How Basketball Changed My Life

Since the 2nd grade I have been in love with the game of basketball. My love for the game, along as myself as a person, has grown and gone through a lot of change since my first time touching a basketball over ten years ago. Basketball in my life has possibly changed more in the past year than the rest of my life combined, which has allowed me to learn more about myself, both on and off the court. All my life I have excelled at 2 sports, basketball and soccer. I have always put basketball on a pedestal above soccer, both because of my talent for the sport, and because I enjoyed playing it more. I never truly realized the potential I had until 9th grade, I loved my coach and my coach seemed to really believe in me as a player and a person. He seemed to think the sky was the limit for me, and he had me believing in myself as well. Before I knew it the season had flown by, and I had led my team scoring that year, as a freshman! My dream of playing college basketball had never been stronger and I had the determination to make that dream come true. After my school season ended I didn't have any time to breathe before travel ball started. I made the team I had been hoping to make which filled me with loads excitement. My next few months of
I had a great junior basketball season and still felt very confident in myself as a basketball player. The time came for me to tryout for my spring, travel basketball team and my worst nightmare came true. I didn't make team i had played on for 6 years straight. Soon after, my school basketball coach, who had become a mentor and father figure to me over the past three years, decided to take another coaching job at a different school. My heart was broken and I decided the time had come to get serious on what place basketball truly has in my