Why I love basketball

Basketball is my life and the focus of my dreams. Ever since my father introduced me to the sport, I have been passionate about it.

When I was four, I received my first Fisher Price basketball court. The court was in my house and the basket was only five feet tall. My parents placed it in the living room since it was the only room in the house without carpet. I practiced shooting every day. I would wear my father’s sneakers and imitate basketball moves that I had seen on T.V. At that age, I did not yet have any self-awareness about my potential for the sport, but my father knew it was very likely to become a passion. By the age of five, my father was taking me out to the park with a basketball and I can actually remember the day I made my first basket. After that, I went on to play in basketball leagues, as well as work out with my father in gyms every night. Those were the best of times.

Basketball became an important thread in my life and eventually proved to help guide the decisions I made for my future. I had to do a lot of hard work in the beginning, but it was worth it because it paved the way for me to have the opportunity to play at the college level. When practices are hard now and the demands of being a college athlete seem overwhelming, thinking back to my earliest basketball memories gives me happiness and keeps me going.

Some of the reasons I love basketball are because it is challenging, helps me improve myself as a person, and teaches me a lot about life. In this sport, I have learned how to mentally prepare myself for hardships. When I am in a game and down two points with only a few seconds left on the clock, I know exactly which play to run. I also know how to use what energy I have left in my body and mental concentration to fight through any injury or obstacle. I have been taught to plan in advance and think two steps ahead during the game. In life, this helps me plan, organize, and execute anything I have to do to get around any