse's office was hung up. The paper sheet named those who had made the team. Surprisingly, I made the team, most likely from my height. I felt like I shouldn’t have made the team. At the time, I barely started to play basketball. I went to the practices at school and tried to make myself a little bit better, since a tournament was about to begin in a few weeks.

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

I fell in love with basketball 7 years ago. What began as a few trial trainings gradually grew into a deep passion for the sport. I realized that I had the flair for it as doing moves like layups came to me very naturally. All I had to do was to observe my coach do an example once, practice the move a few times, and I got it.

“The school track coach talked to me today. He wants me to join the team.” I grabbed a broom and started sweeping up the glass. She smiled.

“Okay, fine. I will sign you up for tryouts, but you have to pay half of the cost to be on the team. And if you don’t like baseball and playing on a team, just remember that I warned you.”

I tried to play basketball, and i was really bad at playing because i had played softball all of my life i have never played anything else other than softball. My Dad tried to help me practise basketball but he didn’t know how to play either because he only played baseball. I was not any good at it, and i hated it because it was so hard to play and every time my coach would yell at me i didn’t know why because he never explained to me what i was doing wrong. I did want to give up because i hated it and i could not play at all and our team never won a game. I will try knew things out in the future and i hope that i will succeed in what i want to do because i am a person who sets their mind to things and gets them done even if it takes me my

This summer, I didn’t go to any summer basketball because I thought I wasn’t going to play. When it got closer to the season with the help of my boyfriend, I decided that I would try it out this year. After all, it was my senior year and this would be the last time I would play on an official team. So I started the season,

They all waited for an answer and I was reluctant to give them one. They wouldn’t like my response. “I don’t think I’m good enough.” I answered honestly. “You shouldn’t think like that.” It was Noah, this time. I was surprised by his input. So were my parents because they encouraged him to go on. Noah was never one to give me advice or motivating words. So I understood how awkward he felt to continue, but knew that if he wanted to get off the dinner table he would have to go on. “I mean, I’ve seen you play before and you’re really actually pretty great.” He continued, his voice shaking. I looked down to play with the leftovers on my plate. I wasn’t used to hearing him talk about me with so much emotion in his voice. We barely say anything nice to each other. So hearing what he had to say made the awkward tension like a thick glass in the air just waiting to fall. The more he talked, the heavier that glass got. “I think you should try out for the team. They’ll be lucky to have someone as passionate about the sport as you are.” He finished, trying to smile and make it less

It was early October in my 5th grade year when Mr. Uptmor came to my school. Mr. Uptmor was a teacher at Oak Grove West and he was the girl’s basketball coach. He came to Oak Grove East to talk to us about trying out for the team. I had been playing since I was little, so immediately I knew I wanted to tryout. He told us all about times, dates, and skills he thought it would be beneficial for us to have. I took a flyer and after school showed it to my mom. She told me that only practicing would help me make the team and that I should talk to my sister and ask her to help me. My sister and I practiced everyday after school up until the point of the tryout.

“Yea,but I think I would just need to go outside and shoot on our goal more.” “After all I haven 't actually played on a basketball team before,”I said.

“Hey Michelle I will knock off tomorrows detention if you make a three pointer.” He yelled loudly.

“No thanks mom said I could invite the family next door to our cookout and she is waiting to hear if they are coming.” I bend down and pick up the next ball,

It was the first day of tryouts in ninth grade and I was nervous out of my mind. I walked in the freshly lit gymnasium, with maroon bleachers and the roaring black panther mascot in the dead center of the court. The first game of tryouts and I stepped onto the court knowing that I should display my talent for scoring, passing, and defending. I made sure that talked on defense “Down Low, Cutter, I got two, One D, Baby J” and I made sure I said it enough where the coach heard me from the sidelines.

"Yeah, right!" said Coach half laughing. "Let's just continue to shoot around until the clock is running, OK girls." So I grabbed a ball out of the steel cage in the corner of the gym and started to fling it towards the hoop. "Jaclyn, would you come here for a minute?" asked Coach Moore in a serious tone.