By Kani McNeil
Has something ever shaped you, affected your core mindset or standard of respect, and kept you moving? Well for me, that something is basketball. While this sport isn’t vital for some people, it has and will hold a special place in my heart for the rest of my life. Basketball has been a part of my life since I was little, playing in elementary school for fun and seeing the older people in my life play themselves. Though until middle school, playing consistently was not an activity I took part in. However, the desire to play for the fun of it and to be a part of something bigger than myself is what pushed me to try out and eventually make the team. Unfortunately, shortly after that, a stark and harsh realization occurred; that being that simply “making it” wasn’t enough. There is a difference between playing basketball for the fun of it and playing basketball with the stake of losing and not taking it seriously meant that coaches didn’t see me as a winning factor. This truth made me realize my efforts were not enough and wounded me in many ways. So, in order to not have to go through that again, I worked. I went to the rec center daily and took every opportunity to hoop imaginable, whether it was pride or the beginning of the love I have for the sport now that caused that drive, I couldn’t tell you though. For a time, this alone helped greatly. I got to play for a longer period of time and I helped the team win more and I was happy with that. However, I also learned that as I grew, so did the people around me. Playing basketball was no longer enough. I needed reasoning. I needed a rational and logical reasoning to explain my love for the sport. As I played I thought about my past with the sport and what I realized whatever bad things I thought about didn’t matter. No matter how sad I was at the time, I could put all my focus into the game and nothing else mattered. And from that moment on, I became thankful for it.
6 Comments
Linda Dunsmoor
1/4/2023 11:44:01 am
Very nice, Kani!
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Dr. Shaun C Nelms
1/4/2023 04:45:05 pm
I loved your focus on the process of becoming great! These are transferable skills for life.
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Daniel Hart
1/5/2023 06:55:45 am
I think you're onto something when you talk about logically reasoning through your feelings about the game - the "why" behind your motivation. Keep thinking deeply about your process like this!
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Gerald A Tillery
1/5/2023 10:55:26 am
Love the thought process in that being successful requires focus and just the right amount of tunnel vision! You're going to do great things my friend!
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Ms. Gallagher
1/17/2023 11:26:45 am
You're the MVP of yourself, Kani! Sports, music, etc. are an excellent avenue to learn things about ourselves.
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Valerie Marsh
1/26/2023 05:52:47 am
I appreciate the way you describe how your love of basketball morphed and expanded as you go older to give you a way to focus and think about yourself in relation to the sport.
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