Power Of A Basketball Court
Until my freshman year of high school, I never knew how much a basketball court could mean to someone. That someone was me. That someone was my teammates. That someone was my coaches. That someone… was anyone who was lucky enough to have their life impacted by a basketball court. The court that I am lucky enough to have in my life resides in the Mayfield High School wood gym. While to onlookers it appears as a normal basketball court, I know that there is something truly special about it. This court has a magic ability to bring out the best in everyone. What does this mean you might ask? How can a court have special powers? Well, it is hard to put into words. It's something that I have internalized and feel every time I step foot onto the court.
But I’ll give an example to try and explain. This past season my team was preparing to take on Eastlake North, a team that at that time was ranked number five in the state. The whole week leading up to this game was filled with doubt. Not from my team, but from others in the school and the community. How was a team laden with 5’6’’ guards supposed to beat a team with a 6’ post player who averages 25 points and 15 rebounds per game. Before we knew it it was game night. That night our bleachers held more fans than ever before. We were ready. We were in our gym, and most importantly, we were on our court. Its called home court advantage for a reason and every home team knows why. There’s something about your own court that brings teammates together and brings out a strength and drive you never knew you had. That night this was proven true. In the final possession of the game my teammate Julia dribbled down and made the bucket to put us up by two. All that was left now was to defend for the last five seconds. As the final second ticked off the clock we were victorious. The ball fell to the floor and my teammates and I piled on top of it. There was something about this wood floor. The green,black, and white paint stripes. The Power Cat at center court. This court was ours, and it would forever be a part of us.
But I’ll give an example to try and explain. This past season my team was preparing to take on Eastlake North, a team that at that time was ranked number five in the state. The whole week leading up to this game was filled with doubt. Not from my team, but from others in the school and the community. How was a team laden with 5’6’’ guards supposed to beat a team with a 6’ post player who averages 25 points and 15 rebounds per game. Before we knew it it was game night. That night our bleachers held more fans than ever before. We were ready. We were in our gym, and most importantly, we were on our court. Its called home court advantage for a reason and every home team knows why. There’s something about your own court that brings teammates together and brings out a strength and drive you never knew you had. That night this was proven true. In the final possession of the game my teammate Julia dribbled down and made the bucket to put us up by two. All that was left now was to defend for the last five seconds. As the final second ticked off the clock we were victorious. The ball fell to the floor and my teammates and I piled on top of it. There was something about this wood floor. The green,black, and white paint stripes. The Power Cat at center court. This court was ours, and it would forever be a part of us.