There is nothing better than the sound a basketball makes when it swishes in the basket, or the feeling of a basketball on your fingertips. Basketball has changed and impacted my life for the better, and has created memories that I would not trade for the world.
Starting basketball at a young age caused it to be a huge part of my life. It was my go to therapy; you always found me on a basketball court or with a ball in my hand. It taught me many things about life; it taught me how to listen, how to be a leader, and how to be a good teammate while working well with others. It also taught me that sometimes you have to lose some before you can win some, and that success requires hard work.
I played the sport up until one day my plans were cut short. Mid-season my freshman year of high school, I tore my meniscus, unfortunately, ending my career as a player. It was an incident that changed the way I looked at the game. It didn't change my feelings about the sport, but it put me on opposite sides of the spectrum. I went from player to coach.
Giving up basketball was one of the hardest things I've done in my life. Since in a nutshell basketball was the only thing I knew, I did not want to lose that part of my life forever. I decided to pursue my dream of basketball from a different perspective; I signed up to coach a seventh grade basketball team. I'm not going to lie, at first I was a bit apprehensive. I was a senior in high school coaching a seventh grade basketball team. I was not sure if the girls or the parents would take me seriously, but I decided I would not know until I tried.
My basketball team consisted of seven, seventh grade girls and we practiced twice a week for one hour, with one game on the weekend. It was not a lot of time, which often made it difficult to make progress in skill development. On the other hand, my skills were able to develop, but not in basketball. I was able to further understand the idea of time management. Now, this is not the only thing that my basketball team taught me. As a coach, I am supposed to be the one teaching them. But the girls that I coached did not realize that while they were learning, so was I. My players taught me patience, and ultimately a better understanding of myself as a person. They taught me how to be a good role model, and how to hold myself accountable for my choices. They taught me how to heighten my love for the game, and heighten my love for seven girls I didn’t know I could grow so close to.
One of the most rewarding things as a coach is seeing the growth your players make over the course of a season, whether that is on the court or off the court. If the opportunity to be a coach, of any sport, is provided, I highly recommend you accept it. The time and effort you put in is absolutely nowhere near to the reward you get.
**To my players and their parents: thank you for helping me grow as an individual and as a coach. Thank you for granting me the access to coach you, or your daughter. The season I spent with them is one I can guarantee I will never forget.
