In Seymour, Basketball Is A Way Of Life

I walked off the floor with sweat dripping from my hair. So many thoughts flew through my head that I couldn’t focus on anything. My junior year of basketball felt like it ended as quickly as a blink. It was as if in seconds we went from the stars of the state tournament to the embarrassments of it. I tried to forget the disappointment of it but it still will not leave. My desire and love to win games comes from the more apparent hatred of losing them. Junior year we had a chance to win a state championship, but we lost that chance. That was when I realized that I had one chance left to win. Senior year our basketball success would only be as rewarding as we would make it. The pressure placed on ourselves was substantial, and we faced trials on the road to success. In the end, we stood alone, crowned as the champions, not letting our chance slip away.

There’s a saying that everyone’s said at least once in their lifetime, I’m sure. It’s so cliché, but now I know that there is so much truth behind it. “Believe in yourself.” Rather than giving up on yourself, use your failures to make you better. Learn how to bounce back from adversity and learn from those experiences. This is called using your growth mindset. According to Carol Dweck, research psychologist, in her book Mindset, “In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment.” It wasn’t until the summer between my junior and senior year of high school that I learned this and of course I learned it the hard way. I had played club basketball for four summers in a row with the Longmont Rush basketball club. I loved the game of basketball and I had spent countless hours working on my skills on the court. I even wanted to play in college. I already had schools scouting me. Unfortunately, in my final season, just before my senior year, my biggest fear came true.

As an individual I love staying active, socializing with others, being dependable, and keeping busy. Playing Basketball for Flour Bluff ISD, since the seventh grade, has granted me the opportunity to achieve all of these goals. For some peculiar reason I have consistently felt that I lacked experience of which my peers had, and that I would never be able to acquire it. Soon after I started playing I became intimidated of my fellow teammates and worried about the time I felt I lost, due to beginning so late in my childhood. Without fail, I always feel a sense of accomplishment after making it through tryouts every year and as I approach my final season, it has become clear just how much of my life was devoted to Basketball, that I truly love it and how I am thankful to be a part of something much more than just a team.

You don't hear everyday a high school team winning state championships that often, but at Archbishop Wood it's sort of common. I proudly can say I am one of the few that has not one, but two state championship rings under my belt. As a sophomore AND a junior in high school, my basketball team accomplished being State Champions two years in a row. The first year we won was one of the best experiences of being apart of a team. After losing in the state championship the year before, we knew we had to somehow get back the next year and make sure we'd come out with the trophy. As the new season began in  November of 2016, we played in the Nike tournament of champions in Arizona. The trip was one of the most memorable trips ever with the best group of girls. We had a blast,

A plethora of reasons exist as to why a certain sport might signal importance to a state, but in Indiana, the sport happens to standout on a whole different level. Current Southeast Dubois Superintendent, Rick Allen, commented on why Indiana high school basketball remains superior saying, “One reason Indiana high school basketball is such a standout of a sport in Indiana is because of the community support behind the team” (Allen 2). The era of basketball between 1911-present remains crucial today not only for the big schools’ gyms in Indiana, but also for small towns gyms such as Huntingburg, Loogootee, Tell City, Ferdinand, and numerous others.

I attended all training sessions and spent a great amount of time playing basketball since the thrill of winning games, of becoming better pushes me forward. I believed my efforts are worthy, since I had the advantage over other players in speed and keen awareness, and I trained harder than others every day. Basketball was the only thing on my mind. Then the time came to assemble the official school team to participate in formal basketball games. I thought for all my efforts

In 2016, more than ever, the team was committed to and had one goal of winning. One of our biggest rivals was St. John’s College High School (SJCHS). My doubles partner and I played the last match of the WCAC championships against SJCHS. During the season, SJCHS was one of the hardest competitors we faced but walking onto the court on the final day of championships, my partner and I knew we would fight and win. After 45 minutes, I hit an ace and we won the match that put us in the lead to win the championships. October 30, 2016 was the single most exciting and overwhelming day for the team all season. Everyone’s hard work paid off.

It is my junior year of high school and basketball season is right around the corner. I am on the verge of either making varsity or junior varsity this year depending upon my skills. Went through the tryouts and was able to make the junior varsity again for my second year with coach Maloney. I was all excited to play there again seeing I was one out of the three kids that made it back there again. From there it was Cam, Anthony, and I who thought would lead the team because we were the only ones who knew how to run Maloney’s offense and defense well that’s what I had thought was gonna be the case but in reality it wasn't. I thought I would be a starter for the team, but in reality I ended up being a bench player or how I thought of it as a

The hardest part of having a passion is sticking to it even during hardships. Julia Silverman has been gifted at basketball since she was six years old, but it was not always easy. Since she plays on two teams, she is always busy with practice. Hardworking and dedicated, she practices ten hours a week at Pine Crest and three hours a week at Boca Hoops. Michael Jordan, a famous athlete inspired her to play basketball because of his talent. Acquiring very advanced skills for her age, Silverman is put onto higher levels at Boca hoops. She also made the A team at Pine Crest every year in middle school. This girl definitely knows what pressure feels like and can handle herself on the court. Two years ago, Silverman’s team was in the championship

I never though winning a championship would be so satisfying. When my high school, Michel-Gratton applied for WECSSAA (Windsor Essex County Secondary Schools Athletic Association), it was an ecstatic moment for my teammates and I. The funny thing is that year was also the first year Michel-Gratton was built, in 2011. As a result, we had no basketball uniforms, instead our coach, Taylor, had us go to Walmart and buy the same blue t-shirt, afterwards write M.G on it. We ended the first season with a score of zero wins and ten losses, basically in last place. Schools from the standings were mocking us, trying to damage the team, yet Taylor always reminded us that as long as we stay a family and

The night of March 20, 2010, certainly went down as one to remember for thousands of Shelby Valley High School basketball fans. Shelby Valley High School, located in Pike County near Lexington, Kentucky, was easily the underdog in Kentucky’s 2010 boys basketball state tournament. Facing Ballard, a school three times its size from Louisville, was a daunting task for Shelby Valley, whose total school enrollment was less than 600 students (Fields). However, the Shelby Valley players and fans didn’t let fear get in the way of their goal. Nearly two-thirds of the 15,048 fans in attendance that night supported Shelby Valley, despite a four-hour drive from Lexington (Press). The Shelby Valley Wildcats, whose fans

Cambridge mass the city of chance, opportunity, diversity and most importantly basketball. Growing up as child in Cambridge all you hear is stories about basketball and the great tradition, reputation we have built to become the model of a winning basketball, program over decades that seamlessly trout out great teams contending for the right to be named state champions every year. This tradition is passed on to each generation of kids in Cambridge very young because most likely my father your father once wore the falcon jersey over his chest or if we go way back in the 90’s those teams wore the warriors across his chest. I played for the falcons and graduated in 2015 after having finished my high school basketball career on a memorable run to the Boston garden. Playing in the semi finals against catholic memorial to be one of four teams to punch in our ticket to the big dance and represent as eastern mass champions in the DCU center for the state championship. Looking back at this photo brings me back to 2011 when I was still just 16 years old just dreaming about wearing the Cambridge jersey but I wasn’t doing so well with life. I was constantly getting into trouble with the law, not respecting authority, not focusing on my education and not taking my basketball career seriously everything was a joke to me I didn’t believe I’d make it this far in life there wasn’t much motivation to either, basketball was my only hope. It’s hard to believe the kid in this photo

I must admit between trying to get recruited by a college for basketball and applying for colleges just in case my basketball dream does not work out, has been a real hassle. Throughout the following processes the hope for acceptance or a basketball scholarship offer has been dwindling away. My confidence in myself and my abilities are almost non-existent. With the help of my family I plan on

As I kept on persevering and trying to get better, I realized that I had some talent in basketball. I began scoring more and more, and finding that me playing basketball wasn’t a burden instituted by my parents, but rather an outlet of enjoyment. Although not all people play basketball, the lesson and extremely useful skill-- perseverance -- was preeminently the best thing I learned at Terman. Ever since that one 6th basketball grade season, I have tried to apply that skill to all the challenges-- which has lead me to make the “A” team in 7th grade, and to start on the “A” team in 8th grade. I would never give away my valuable time at Terman-- it has given me a welcoming, positive learning environment as well as teaching me what I feel like is the most important skill in life, perseverance. We should all take away a sense of persevering and utilize it in our life. Thank

My parents have told me never to give up on sports and always try my hardest. When I play they don’t care if I win or lose, they just want me to try my best and keep going. If I want to quit basketball they don’t allow me to because they want me to keep practicing to get better and learn not to quit and to learn to enjoy it through the hard times.