Theme Analysis Essay By Caleb Asbell 9-1 Why is it that, if someone does not believe in themselves, it becomes exponentially harder for them to achieve their goals? Achieving goals is one of life’s many beauties, once a goal has been achieved the results are shown and in most cases new skills are learned. The most beautiful part of achieving goals is persevering through the hardships and negativity and overcoming those obstacles to show the true strength someone has. One of Nikki Grimes most moving stories, “Janelle Battle,” and Matt de la Pea’s short story, “Hoop Court,” both protagonists are able to believe in themselves to show their true strength and beauty. For Janelle, getting bullied and looked down on allows her to show the beauty she possesses on the inside, for the protagonist in Hoopp Court, he has to survive the criticism to earn his spot on the court. These two stories both show us that when someone is able to believe in themselves, they can achieve their goals. Janelle has many snippets from the Bronx Masquerade, which include …show more content…
After being called out for still coming to the gym, the protagonist begins to get shoved out of the door. With one foot out the door, he mustered up the strength to say “I just wanna play” (6). The protagonist had to tell himself he was good enough to be in the gym. He had to believe in his basketball skills in order to speak up and finally get a chance to play on the court. Following this event, our protagonist is put in a game to decide if he can stay. He uses the skills he’s learned from watching and with them leads his team to the win, earning his spot in the gym (6). This is a prime example of being able to relax in the moment and use what you’ve learned to prove yourself. The protagonist believed in himself to beat his peers and stay in the gym to gain even more
An example of this is in the essay Confessions of a doper by Jonathan Vaughters. When playing sports you have to have the “resolve” to do it as said in the essay.(8) Physical strength is not only physical ability but also, self centeredness. For those who do not have much physical prowess in sports, the mind evens the playing field. The mind opens up opportunities where we once believed there were none. With critical thinking we can overwhelm even the most worthy opponents. There are some methods of self defense that do not matter if you are the smallest in your class or age group. Tickery, mind games and quick thinking let you outsmart most
Individuals who are involved in self improvement ask themselves what the key to success may be. The key to success in life is, by far, self-reliance. Although there is nothing wrong with asking for or receiving help, the support of friends and family will only benefit us ephemerally. People go through their own personal journey of reaching the best version of themselves. That journey is best achieved with self-reliance. Jeannette Walls’ memoir, The Glass Castle, is symbolic of the theme survival through self-reliance.
The purpose of this story was to illustrate the importance of how people view themselves and their abilities.
Starting my freshman year at County High School, I played basketball and loved every minute of it. I wouldn’t be conceited enough to say I was good, but God did bless me with the talent to play. My life revolved around the sport of basketball; some would say I slept, ate, and breathed every part of it. I spent all my time training and practicing to make myself a more dedicated athlete. This dedication not only helped me as a player, but also molded me into the person I am today. It somehow helped to prepare me for what defeat I would face with back surgery in the future.
Topic: Motivation and confidence. The definition of the motivation is what compels a person act toward a certain way. In this movie, Damien first attends the best local high school St. Francis with the best basketball player around the nation. Carter has very big expectation on him, but he decides to transfer to the worst place for only playing for his father. His decision comes from many aspects, including his self-confidence and motivation. Damien shows his confidence by telling his father that he can become the best one in the team. He is not arrogant by only saying that without putting any action. He makes the contract that he wants to sign in with this father to enforce his decision. Both extrinsic motivation (he can earn minutes by doing good) and intrinsic motivation (he loves doing it) drive him forward and make such as important decision alone. In sport psychology, it is thought that extrinsic motivation can affect intrinsic motivation. But in this case, Damien perceives the great value he can have upon performing good like gaining minutes, becoming a MVP and go to the best college with scholarship. Damien’s motivation helps him develop the confidence mentioned above; combine this factors together, he eventually wins the MVP and attends the military academy of West
Perseverance, dedication, and discipline, these are the qualities that have been instilled in me throughout my training. My sport requires failing repeatedly until consistency is found in perfection. Therefore, perseverance proved crucial as I attempted skill progressions and difficult routines. Dedication was essential whenever I watched others miss practice for social events. I didn’t recognize the immediate benefits of my deep rooted commitment until months and years later; now I have applied this devotion to every aspect of my life.
I never anticipated that when I decided to play basketball, I would endure so much pain, soreness, or diversity, but I was inevitability mistaken. Basketball has taught me how to compete as a team with teammates whom you might not get along with. As in any sport, teams go through many ups and downs together throughout the years. When times get demanding and strenuous, as teammates, we have to encourage each other, build our strength up together, and keep good character through it all. My late grandfather always preached to me about never letting my circumstances define my character, and I find myself teaching my teammates, friends, and classmates more about that saying each day. Additionally, I do not consider myself a defeatist because I have never quit a sport or activity in life because it got challenging, problematic, or more demanding. My grandfather also taught me to press through the tough times in life, and I would be rewarded in some way. Now the reward was not money nor fame, for it was a profound understanding that I would never be handed anything in life because I had to earn it. In
The short story “Hoop Court,” written by Matt De La Pea, is about a person who wants to play basketball but is rejected by the players practicing at the gym. The main character is determined to show the players that he is a good basketball player and shows up to the gym every day. In “Why I Learned To Cook,”
THEME ANALYSIS HOOK Perseverance is a trait of success. CONTEXT Successful people, whether financially, academically, or in any human endeavor, need to overcome obstacles they have had to achieve their goals. T.A.G In Langston Hughes's poem, Mother to Son, and Matt De La Pena's short story, How to Transform an Everyday, Ordinary Hoop Court into a Place of Higher Learning and You at the Podium, perseverance is conveyed in both pieces of writing as a trait to progress in their goals. In Matt De La Pena's short story, How to Transform an Everyday, Ordinary Hoop Court into a Place of Higher Learning and You at the Podium, the main character's perseverance is portrayed as a way for the main character to climb the ranks of basketball and improve
“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.
Everyone wants to get better at something, but some want it more than others. In “How to Transform an Everyday, Ordinary Hoop Court into a Place of Higher Learning and You at the Podium”, the narrator wants to get better at basketball, so he wakes up everyday at 4:30 to go with his dad to his work. Everyday, the narrator would wait 3 hours in his dad’s car until the gym opened, only to sit on the bench and watch the other men play basketball. Finally, one of the best players, Dante, tells the narrator he can play but he’ll get “smoked”. However, the narrator proved him wrong. The narrator learns that if you persevere, work hard, and have confidence, your dreams may come true. In How to Transform an Everyday, Ordinary Hoop Court into a Place
To What Extent Might Courage be an Effective Tool to Enhance Athletic Performance? Introduction In the realm of sports, courage stands as a fundamental virtue that is crucial for development and performance targeted towards athletes. This essay delves into the multifaceted nature of courage, highlighting its role in navigating challenges such as parental expectations, societal pressures, and internal struggles like self-doubt and mental health concerns. The concept of courage is deeply intertwined with present modern sports culture, highlighting not only physical strength but also mental resilience, ethical judgment, and integrity when confronting challenges.
“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.
He sprints up and down the court, as sweat pours down his face and on to the hardwood. The player’s legs are in severe pain, and he is out of breath, yet he continues to run, utilizing every last portion of energy that he maintains. He desires to better himself, not necessarily for his own benefit, but for the benefit of his team. He knows that every single member of the team, including himself, must work as hard as they possibly can on the court to reach their potential and achieve success. Organized sports teach athletes some of the most powerful moral values and life lessons that any individual can attain. Despite the opposing opinion that students who take part in organized sports suffer academically due to time deprivation and focus misdirected away from the classroom, involvement in sports teaches young men and women to maintain imperative values, such as hard work, selflessness, and commitment, which ultimately improves student-athletes’ academic performance.
Sports teach you to be resiant. They teach that even when there is defeat you must move on to the next opportunity to compete.