To the sport I love,

You have been there at my highest and lowest points, but it was not only you and it still isn’t; it was also my teammates and my coaches. When playing this sport, you walk away with much more than just floor burns and bruises, you walk away with more character.

So many people ask why I continue to play you when there are days I can barely walk after a big game. My answer is always the same “you wouldn’t understand.” That is the truth too, a person that plays this sport would never ask another player why they still play. Unless you’ve spent your entire life playing basketball, you would never understand the answer I would give you.

You never intentionally hurt me. Instead, you build me back up. On those days where I’m feeling down or even angry at everything, you can guarantee I’m on the court shooting around. Being able to play you anywhere helps keep me calm, and helps me solve any problem I am dealing with.

Thank you for the endless friends I have met along the way, and for taking me to different places that I may have never gone to without you. I have been able to meet people that share the same passion that I do, and for that I am grateful. The new places I have been able to see because of you is amazing. I have been lucky to travel to different states, and when going to play there I have been able to take in the different kinds of scenery.

That being said, I know that no matter where I go you will always follow me and be there with me. I can take you anywhere with me.

You make the hard days a thousand times easier to get through. If I am having a bad day, everyone knows where they can find me- the basketball court. Shooting around can make my day do a total 360.I can shoot around for hours without getting bored, and especially if I find a pick-up game.

There is nothing like the thrill of playing this sport, the adrenaline that starts pumping through your body; specifically when it’s the fourth period and the score is only a point or two from one another or if the game is tied with only minutes remaining.

I live for the rush of the game and for the constant work that comes with the sport. This is a game where you have to put your all into it in order to succeed. I pray that when I get older and have kids that I will be able to watch them have the same love for the game that I did. I hope I get to see their smile when they win a game and I hope that they will have a connection with their teammates like I once did.

Whether you win or lose, your teammates will always stand by you. You celebrate together when you win a game, and you sit in silence together when you lose. If you make it to a championship game and lose on the other hand, well then you’ll sit there and cry together. That’s the best thing about having teammates, they are just like your family and there for you on and off the court. So thank you to the coaches and teammates for making this game so easy to love, and for being part of my family.

The cuts, bruises, floor burns, and pulled muscles are all a part of the game, a game that many of us have come to love. A game that has been there for us through the good and bad times, so don’t ask us why we keep playing it- it’s the only thing that will never leave us.