Personal Narrative: My Basketball Career

I have played basketball since the sixth grade. However, for the duration of my middle school years, I was repeatedly cut from the A team and I did not get the opportunity to play significant minutes in game until my eighth grade year. In many ways, that year was a turning point for my basketball career. Frustrated with being the only eighth-grader to be on the B team, I dedicated myself to improving as much as possible, both during and after the season. That year, I was most valuable player for the B team, and I was grateful I was allowed to the time to develop.

As ninth grade approached, I had gained a lot of confidence from a summer of constant training. Despite this newfound confidence, my ninth grade Junior Varsity season was very difficult for me. Though I felt I was working hard in practice, I was only playing one to two minutes at the end of every game. In addition, my coach would only allow me to take one or two shots per game, which, coupled with the enormous pressure I put on myself to succeed, I missed every single time. During this season, I frequently contemplated giving up basketball because I felt all the hours I had practiced amounted to nothing, and I felt more like a detriment to the team than a benefit. However, I soon realized that I loved the sport too much to allow myself to give up, and took it as a personal mission to become a better player so that I could help the team.
Much like my eighth grade year, I saw this as a chance to develop, which ultimately culminated in being the leading scorer on my team and winning the Coaches