Basketball In My Life

More Than Just a Game

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Basketball.  A mere game, originally created simply to entertain children in a PE class. Who would've ever thought that it could have such an impact on my life.

My name is Braden Collins, you probably already know this as you are reading my blog. As a kid, my parents were always trying to get me into a sport. It started with baseball. That was a no. Then they got me to try soccer. Strike two. Then, around 2nd grade, I decided to give basketball a try.

Originally, I was just playing for my church's rec league. And, for those of you who have never experienced that, it's essentially just a bunch of little kids running around chasing a ball that is bigger than their heads (as you can see in this wonderful photo of myself at this age). 

Forgive me for the awful quality but you get my point.

Back to the point though, I knew right away though that basketball was the sport for me, but what I didn't realize at the time was how such a simple game would go on to change my life. It started off as just a fun game, something I enjoyed doing with some friends or whenever I was bored. However, it quickly grew to be a lot more than that to me. 

By the 4th grade, my parents decided to sign me up for a competitive AAU travel team. 

This is when it all started to change. 

I started getting more serious about basketball; I was going to practices with my team, personal workouts and just playing around in my backyard. My dad also started pushing me more. When we were home, he would often come outside and help me practice my game, and he was always pushing me to be the best I could be. Around this time in my life was the point where I had decided basketball was more than just a game to me. I began having dreams to one day play in college and, even larger dreams, to play in the NBA. I was always told that one day the ball stops bouncing for everyone, but at the time I was just a little kid with the biggest aspirations; I never wanted to give basketball up.

By the time I reached Middle School and High School basketball was pretty much my whole personality. Whether it was my school team in the winter or my travel team in the summer, I was playing basketball year-round, and this was the point that basketball started having a bigger impact on my life. Obviously, the middle school and high school years have a huge impact on people's lives; it is where people begin to really find themselves and a lot of change occurs. But my focus stayed the same. While other kids started going to parties, staying out late, and doing all the other typical teenager things, I kept my focus on basketball and the goals I had set for myself. 

Believe it or not, I never went to a single high school party. Not one.

As the years would go on and I got closer and closer to graduating, I only got more and more serious. I began pushing myself harder than ever knowing I only had a few years left to see my dreams come true. And trust me, there were plenty of times where I thought about letting it go, but I didn't. 

And here I am now, a freshman in college at Methodist university where I was offered a spot to play basketball. Yeah, it may not be a D1 school, but nevertheless, my dream of playing in college has become a reality. 

Without basketball, I have no clue where I would be right now or what I would be doing. Not only has it gotten me to where I am today, but it has taught me a lot of lessons throughout my life as well. It's taught me persistence, how to work as a team, how to learn from failure, and much more. 

Now that I am older, I understand that people were right when they told me the ball would stop bouncing one day. I know now those dreams of playing in the NBA were near impossible, but I'm not upset. I wouldn't be where I am today without those dreams. Basketball has had such a great impact on my life. Until that day comes when the ball does stop bouncing, as close or as far as it may be, I am going to work as hard as can, and see just where else basketball might take me.

Monarch Picture Link: https://th.bing.com/th/id/OIP.bungQwiN7yoRI7BHrrKpJQAAAA?pid=ImgDet&rs=1