- 2014 Highlights
Personal Statement
As long as I can remember, I have loved the game of basketball. I began showing interest at the age of five when my father would take me to the gym. He would play on one court, and I on another. My parents signed me up to play basketball at the recreation center when I was only 8 years old. Since the first time I stepped on the court, it seemed as though I already knew the game and this was a feeling I still can’t explain to this day. I found that I could quickly dribble the ball down the court; pass to the guys around me and when I watched them score it fascinated me! It involved so much team work and after time we all became one be family. Of course I had to practice basketball fundamentals and learn the rules of the game, but that was as natural to me as riding a bike. The older I became, the more I found myself loving this sport and I would practice every day and night to make myself the best player I could be.
As I got older my father noticed that I had impressive ball handling skills and great situational vision on the court, so he trained me at the position of Point Guard. He would always stress to me that the Point Guard’s responsibilities are a very important part of any team. In this position I could establish scoring advantages for my teammates and when the opportunity arises I could also attack the basket myself. He would often tell me that being a point guard is like being a coach on the floor who could control tempo of the game and disperse the ball to others for the best scoring advantages. As a point guard I am the leader of my team on the court and as a leader I need to make sure that I make the right, split second, decisions to control the tempo and take advantage of best scoring advantages I can.
My mom taught me another dimension to the game, that there is more to life than playing basketball and although I love the game and I love being a Point Guard, I need to also be “On Point”. I need to be on point with my academics as well as being a role model for those who look up to and admired me. She taught me that honesty and respect will take me further in life than anything else and that if I continue to do the right things, work as hard as I can, and treat everyone with respect and dignity, everything else will fall into place. I can honestly say that I can incorporate and differentiate these two different positions, on point and point guard, to control my surroundings during a game and in life as well.
