Some people are naturally great at something while others aren’t. I had to face this when I play basketball. I played basketball on a team when I was young until I hated it and quit in first grade. While I stopped playing, others got better, they played and played for years and I had not even touched the ball. One day in fifth grade I joined some of my friends in playing basketball at recess. I was terrible, I did not know a thing about the game but I found it fun. I questioned myself, I had no idea why I hated basketball. At that moment I fell in love with the game and wanted to get better. From that day on, I would play every day at recess and practice at home.

Eventually, I tried out for the travel basketball team for my grade. I didn’t make the team, I was upset knowing I wasn’t good enough to make the team. Every year I would try out for the team and not make it. I stopped playing basketball because I could not enjoy it without playing. In highschool I tried out for the freshman basketball team and did not make it. This made me want to change, I wanted to get better and I want to make JV next year. Every single day from then on I practice basketball for three or more hours every day. I learned that commitment is the one thing you need to succeed. How well you perform is based on determination, nothing else. I am determined to make this team, I have given up so much of my life to fit time into watching gameplay and learning from that and watching videos online that show me how to get better. With all of this practice and commitment, I feel as though I have a chance to make the team.