By Cali, staff writer
At first, it was just for fun, trying to reach the basket while laughing with friends.
I was in 3rd grade when I started playing basketball with my best friend at the Boys and Girls Club. Everyone in the neighborhood grew up going to the club to hang out and play sports, with most parents sending their kids there for after-school care. We would participate in multiple sports, not just basketball, but soccer and volleyball as well. The same group of girls stuck together playing sports together through the years. But for me, there was just something about basketball.
In 5th grade, we were undefeated and won the championship. That’s when I knew basketball wasn’t just for fun. Basketball became my favorite sport. I loved it; the aggressiveness, the fast pace, the up-and-down action on the court.
When middle school started, basketball became even more fun because my best friend & I played together for our school team. It was so much fun playing with her every day – practicing, going to games & having fun with our coaches. With the help of basketball, middle school passed by before I knew it. But once I reached high school everything changed.
While I played a number of different sports throughout middle school, going into high school, I decided I was going to focus mainly on basketball. But high school basketball was really different than I expected. Not only did my best friend & I end up at different schools, but high school basketball was a different environment. I didn’t have a best friend on the team, everyone else felt like they were in groups and cliques.
I struggled to find the same fun and love for the sport. I wasn’t happy like I used to be playing basketball. It felt like a chore, not something I was in love with. I stuck through my freshman year season but I struggled to bond with my teammates and love basketball as I had before.
After the season I ended up going to a flag football practice to try it out. Everything changed regarding my passion for sports. I cried out of happiness because I found that love again. The next year it was during Covid & I went to one basketball practice and that was it. I decided to focus solely on flag football. I found a new love and left basketball behind.
