Living Picture Narrative
Throughout elementary school, I tried a lot of different sports, and took on a lot of hobbies; but nothing ever stuck. My parents always pushed me to try new things. There was swimming, ice skating, dancing, gymnastics, tennis, piano, guitar, and flute. I tried it all. However, I frequently quit when they got too challenging. I did not like it when I struggled through trying to pick up a new note in the guitar or falling on my butt when I tried a new move in ice skating. Whenever times got rough, I was not the best at sticking with the hobby and working through the challenges.
However, basketball was the hobby that stuck. I started in the fourth grade because my friend’s dad was planning to be a coach for the recreational city league team. He asked me to join. I started on the team in the fourth grade. I began to develop my skills by dribbling up and down the court and haphazardly throwing the ball in the direction of the hoop. After all these years have passed, with countless numbers of practices and games, I do not remember my first practice and how it all happened. However, after all these years, I still remember the feeling. The fun and joy of the game. Even at a young age, I loved the rush of running down the court and trying to get the ball into the hoop. I remember the pure satisfaction I would feel whenever I got the ball into the hoop. As my love of the game developed, I began to put more of my time and energy into basketball in hopes to really improve.
However, basketball was the hobby that stuck. I started in the fourth grade because my friend’s dad was planning to be a coach for the recreational city league team. He asked me to join. I started on the team in the fourth grade. I began to develop my skills by dribbling up and down the court and haphazardly throwing the ball in the direction of the hoop. After all these years have passed, with countless numbers of practices and games, I do not remember my first practice and how it all happened. However, after all these years, I still remember the feeling. The fun and joy of the game. Even at a young age, I loved the rush of running down the court and trying to get the ball into the hoop. I remember the pure satisfaction I would feel whenever I got the ball into the hoop. As my love of the game developed, I began to put more of my time and energy into basketball in hopes to really improve.
I eventually progressed on to more competitive leagues and teams. In middle school, I was asked by a previous coach to join a different team. The team, called Diablo, was in a new league in a new area that I had never played in before. The team was a mix of both familiar and new faces, but all faces of girls with an incredible caliber of skills that I had not seen before. They had all played together before and despite their active attempts to always include me, I constantly felt like the odd girl out. It also did not help that I constantly believed that I was not as good as them. Every time I would get into the car for the 30 minutes commute to practice, a feeling of dread and nervousness would creep inside me. I felt inadequate. During practice, we would practice moves that I had never done before and was not yet skilled at. These girls confidently carried out a wide variety of ball handling skills with ease. I on the other hand, found myself awkwardly contorting my body to get the ball in, up, through, and between. The whole practiced I hoped that they did not notice that I could not flow as easily.
In games and I kept track of the number of points that each person had. I was scared that I would be the only person to not score in a game. During one particular game, I looked up at the scoreboard and the time was almost up. I began to get very nervous because through my calculations, I was the only one who had not scored yet. I tried going in for a lay up in hopes to make my mark on the scoreboard. Time seemed to slow down as the ball went up but unfortunately not in, however at that same moment the whistle blew signaling that I had been fouled. I would get to shoot two foul shots. This was my opportunity to make my mark on the scoreboard. I would be able to prove that I could contribute and show myself that I did belong on the team.
Foul shots were something that we did every practice. They are two free shots given as a proper attempt to shoot without someone fouling you. I went into my first foul shot with confidence. I had taken this shot hundreds of times and knew that I was capable of doing it. It was a FREE throw after all, I will make it. I did my routine and shot the ball. It did not go in. With all the nervousness and doubt, I approached the free throw line again. I took two deep breaths. Two dribbles. One spin. Two dribbles. It was the routine that I had practiced so many times. It was supposed to work. It had worked plenty of times before. I shot the ball, watched it fly in the air, hit the rim, and bounce off. It did not going in the hoop. I felt like I heard the ball bounce on the floor louder than ever, pounding in the disappointment that I had felt. My opportunity was gone. I ended that game not scoring and losing my confidence in my abilities to play. I no longer wanted to play basketball. I did not think that I was good enough and did not want to continue trying.
In games and I kept track of the number of points that each person had. I was scared that I would be the only person to not score in a game. During one particular game, I looked up at the scoreboard and the time was almost up. I began to get very nervous because through my calculations, I was the only one who had not scored yet. I tried going in for a lay up in hopes to make my mark on the scoreboard. Time seemed to slow down as the ball went up but unfortunately not in, however at that same moment the whistle blew signaling that I had been fouled. I would get to shoot two foul shots. This was my opportunity to make my mark on the scoreboard. I would be able to prove that I could contribute and show myself that I did belong on the team.
Foul shots were something that we did every practice. They are two free shots given as a proper attempt to shoot without someone fouling you. I went into my first foul shot with confidence. I had taken this shot hundreds of times and knew that I was capable of doing it. It was a FREE throw after all, I will make it. I did my routine and shot the ball. It did not go in. With all the nervousness and doubt, I approached the free throw line again. I took two deep breaths. Two dribbles. One spin. Two dribbles. It was the routine that I had practiced so many times. It was supposed to work. It had worked plenty of times before. I shot the ball, watched it fly in the air, hit the rim, and bounce off. It did not going in the hoop. I felt like I heard the ball bounce on the floor louder than ever, pounding in the disappointment that I had felt. My opportunity was gone. I ended that game not scoring and losing my confidence in my abilities to play. I no longer wanted to play basketball. I did not think that I was good enough and did not want to continue trying.
After that season was over, my dad convinced me to play one more season with a new team. With my doubts high and my confidence low, I went into the season very apprehensive. However, in this new year, something had changed. I found with each game that I was better able to dominate the court. The skills that I thought I did not have, actually developed as I practiced with that more challenging team. While I was doubting myself in comparison to these other girls, my own individual skills were improving significantly. In the new season, I was soon scoring more and better able to get down the court. In practice and games, I was able to handle the ball and make new shots that I did not know how to do before. On this new team, I became a leader because of skill sets that I had worked for on the Diablo team. Through challenging myself and being surrounded by those better than me, I was able to improve myself at a much faster rate than I ever had in my years previous. In all my doubt and insecurity, I did not see that I was also getting better. Through my constant self comparison to the people around me, I did not see that I was progressing with great strides as an individual.
After that season of doubt, I learned so much. I progressed through basketball, always remembering to keep trying and keep improving. In the hundreds of games after that challenging season, things were not always easy but I remembered to keep pushing through. I realized through every struggle there is a lesson to be learned and an experience to grow from. As I practiced hard and surrounded myself with challenging people, I found myself with a new set of skills and new motivations for my passion. I figured out that challenging myself is what made me a better player and person. When I was younger and faced challenges, I would quit and back down. This is what happened in all the sports and instruments I attempted. Instead of quitting in times of challenge and difficulty, I learned to push through any adversity.
During the final year of my basketball career, I became captain of my school’s varsity women’s basketball team. I learned how to hone my skills in order to find out what my own strong suits were in order to help the team. While I still did not perfect every single free throw I took, I tried to always improve and work hard in order to get better. I figured out the ways in which I was a leader. My strong suits did not always lie in being the biggest contributor to the scoreboard, but I learned how to unite and energize people to build essential morale during every single game. I constantly stayed up and engaged so that everyone else would too. In never giving up, I was able to improve my own skills and find what I excelled out. I realized every single individual has something to contribute and each person has to find what works for them. I became a person that does not give up and embraces struggle in order to constantly better myself and the people around me.
During the final year of my basketball career, I became captain of my school’s varsity women’s basketball team. I learned how to hone my skills in order to find out what my own strong suits were in order to help the team. While I still did not perfect every single free throw I took, I tried to always improve and work hard in order to get better. I figured out the ways in which I was a leader. My strong suits did not always lie in being the biggest contributor to the scoreboard, but I learned how to unite and energize people to build essential morale during every single game. I constantly stayed up and engaged so that everyone else would too. In never giving up, I was able to improve my own skills and find what I excelled out. I realized every single individual has something to contribute and each person has to find what works for them. I became a person that does not give up and embraces struggle in order to constantly better myself and the people around me.