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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, …show more content…
He explains all his difficulties through his senior year in Cidal college, in South Carolina. His abusive parents, his teammates, his coach all which lead him to become a powerful person. His memoir about his basketball career and the affects he had amongst people caused him to have a magnificent book revealing the insides he had with his teammates. Don Conroy, his abusive father, wasn’t there to keep him going but only held him back from going too far. His coach and his father were people who brought him down into believing there is no good in the world. He had a rough time growing up , but he knew he had to keep proving them all wrong. Fighting through his troubles in life, Pat only did not become a great basketball player but a great writer. This memoir, remembering all the extravagant memories he had in college with his friends, yet he did have hard times but pushed through it. Not complaining he didn’t just push himself, but he also pushed his teammates into becoming something greater. In the end, he will forever remember all his fights and great memories he had with his special teammates at Cidal college, it led him into becoming a great leader at the end of
It is evident that the author Covington has a strong ethos, which he uses to convey his argument to his readers. His argument becomes clear only at the end of the memoir, which is intentional; readers had to see the entirety of his journey in order to fully understand his underlying message. The author successfully conveys the message of self-purpose through his own struggles and experiences written in his memoir.
Desire. Pat was a man who wanted. Wanted to live on the edge, craved a challenge, needed to be busy. When told in High School that he was too small to play baseball, he chose not to join the chess team, but lift weights and play football instead. Headstrong and filled with hubris, he would decide his course and stick with it. While meeting with the head coach of ASU’s football team he announced to his superior, “Coach, you can play me or not play me, but I’m only going to be here four years. And then I’ve got things to do with my life (Page 71-72).” Running his own show, he refused to let the world get in his way.
Sports play a large part of an athletic student’s life, weighing heavily on one’s identity. In his essay, “Cut”, Bob Greene relays how he and several others are cut from their middle school sports team because “[they weren’t] good enough” (Greene 58). Because of this cut, Greene and his peers end up pushing harder than ever in other areas of their life. He notes, “an inordinately large proportion of successful men share… the memory
David Robinson watches the final seconds tick off the clock of the 2003 NBA finals. It was his second championship, and his last as he retired the following summer. He had a stellar career, putting up huge numbers and making a few appearances in the Olympics. Even through all of the fame he received from being a star basketball player, he remained humble, donating millions of dollars to charity. His arsenal of different dunks and post moves were definitely missed on the basketball court, but nowhere near as much as his leadership ability. After all, it wasn’t jump shot that he taught to all of his teammates, nor was it his crossover that he shared with his wife, and it certainly was not the proper rebounding form that he felt would be most important to pass on to his son, David Jr. Of course not. Beyond the championships and the double-doubles was his leadership, and that is what would define him as a father, a basketball player, and a United States Navy Veteran.
In their respective life journey, both Wes Moores often found them facing with some hard choices or decision to make or standing at a crossroads of life change without knowing which way to turn. Therefore, “for all of us who live in the most precarious places in this country, our destinies can be determined by a single stumble down the wrong path or a tentative step down the right one” (Moore xiv). During their early childhood, both Wes Moores struggle at school and had troubles with the law. However, for the author Wes Moore, attending the military school was the biggest turning point in his life. Aware of his mother’s determination, his family’s sacrifice, and encouragement from classmates and instructors as well as the influence of role models, the author Wes Moore finally made up his mind that he wanted to succeed in the military school. At the end, the author Wes Moore fulfilled his dream and did well academically from then on. On the other hand, the other Wes Moore had tumbled on a series of missteps along the road: dropping out of school, getting involved with drug trade, committing violent crimes, and being a father of four when he was so young and immature. Even though there was a time when he tried to reinvent himself: joining the Job Corp, getting a high school diploma, and finding some decent jobs, the reality and his making-quick-money mentality eventually brought him back to the original path with no return. At last, by committing an armed robbery that left a police officer dead, the other Wes Moore irreversibly drove himself to the dead end of life. Obviously, based on their early life experiences, both Wes Moores would have gone the same route to failure. Nevertheless, at some critical points of their lives, the author Wes Moore made some good choices with intervention and guidance of good people while the other Wes Moore lost his footing under undue
The intended audience for the piece, “King for a Day”, is an intelligent crowd that has somewhat of an interest in sports in general, not necessarily basketball. Any current or former high school athlete can relate to the situation that Weems is in. He is a replacement who just wants to have fun when he gets the chance. Anyone who appreciates the story of an underdog who succeeds will value this article. Reilly’s purpose is to show that there are two sides to ever story.
When I turned 11, I opened a present in the shape of a video game box, and I was shocked to reveal a book titled“Last Shot” by John Feinstein. I was confused as why my mom would get me a book about basketball when I had absolutely no interest about the sport. Eventually, my mom kept bugging me to read this book, saying, ”you can’t judge a book by its cover!” Reluctantly one night I cracked open the book and began reading. I soon realized the book dealt with basketball, but in an interesting way--the main character who was 14 years old had won a writing contest to become a sports writer at the NCAA Basketball tournament. I was hooked. I enjoyed following the main character throughout his journey at such a large and well known sporting event
Even with the depression going on in the town of East Bank, he was full of happiness and excitement. Playing basketball with Anthony did not seem like anything special to me, but for Anthony, it was more than dribbling and shooting the basketball. In the town he lives in, people lose their sense of hope. I took away a quote from Anthony’s mom who said, “nothing ever goes right for anyone around here.” Giving Anthony the opportunity to look forward to playing thirty minutes of basketball each day made a difference in his life. Because of the positivity I brought forward to him, he was impacted enough to tell me this had been the best summer of his life. While on this trip of service, it is not the service that impacted me, but rather the relationships and connections made. Once I came to my realization, the trip made so much more sense to me. Yes, the service aspect is very important and helps the families very much. That being said, Anthony is not going to remember people fixing his ceiling. He will remember the thirty minutes of basketball and the laughs we brought
An athlete’s game is their most immense focus in life; the sport that they play is one of the utmost important things in their viewpoint, any ambition or aspiration they hope to succeed or accomplish is all to benefit their game. However, studies suggest that with the fork in the road that is an injury that could likely halt their season in its tracks, it can result in very vastly altering the course of not only their performance, but likewise their mental durabilityin the near feature. The general ‘five stages of grief’ are known chronologically throughout the span of the injury as denial, desperation, depression, acceptance, and rehabilitation. The athlete will start off feeling deflated and often wonder what they could’ve done to have prevented the injury from happening, and the constant anxiety and fluctuant thoughts about when or if they could play again will begin to take over their body, restraining their will to go out to socialize, participate in team events, and others of that sort (Purves, 2011). The constant pressure on a player to heal in time or think about ways they could have done better weighs down on their shoulders and psychologically influences their way of thinking. That will then prevent them from being able to fully recover, both mentally and
There are many stories of players who started out with nothing, and were poor in their childhood but then became good at a game they loved. A famous basketball player Kevin Durant once said in an interview “How can i lose when i came here with nothing” (Young 1). His quote is an example of how basketball has changed his life and so many others because before he was poor and had nothing but now the game has changed that for him. “Basketball is an escape. It gives them a chance to succeed in life. Whether that chance is just allowing them to dream big, giving them a chance to go to college on a Scholarship, or even becoming a professional. The game is a great thing for many people” (Logan 1). It is just a sport but it has still changed the lives for lots of people by simply giving them a
Through multiple-sport participation, a young athlete has the chance to find which activity they enjoy the most, and as a result, have the opportunity to further develop athletically. It is essential that parents understand how the stress of reaching an elite status can emotionally and physically impair a young, developing body. Because this issue has become apparent within the past decade, it is imperative that our society understands the facts and takes action. I believe that with a policy rooted in education and awareness, along with a partnership with the NFL, there is a possibility for social change. Former Los Angeles Lakers head coach, Phil Jackson, once said, “40 million kids play sports, and most of them are between 7 and 12. By the time they are 13, more than 70 percent of them have stopped playing because it’s not fun anymore. All of a sudden when kids get into junior high, we feel this need to have them become professionals.” It is time that more start to recognize that specialization in one sport at an early age kills our
Throughout my life there has not been a single week that I have not had a sports practice, whether it was when I was younger playing soccer, basketball, or baseball, or when I reached middle school when I began my lacrosse career. This fact was due to the culture my family presented, which was athleticism. Both parents were full time athletes, and so were all three of my sisters who all were offered scholarships to play in college for track, soccer, and basketball. Though it was my family’s culture and I was raised into it, somewhere along the road I walked off the metaphorical playing field, and changed my game.
The game is becoming more and more revolved around the psychological aspects and mental preparation leading up to a competition in a sport or other activity. This new revolution is described here, “As the game becomes more sophisticated, coaches who fail to properly utilize psychological tools place their players, and themselves, at a disadvantage in performance and satisfaction” (High Performance Coaching Program Study Guide, 2015). This proving, without proper utilization of the psychological procedures provided to coaches and athletes, it is only hurting themselves and they may never reach their full potential otherwise. Sports psychologists do not always have to work with professional and amateur athletes competing in a sport, they may also work with adults and teenagers who are struggling in their everyday lives. The psychologist may utilize exercise and sports to enhance these people’s lives and well-being throughout their entire lifespans (Cherry, 2015). In conclusion, the examples displayed here continue to show the amazing rewards a slacking athlete or adult may encounter if they wisely utilize the effective tools around them provided by Sports
When you look at a basketball what do you see? Most would see an orange, sphere, shaped rubber ball. There are black lines and real leather. If you look closer, you would even see the size of the ball in which you are playing with. A basketball could be just a toy for many, or even represent a release for others, but for me, it means a lot more. A basketball represents my blood, sweat, tears, passion, sacrifice, and most of all, a sense of belonging, like a family. At this moment in my life, there are only three things I devote my life to- family, friends, and basketball. Basketball has shaped my life probably more than anything else. Basketball has instilled in me a vicious will to achieve and embrace my ambitions instead of fearing them. Basketball gave me an open opportunity to try something new. New opportunities and experiences are not such a big deal anymore. From academics to personal matters, the lessons that I have learned from basketball has impacted my life.
Young Derek is two years old and comes from a very athletic family. The son of a professional football player and a WNBA basketball star, Derek's future is set for athletic success. At the young age of three, he runs with his father and plays basketball with his mother. He eats only natural food; white sugar, white flour, and other processed food are cut from his diet. At the young age of six, he plays three organized sports: basketball, football, and track & field. Most of his formative years help develop his strength, speed, and muscles. His father forks out thousands of dollars for him to be mentored by the most elite coaches in their training fields. Years pass; Derek becomes the star quarterback for his high school football team and earns a football scholarship to USC and while playing, draws the attention of NFL scouts, resulting in being drafted by the San Francisco 49ers. Derek's childhood is not too different from many American youth parents' who dream of only the best for their children, not knowing the effects of their efforts. Youth sports are a foundation for social development, a competitive experience, and a practice of healthy habits. But more than that, youth sports is a host to fun and exciting activities for children. Parents involve their children in sports, enabling their children to experience both the fun and excitement of competition. Sports are also a platform for children to learn lessons that they will carry with them in their daily lives. However, the very people who encourage them to participate in these sports often cross the line between competition and fun. At what point do parents and coaches stop to think that they may be pushing their athletes or childern beyond thei...