Personal Narrative : The Experience Of Playing 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.

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.

Basketball has been a huge part of my life since I was really small. I’ve loved the sport since I was introduced to it at the age of four. It has had the best outcome out of all the sports i’ve ever played. When I’m playing basketball i’m in a totally different world. I feel

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

My entire life, I have lived and breathed basketball. When I was only three days old, I was being passed around in the stands of a basketball game while my parents coached my older sister. In first grade, I was begging my parents to let me play. I couldn’t, however, because in my town kids don’t start playing basketball until the third grade. They let me join an Upward basketball league that was near my area, but Upward wasn’t competitive enough for me. So the next year, I went a couple towns over to join their city league so I could play. From then on, basketball was my passion.

A couple of my friends told me I was too passive, not taking enough shots and not being aggressive enough. It was as if my real life attributes translated into this sport. My shyness in class, reluctance to answer questions in fear of failure prevented me from trying to score in basketball? The connection was so real that I was worried I could never

Fifteen years were spent with nothing but rubber and concrete as I would practice in my front yard with a nine foot hoop. This never fully prepared me for the actual sport. I never focused on any other attributes to the sport of basketball except for shooting. Not to mention it was only with my right hand. I have wanted to play on a team since seventh grade, but injuries limited my ability to do so, including a broken leg and a sprained knee. Therefore, I had to wait until my freshman year to participate. By the time freshman year had came, I was still oblivious to everything I did not know.

Basketball has always affected my life ever since I was a kid. I could still remember when my father played basketball for his intercity team way before when I didn't even know what basketball was. Watching him as I grow up just made me want to be like him or to be better than him as every father's dream for their son to be. But I had to learn everything the hard way.

“ No athlete is truly tested until they've stared an injury in the face” [unknown author]. Ever since I could remember basketball has been my favorite sport. I remember signing up for basketball in fifth grade, not really sure if I even wanted to play. My mom walking in with me telling me that I would be good at basketball if I just tried. She also said if I didn't like it that I didn't have to play anymore as long as I made a good effort. After I signed my name on that paper there was no turning back. The first practice was the worse for me I had my friends which wasn't bad but, I didn't know how to do anything. All my friends had been playing basketball since second or third grade so basketball came easy to them. I thought about quitting right then and there but I told myself I gotta keep trying even if I'm not that good. Forward a few years later in middle school I had the basics of basketball down pack and that's when I fell in love with the sport. I got the position I always wanted to play point guard, the point guard is one of the most important players on the team. It's also one of the most difficult positions because you have to come up with a play on the spot. You have to read what

Basketball my 6th grade year was rough. It was my very first year ever playing sports. Since I went to a small elementary school everyone made the team and I was the only 6th grade student that joined I was so nervous the first practice my hands were shaking way faster than I could run. The rest of the girls were eighth graders that had a ball thrown at them the second the exited the womb; let me just tell you that season sucked.

I was just swinging my bat, over and over again, with no thoughts in my head. The methodical movement of my bat and the sound of the breeze it makes, was calming to me. My mind was blank as I was just going through my on deck routine. But like always, a few thoughts slipped in. You are going to strike out again, for the third time, my mind told me, You are going to let the whole team down, and lose the game. The championship game. I battled the little devil me on my left shoulder, who was feeding my brain these awful thoughts, by repeating an encouraging phrase. You got this Ashley, you got this Ashley. Feeling better about stepping up to the plate, I look up, only to feel my entire body fill with dread. The catcher was just standing up a little

I’ve always been the kid that liked basketball growing up. It amazed me how the people on television did all the different moves and shots so easily. Even though they made it seem easily, when I tried it I always failed. I realized these players put in countless hours in the gym and I put in none. One day I was watching television and Kobe Bryant had lost a game, and after the loss he went to the practice gym instead of showering. So that day I knew that I will never be as good as I want to be if I don’t put the work in.

The most spontaneous thing that I have done is just playing basketball. Basketball is spontaneous to me because I just wanted to start playing the game. Therefore, my 8th grade year I played basketball for my school team and I wasn't really feeling basketball. Summer of freshman year I played summer league for L.H.S and I felt a burst of energy for the sport. After, a couple of games one of my teammates wanted me to go to their house. Little did I know I was going to get extra practice for the sport.

I love basketball as much as I love sweets, and I love sweets. I was at camp early one day and we were playing basketball before camp started because me and my friends were bored. After a little more some of my friends came running into the gym loudly and I started to play with one of them 1vs1 in our enormous gym. Before we could even finish we had to go listen to the camp director talk excitedly to us about what we were going to do that day. We sat down in the middle of the gym listening to her talk. After, she told our counselor what our day's schedule was. He said that the first thing we had that day was choice. He asked us what we wanted and most of us said basketball so we played us vs the other group who had free choice. The people

As time went on at the I.C. I began to develop friends, a burning passion for basketball, and a love for my small school. Every Saturday from first grade to fourth grade I played basketball at our Saturday morning clinic, which happened to be coached by my Dad. Here I learned the fundamentals