I found my first love at the age of ten years old when I decided to try out for my middle school basketball team. I knew nothing about the sport but I was quickly hooked and continued to play all throughout high school. I am beyond thankful for the opportunity to have found a sport that I was so passionate about because I was able to learn a lot of important things about myself and about life. However, one of the most important lessons that I learned through playing sports is something that has been crucial to my growth.

No matter how unfair or hard life gets, always remain tough.

Female basketball players are very catty in the way they play. The older you get, the more you have to learn to take the pain of being scratched or pushed over and just keep on going. If I was taken out every time I was shoved to the ground, I'd be lucky if I got five minutes of playing time each game. You quickly learn that the proper way to handle a situation like that is to get up, brush yourself off, and not get too mad about it. The angrier you are, the more likely you are to make mistakes. My coaches always used to tell me that you can't let other people's actions affect how YOU do your thing. Don't let other people's mistakes ruin the progress you've made within yourself.

Once I began to learn this, I started turning into a better individual player and a better teammate. Nobody is going to want you on your team if you walk off the court every time you hit the ground. Coaches and players will want somebody who can pick themselves right back up again after they fall down. Putting this into practice not only gained me more playing time but also more room to improve my skills as well as respect from my teammates and coaches.

This lesson translated into my daily life without me ever even realizing it. I became much better at coping with minor inconveniences and stopped letting little mishaps dictate my entire day (a common accessory to the teenage angst I was feeling before). Then when something major went wrong, I was well equipped to deal with it without my emotions getting the best of me. I was able to handle myself in undesirable situations in a more composed manner, something I may have never otherwise learned had I not been involved in basketball.

This was by far the greatest gift that sport offered me. The eight years that I played provided some of my best memories and introduced me to some amazing people. However, the thing I am most thankful for is how it taught me to gain control of my feelings rather than let them control me.