By Benjamin L., staff writer
Coming out of the pandemic, basketball was not my priority. I didn’t have any purpose for what I wanted to do because I hadn’t left the house in almost a year. It was the summer before my 11th grade year, and I heard that there were open gyms at Galileo, but I hesitated to go. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to continue playing basketball. I had doubts because the last time I played basketball was pre-quarantine, but the decision I made to go would be one that altered my life for the better.
I fell in love with basketball again that summer; playing, running, and scoring. After a few open gyms, I talked to the varsity coach, Coach Tee about improving my game. I wanted to get better and was willing to sacrifice, and that’s exactly what he valued. I gave him my contact information, and we started working out 3-4 times weekly for the rest of that summer. I looked forward to every one of the sessions because I knew it was the fastest way for me to get better. It wasn’t easy at first because I wasn’t in basketball shape. The drills were intense because it was my first time doing them, including conditioning drills related to ball handling and shooting.
Throughout the summer I started to see a massive difference in how I played. The proper training and workouts improved my skills and movements on the court. We also built a relationship through basketball. It wasn’t just coach and player. We were more like mentors and mentees.
We both had high hopes for the 2021-2022 basketball season but also many uncertainties because of the pandemic. Even though the summer was productive and meaningful, I still lacked basketball experience. It was my first year playing varsity basketball, so I didn’t really know what to expect, but I eventually filled the scorer role. I considered my junior year an overall successful season for me because I showed what I was capable of, demonstrating that the hard work and dedication I put in during the summer paid off.
However the one thing that I would change about last season was the way it ended. It was a critical game, go big or go home, on the biggest stage I’ve ever played on. But I got nervous and froze up during that game, severely underperforming, not being as aggressive as I should’ve been, throwing bad turnovers and scoring only 9 points. I disappointed my teammates and coaches. It was a massive representation of Galileo basketball, but I didn’t show up, and it cost us the game. I had instant regrets after the game, regretting not playing hard enough and not giving it my all.
After my terrible performance, I felt discouraged and lost self-confidence. Constantly thinking there was more I could’ve done. After the long season, I was mentally and physically exhausted, so I took a break from basketball for a while. It was short, only about 3-4 weeks because I didn’t want to sit around and slack off anymore.
I set goals for myself to begin my summer journey, and luckily this past summer was full of great opportunities. The focus for me was to improve physically, getting stronger, faster, and more confident.
One of my opportunities was that I got invited to work out with a college team. It was a unique experience. The main difference compared to high school basketball was how seriously they took weight room sessions. The college practices lasted from mid-June to the end of July. I was timid and unconfident when I first met the team. The experience gave me a perspective of how much better college players are, but I wasn’t scared. I was ambitious and determined to improve.
Another opportunity was the chance to train with another Galileo coach, Coach Lee. He invited me to work out over the summer with him and his son. I was excited to learn from him. He’s an experienced player and coach. The details he demonstrated during drills come from his basketball experience, and it felt like a shortcut for gathering so much information from him.
I felt confident when the summer ended. It was what I needed before going into the season. The goal for this season is to have fun, win, and leave high school with the most memorable basketball experience I can have.
