When I was in fifth grade, I only had two close friends. The only thing close to sports I did was karate, but I hated it because I didn’t have any friends doing it so karate was boring. However, I was good at it, so my parents encouraged me to continue. Over the summer between fifth and sixth grade, I would often go to my friend Beau’s house and play video games as well talk about life. Beau was a pretty good basketball player and one day he asked me to play against him. When I did, Beau shot three after three, each one with the same stereotypical swish sound. As I played, I realized that I was not that bad. Looking back, knowing this made me realize why I think basketball was so interesting to me: there was no correct way to play. Magic Johnson …show more content…
“Can I play basketball?” I asked uncertainly. The next week my dad signed me up for recreational basketball at the huntley park district. Even though everyone was put onto a team, there was still a tryout. What happened there was the most embarrassing moment of my life; I missed every single shot I took, except for one lay up, and I did so poorly on the ball handling drills that the coach said, “Hey Jim, how many points does he lose if he didn’t go through the cones at all.” My self esteem plummeted and disappointment filled my soul. Fortunately, my dad was there to give me the “Just keep on working hard” speech. I will never forget this one sentence he said: “If you tried your best and you didn’t do well, so what! That’s all they can ask for.” After tryouts, I was placed on team with my best friend at the time, Cal. We were the Huntley Park District Pirates. However, we did not strike gold . We only won three games the whole season, but at least it was a …show more content…
I do, however, remember eating a Hostess brand donut right before tryouts. I would not be caught again with an empty stomach at tryouts. As I followed Beau and Cal into the gym, the day started just like yesterday as if it were a video on replay. We were lined up and had our names read off. We did some ball handling drills. We were measured on how fast we were. Everything was the same as the first day except at the end, we were told to find a partner of supposed equal skill. I, eager to prove myself, chose Nathan Ary, the best in the grade. After we chose each other, Mr. Frederick in his husky voice belted, “What you wanna do is you’re gonna dribble to that line then to that line then back and forth until you get to half court. When you get to half court it’s a one on one,” The words one on one echoed in my head. How good could Nathan Ary be? The answer: he was very good. Nathan was quick like lightning and was very reminiscent of Larry Bird. His fundamentals were astounding. In our one on one, many would say that I got demolished and they would be right. I did not score one point and Nathan made every shot he took. Things could not have looked worse. The coaches probably thought I was garbage. Fortunately, I still had one last day to prove I had what it took to make the basketball
Joes High School’s total enrollment consisted of sixteen girls, and twenty boys. Ten of the boys that had enrolled there played basketball. All of the boys were over six feet tall. Lane Sullivan, the new coach of the basketball team, had never even touched a basketball before he started coaching. Sullivan had never coached anything at all before he started coaching the Joes basketball team. In order to gain knowledge about the sport, he got a book about it. He started coaching in 1927, but before the 1928 basketball season, Joes High School didn’t even have a gym. Instead, they’d practice outside on a dirt court, and two times a week they’d take a bus to the nearest gym, which was ten miles away. In order to play home games, the boys had to play in the local dance hall. The “court” was nowhere near regulation size, and the ceiling was so short that the boys couldn’t shoot an arched shot. The people who attended these basketball games had no place to sit and watch the game, the all stood around the edges of the court and on the small stage. Joes High School finally got their own gym around Christmas time because the people of Joes donated their time and material in order to make it happen.
Basketball is a chart-topping sport that is loved by many fans. It’s been a hit since 1891 when it began, starting in Springfield, Massachusetts. It grew rapidly in popularity and spread around the world. Many people found it comforting to play, such as Pat Conroy. Pat Conroy was an outstanding basketball player, who was committed in going far with his teammates. Although he seemed superb, he had a troubled life growing up at his family home. His parents were abusive and uncaring towards him, therefore he used basketball as an alternative. In My Losing Season, Pat was able to obliterate the thought of his abusive parents. His comfort was playing basketball with a team he will never fail to remember. The outcomes Pat acquired were admirable,
I needed to work 110% more than everyone else. The next day finally rolled around and two kids in my class named Jonathan and Travis were taking crap about me trying out, they just kept going on about how the team is already good and we don’t need anymore midfielders. I just ignored them and went on with my day. I also saw the coach in the hall after school, his name was coach Haven. He saw me with all my brand new lacrosse gear and didn’t say
First I would be only be accepted as a member of the baseball team if could prove my worth on the practice field and demonstrate my skills as a fielder and hitter. The first opportunity to prove that came at tryouts. Tryouts are the time to showcase everything you’ve got, from making the simple plays to laying out and making a diving catch in the outfield. When it was my turn to make that play I felt all eyes on me, silently judging me. Everyone was doing it, the coaches to determine rank among the hopeful newcomers and among the veterans, the veterans watching me, trying to see if I was a threat to their starting role, and even the other players trying out, hoping I would fail so I wouldn’t
To conclude, the poem “Ex-Basketball play,” is a poem that shows the reality of life. It reflects the nature of life in the real world and it helps people who have a dream and want to pursue their goals to go for it. The poem was formally organized and provides a number of figurative languages that helps to bring out tone of the poem.
Sports specialization among young people is when a child or teenager trains for and competes in only one sport. They work extremely hard year-round in order to become well-rounded in every aspect of the game. They make sacrifices and put their health in jeopardy in order to become the ultimate participant in their sport. One of the many young athletes who is only participating in and focusing on one sport is fifteen-year-old OJ Mayo from Cincinnati, Ohio. He is the young talented athlete who is predicted to be the next LeBron James in the National Basketball Association (NBA). This young athlete provides evidence of striving for perfection in this single sport when reviewing his daily schedule versus that of his siblings. He says, “The other kids go home and sleep. I come back to the gym” (Thompson, 2004). He is obviously putting forth a lot of effort in his sport to become successful at an early age.
“The odds of a high school basketball player making it to the “next level” to play college basketball (DI, II, or III) is slim. In fact, only 3.4% of high school players go on to play college basketball. Taking it even further, only 1.2% of college basketball players go on to get drafted in the NBA” (Winters, 2016). There are two types of players in the game. There are the kids who play basketball because they are athletic, and all they are seeking to gain is the recognition and awards. They want to be known. Those players are self-centered, they do not play for the team, and generally don’t play because they love the game. These are the types of players who don’t usually go on to play at the next level. On the other hand, there are the players that absolutely dedicate their life to the game of basketball just because they love the game. That is what coaches are looking for in a player, and that is the kind of player I am striving to be.
It was the most competitive three days of my life, basketball tryouts. This is the first time my friends and I were trying out for a school team, we were all hyped for basketball season. I entered the tryout excited and consequently energetic. Adrenaline was pulsing through all the players bodies, there were 6 foot tall 8th graders with years of experience competing against 6th graders who have never touched a basketball before for the same spots. I was in between, I was a 6th grader that had experience along with some skill. That was also my downfall, I went in overconfident and consequently cocky. I wasn’t planning on getting cut, I walked into the tryout overwrought, nothing could stop me from being on the team.
These skills that I thought were so useless were put to the test on a chilly Tuesday night in March. The evening started out normal enough, tennis practice and little bit of sparring in Tang So Doo class. That night the instrumental solo and ensemble contest was being held at HHS. Even though I am not a member of the band, I was asked to help out. I was involved in a saxophone quartet with Nolan Cmerek, Mandy Bever and Haley Benson. The four of us warmed up together and patiently waited for our time to come. Distracting us from the complete boredom we were experiencing, a few boys who had watched Louise and I spar in Tang So Doo, engaged in a dunking contest in the gym. The object of this game, as made by Gates and Tyler Shaklee, the "basketball stars", was to run, jump on a plyo box, and dunk the ball in the basketball hoop, suspended from the gym ceiling.
Joelle Greif Writing- 3 December 19, 2017 5 Fun Facts About… Introduction Paragraph... 1. Basketball is a very appealing sport Basketball is a sport that can be played in and outside, and is a year round sport. Many changes have happened to basketball in the past, how the game is played, delivered, and enjoyed by fans. Just when you watch one NBA game, you already have an idea of what basketball basically is because just by one game, so many things happen. Basketball is also very easy to teach vs football, when you have to teach all that confusing stuff such as interceptions, quarterbacks, touchdowns, and a linebacker.
An activity that has changed my life is playing the sport of basketball. To most people, basketball is nothing more than a fun past time. It has provided me with a much richer experience. This team sport has introduced me to kids from different racial backgrounds and economic circumstances. A few of my teammates have not had the stable home life I've been blessed with.
I don't know how I got here but let's take it back to 2015, I was 17 years old and I grew up in the southside of chicago and still loving the game of basketball. I played with my dad when he was he was with us, but sadly he was shot and killed when trying to stop an armed robber, he was always a good man and kept me out the streets as much as possible. I grew up watching lebron james play in the nba, after I heard his story of how he grew up in poverty and when his mom gave him up the the school football coach Frank Walker, and young lebron lived with Frank's family. I was a 11th grader at Lake View High School and have been there since 9th. I had played basketball when I was younger, my mom said it basketball comes naturally to me.
After school we had tryouts and I tried my best but skill wise I was behind. I couldn't make layups like everyone else. I couldn't shoot the best either. But my defense was actually good. I stayed in front of anyone who tried to dribble in front of me. No one broke my ankles I was always right there. But I just didn't feel as if I was good enough compared to the other competition in the gym. Everyone else seemed on another level when it came to scoring I kinda knew I wasn't gonna make it like I thought I was. So the next day I went looking for the list to see if I made the team…. I didn't. My heart dropped from the sight of not seeing my name on the list. I was so depressed thinking I was gonna be playing with all my friends. All my friends made the team and I was just left out of the group. I felt so bad knowing I failed to make the team. Everyday
As most know, T.D. Baker School holds an annual basketball tournament, better known as Big Dawg. Not to be a negative nancy but, Big Dawg took away from vital learning time. Not only did it take time away from students who sat and watched it but, basketball itself takes time away from anyone who plays it. In the video “Sports: How Much Is Too Much?” Andre Gregory say “It’s a very difficult thing, studying and going to practice at nine”.
“Life is like a basketball, it bounces up and down.” I love basketball. I feel affection for the taste of victory, when you win a game. However, I also find losing a worthwhile experience. I worship the feeling where you score a point. It’s slow motion at first, as you gaze at the shot you’ve made, wondering if it is going to manage. Then the taste of your salty sweat and the sound of your pounding heart are back in action. *Swoosh* the ball rapidly swirls into the hoop and falls through the net. It is so stunning, and so breath-taking. “Beautiful shot! BEAUTIFUL!” the coach would yell. Everyone would give a little cheer, and I would smile and look down. I am proud to make the shot, but not cocky about it. It’s for the team, teamwork… I would think in my head. Afterwards, I would be focusing on how to get my head completely into the game, that’s how addicting it is.