Have you ever seen LeBron James dunk? Or have you ever seen Stephen Curry shoot a 3-pointer? That’s the magic of basketball, what seems impossible is being achieved. All these basketball players started off as kids with tons of practice and a dream. Even if you don’t think you are as good as these stars, it’s still worth playing because basketball isn’t just people running around dribbling a ball. It’s a dream, a commitment, a coping mechanism, and a way to make exercising fun.
Basketball is more than a sport, it’s a reason to keep trying, a way to wash away bad thoughts and hard feelings. I use basketball as a key way to cope. It feels very calming feeling the ball and shooting to the rim and sinking it. Feeling the leather of the ball in between my hands, having my dominant hand on the bottom and my other hand on the side, pushing the ball up with my dominant hand while controlling the trajectory with my other, putting enough force and releasing, seeing the ball as it soars through the air, and swish, the sound the net makes when its nothing but net is magical, its a sound like no other, that’s the sound that calms me down.
I played the position of Power Forward in basketball, meaning I had to constantly push myself into others and “drive” to the net. Although I’m not the best at 3 pointers, I keep trying because I know if I keep trying and continue to practice, I will eventually not be able to miss. With enough hard work and dedication anything can be achieved, and in this case. Its basketball shots.
I have played basketball since I was in 2nd grade. The first time I grabbed a basketball and shot it in the hoop. I fell in love. From that point on, I asked my parents for a hoop and as I grew and got taller I asked for bigger and bigger hoops. It wasn’t until 5th grade where I entered my first basketball team and I wasn’t very good. I remember doing an own goal meaning I scored in my own bucket, which means my goal gave the other team points. Not my best game.
I ended that season and joined basketball in 7th grade with an average of 5 points per game and played basketball in 8th grade with an average of 8 points per game. As I grew as a person my basketball skills also grew. And as I grew I played basketball more and more. I tried to play basketball with my little brother on the team but he didn’t really enjoy playing like I do. Everyone has different ways to cope but for me, it’s basketball. I play basketball whenever I feel stressed, or overwhelmed. It is a key way to blow off steam. To me, basketball isn’t just a game, It’s a dream. Thank you for reading my blog and I hope I can persuade you to play basketball. The end.
Dylan Ramirez – Lake Forest Academy – DMSF Class of 2029
Photo Credit: Jean-Daniel Francoeur – Pexels