Becoming An Athlete: A Personal Analysis

Ever since I was able to run, I developed an attachment to my red and black basketball. I have been a basketball player since the age of four and joined my first team when I was in Kindergarten. While I was in elementary school, it was difficult for me to communicate with my peers because I only knew Arabic and basic English. However, on the basketball court, everything made sense. Everyone in the gym spoke the same language. No matter where I played – Maine, Massachusetts, or Egypt – there was always a similar connection between me, the sport, and my teammates.

I have made every team I have ever tried out for. In third and fifth grade, my teams placed second place in the team’s respective regions. During middle school, I won the leadership and coach’s award. I was captain of every team since fifth grade. Additionally, during eighth and ninth grade, I had the opportunity to play with the high school’s varsity team. Throughout my experiences in basketball, I learned more about myself as an athlete, a team player, a leader, and as a person. I developed strange habits, including actually eating an apple or salad everyday, that I have only basketball to thank for.

The winter of ninth grade, I developed exercise-induced asthma. My asthma led to a battle between me and all the sports I had a passion for playing, leading me to quitting cross country,
When I was younger, I used to play the piano and saxophone; however, because of my family’s constant moves around New England, it became difficult for me to continue practicing. Regardless, one of my biggest passions is music. I am always carrying my headphones or earbuds and whenever I find a song I absolutely love, I find a tutorial and learn the song on the piano. While this is neither an extracurricular nor a community service project, the meaning of music in my life is