Basketball: My Story
My Basketball Story
When I was going to school, I was a basketball player. I played basketball in elementary school, middle school AND even in high school. But along the way, I ended up having the nickname "Sweeper" and I'll tell you why. I was the only one on the team who was willing to dive and slide on the floor to save the ball. Everyone else was always worried about getting dirty or getting floor burn.
My shorts would collect up dust as I slid across the floor to either save a ball or to get a pass. Originally, I wanted to be a forward, but the coach wouldn't let me because I wasn't "fast enough" they said, and I was too short, they said. I'm 4'5".
So, my position was a wing: left-wing, and I was a three-point shooter with an average of 19 out of 20.
I spent three summers in a row practicing 7 hours a day with my 3-point shots in my front driveway. I ran and ran and ran to build my stamina. I got better and better every day, at least in my opinion! My stats were better, I was slimmer, faster, more accurate. I was more everything.
However, every basketball season, I failed to make the varsity team. Evidently, there were better people. But, the most important thing was... I never gave up.
Lesson 1 Learned
There will always be someone better than you.
Most people would have probably given up on the second failing season. But because I already had the name "Sweeper", I wanted to live up to my name. I was the only one on my team who was willing to take a dive to save a ball from going out of bounds. I took risks. But, at the same time, I also knew how to put out my hand and help someone up, too, when they fell.
Lesson 2 Learned
To succeed, we need to know HOW to take risks and WHEN!
Anyway…
Never Give Up
Just because one or two seasons of non varsity basketball pass by doesn't mean you have to quit. If you keep playing and show your positive efforts, you'll be successful sometime or another down the road. It may not be on YOUR time schedule. It could be 4 seasons later! Who knows! But if you keep a good attitute and keep smiling, things will work out as were meant to be.
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Be Hively and Lively → Have a nice day~!
Wow! You were basket ball player! Impressive! You must have lots of patience and stamina. I would have given up and go fur a swim in the sea to drown my disappointment! LoL
Yeah, I probably would have done the same thing (drown my disappointments in the sea) if I had been living on a peninsula, or tropical island like you!
I was growing up in Oregon at the time! 👇🏼
Wow! Nice green surrounding of your good old days!! My two friends are in Oregon but their email didn’t work any more! Lost contact at the moment! They also have cats and dogs in their family.
Awesome advice! I'm bad at games involving balls. I'm either into sprinting or martial arts if I really had to participate in sports.
Sprinting and martial arts combined...hmmm, sounds like you could be a well-performing ninja with nun-chucks? haha~ 🥋+ 🤺 = 🦸🏻♀️ That's far better anyway!
Hahaha... let me reiterate. If I really had to... = I hated sports but forced to do it because all resources go into supporting male siblings + Salary too negligible without a degree. It's best to go all out for something one truly loves like yourself.