“Three, Two, One,” after taking a deep breath, I shoot my last shot. Sweat streaming down my forehead into my eyes, I stare at the ball which I throw into the air. The ball flies through the air, rolls around the rim, and finally falls in. I don’t say a word, just look down and shake my head. Then, I turn around, faced my teammates with silence. There are no cheers, no applause, no noise of any kind, I can’t even hear the celebrating from the opposing team, well, the winning team. This is my first official match as well as the worst drugging. I score the last goal but I missed too many shots before that. The coach comes to me and says “what’s wrong with you today? Your performance in the training was much better than this.” For a moment, I …show more content…
It was exactly then that a bold idea struck me. Why not start a girls’ basketball team? This idea in my mind seemed to be the light at the end of the tunnel, which gives me the courage to have a fresh start. To my surprise, my rough idea was positively welcomed by the girls in the class. They told me that they had seen me practicing dribbling when they walked by the court and that they were so impressed by my amazing ball handling skills as well as my insistence. Never before would they believe that a girl could play basketball so enthusiastically and skillfully. Many of these girls, who had never stepped onto a basketball court before, said that they would like to give it a try, despite it seemed impossible to do for them. Facts proved that their worries were uncalled-for. Never say no to a new idea until you've had a chance to see its …show more content…
Then came the most difficult part, the team training. As the only one on the team who had prior experience, I was selected as captain. Whenever I was free, I went online and searched for basketball instructional videos so that I could incorporate those drills into our routine practice. To improve the overall sports performance as soon as possible, we had training almost every single day. We placed a lot of emphasis on footwork, communication, ball handling and shooting. Much of our vacation time was also dedicated to strength conditioning, power and jump training and speed and agility drills. The girls seemed to have been inspired by my determination. No matter it was on the blistering hot afternoon or the freezing cold morning, they followed the intense training schedule without any complaint. Sometimes, I even wondered whether they were the girls that I knew before, girls who would try every possible means just to skip the running exercise at a P.E. Class. And now, they are willing to spend hours practicing shooting just to get more precision. I’m glad that their participation in basketball brought such a drastic change in their attitudes towards sports. As a matter of fact, their unquenchable willpower and unwavering persistence also fostered my passion and encouraged me to stay consistent. Despite all those bruised knees, sore muscles and sprained ankles, I’m glad that we made it through and stayed
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.
It was a sad day nothing could make me happy anymore. I had been sad from the first moment I read the paper. I kept reading the list I must have read it at least ten times. Over and over again kept seeing the same names. None of the names were mine. I had finally realized I did not make the team. I was heartbroken all I have ever wanted just slipped out of my grasp. “It’s ok you’ll make it next year”, said my friend Warren. But what he couldn’t understand was that I wanted it to happen that year. I wanted to make the basketball team that year.
There are winners and there are losers, there are those projected to win and those expected to lose. Malcolm Gladwell writer of, “How David Beats Goliath,” describes how the underdogs do the unexpected and go the extra mile to overcome their opponent. Gladwell refers back to the bible story of David beating Goliath when he was expected to lose. David did what he knew and overcame Goliath, winning the battle. Doing the unexpected is how Vivek Ranadive’s twelve year old girls basketball team made it to the nationals because he decided early on that his team would go a different path; a full court press, every game, all the time. I agree with Ranadive and doing something different to succeed. Last year’s varsity basketball team focused on defense
Introduction Nike released a new film entitled “Voices” to celebrate women in sport on the 40th anniversary of Title IX. The short film features four personal stories of some amazing female athletes, spanning three generations. The women include Joan Benoit Samuelson (legendary distance runner), Lisa Leslie (four-time gold medalist and WNBA pioneer), Marlen Esparza (USA Boxing’s 6-time national champion and member of the USA Women’s Boxing team) and Diana Taurasi (two-time gold medalist, guard for Phoenix Mercury and former WNBA MVP). “Voices” reveals some of the challenges these incredible athletes faced on their journeys to greatness.
At the game, she performed much better than other, and after was appreciated by other team players. This incident gave her a thought of playing basketball regularly, and she started devoting her time to the game.
Sport has a powerful influence over our society. For example, Mr. Patterson showed students a 1994 documentary film directed by Steve James “Hoop Dreams” in class. The film is centered on William and Arthur, two poor talented African American high school students living in Chicago. Along with, their dream to play professional basketball as a way to escape poverty.
2. Today, more girls are encouraged to participate in sports and other activities. College is now a possible option in a young woman's decision for Post High School Plans. Now a job, beyond being a wife and mother, is well within reach. As women competed publicly, they gained more respect. Becoming Role Models for millions of little girls and young women who could now truly dream about a life in professional sports.
Michael Jordan once said “I will not let anything get in the way of me and my competitive enthusiasm to win”. This have help people of all ages get through their burdens and do something they love instead of doing some negative. For many people basketball has become more than a game, it’s the way of life. The American game of basketball has traveled now, it’s played by more than 250 million people worldwide.
When I first came to McIntosh High School and stepped on the gym floor for my very first official workout with Coach Dowse, I was a young and overweight fourteen year old girl who loved to play basketball. If someone were to tell me that in just three short years I would become one of the very few African American captains in the history of our girls varsity basketball program, chances are I would have laughed at the assertion. Yet, here I am.
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.
“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.
The attitudes, ideas, and personalities of the male and female Basketball athletes are unalike– female athletes hold an earnest attitude in their profession while male athletes hold a condensing attitude in their profession. When introducing the teams of the Louisville vs. Michigan 2013 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship, the video for the introduction of the Michigan Wolverines team was shown. In the video, the male athletes expressed a sense of confidence and poise through valiant and heroic postures. The male athletes’ body language articulated an overall sense of superiority and sureness of winning the game (2). On the other hand, female athletes communicated a sense of perseverance and determination to do their very best in the game. Baylor University’s leading athlete, Britney Grimer was introduced before the games began. Britney Grimer expressed a sincerity and motivation to win not only for her team, but for young girls who aspire to play in sports. Grimer voiced her desire to join the NBA and play with the “big boys.” She also acknowledged the fact that girls are criticized when playing sports. Universit...
After-school athletics is typically presented as a productive outlet for students to engage with one another and learn within a team environment. However, through an intersectional lens it should be taken into question whether playing sports is enjoyable or even possible without reaping the benefits of gender, heteronormative, and numerous other privileges. Reflecting on my own personal experience of playing high school basketball, I take a closer look as to how it was shaped by the many facets of intersectionality and privilege. In analyzing my experience, I will argue why sports is a constant force in reproducing gender binaries and oftentimes baneful to those who do not conform to heteronormativity.
Mark Parker a young 13 year old boy living in Beaverton, Oregon, was out at his community court practicing some basketball for the upcoming season. He was a smart kid working very hard in school and doing his best to impress his parents. He loved the game of basketball, but he didn’t know it. He just wanted to be like all the other kids in his class that were good at it. He was in some way friends with everyone but not really close with the other kids.
Basketball seems to get into your blood. It is said by those who play, "You eat, you sleep and you play basketball." When I was a little girl all I wanted to be was a professional basketball player. I couldn't count how many times I pounded that dumb ball in our driveway until it was too dark to see, then I would play for hours more by the porch light. Now I realize that was only childish insanity. Back then they didn’t even have a girls’ profession basketball league in the states. However, that didn't stop me from walking away empty handed. One thing I learned was how to prepare oneself for life. Well, at least, how to prepare oneself for a game.