I took art in high school. At first I thought I dreaded it, because I am more into athletics so I didn't think I would enjoy art, but as time went on, I began enjoying it alot. During that time, I painted a picture of a basketball. This artwork inspired me because basketball is my favorite sport.  I love playing. I spend a lot of my free time at the YMCA trying to keep my skills up.  When school basketball season ends, I find other basketbal  leagues to join and be apart of.  I play 6 days out of the week, and that's only because the YMCA isn't open on Sundays.  Otherwise I would be there on Sundays after church.  Basketball has taught me to have more confidence and believe in myself more. I started playing the sport later in life versus when I was young like most of my teammates so I struggled a lot to fit into the sport or even feel good enough to be on the team. I got bullied and picked on alot because I was not as good or as confident as the others on the team, but I never gave up. I just keep showing up for practice and kept trying to get better. I still have a ways to go, but I am much better than where I when I first started. Through this sport, I have learned how to stand up for myself. I learned that everyone isn't nice individuals, but that doesn't mean that I can't still be the nice person I was raised to be and surround myself with other nice people. I have learned that everyone who is supposed to be on my team isn't always going to really be on my team. When I see that someone is not really in my life because they like me or want to see me succeed, I am no longer trying to win their acceptance or validation. This was a very hard lesson for me, but Basketball taught me that regardless of who believes in me, the main thing is to believe in myself. I learned that if I love something, I can't just give up because it's hard. I learned that if I love it, the the hard work is worth it. I learned that I will only get better if I remain focused and persistent. I hope to continue playing basketball whether on the college team or a local recreational team in the area. Regardless of whether I continue to play this sport or tey my hand at other things, all of these lessons I've learned, I can take from my experience with Basketball and apply them to many other scenarios in college and many any other area of my life. Basketball changed me for the better and I will continue to live by the principles I've learned while playing this sport. Now, I can take those failures and successes and teach them to others.

Mental health is very important to me, but this is something I am just starting to understand and I thank the game of basketball for teaching it to me. Basketball is my favorite sport.  I love playing. I spend a lot of my free time at the YMCA trying to keep my skills up.  When school basketball season ends, I find other basketbal  leagues to join and be apart of.  I play 6 days out of the week, and that's only because the YMCA isn't open on Sundays.  Otherwise I would be there on Sundays after church.  Basketball has taught me to have more confidence and believe in myself more. I started playing the sport later in life versus when I was young like most of my teammates so I struggled a lot to fit into the sport or even feel good enough to be on the team. I got bullied and picked on alot because I was not as good or as confident as the others on the team, but I never gave up. I just keep showing up for practice and kept trying to get better. I still have a ways to go, but I am much better than where I when I first started. Through this sport, I have learned how to stand up for myself. I learned that everyone isn't nice individuals, but that doesn't mean that I can't still be the nice person I was raised to be and surround myself with other nice people. I have learned that everyone who is supposed to be on my team isn't always going to really be on my team. When I see that someone is not really in my life because they like me or want to see me succeed, I am no longer trying to win their acceptance or validation. This was a very hard lesson for me, but Basketball taught me that regardless of who believes in me, the main thing is to believe in myself. I learned that if I love something, I can't just give up because it's hard. I learned that if I love it, the the hard work is worth it. I learned that I will only get better if I remain focused and persistent. I hope to continue playing basketball whether on the college team or a local recreational team in the area. Regardless of whether I continue to play this sport or tey my hand at other things, all of these lessons I've learned, I can take from my experience with Basketball and apply them to many other scenarios in college and many any other area of my life. Basketball changed me for the better and I will continue to live by the principles I've learned while playing this sport. Now, I can take those failures and successes and teach them to others.

I plan to make a positive impact on the world by mentoring younger kids who feel less confident in the sports they want to play or kids struggling with their school work. I plan to teach them the lessons I learned through my struggles in playing basketball. Basketball is my favorite sport.  I love playing the sport. I spend a lot of my free time at the YMCA trying to keep my skills up.  When school basketball season ends, I find other basketbal  leagues to join and be apart of.  I play 6 days out of the week, and that's only because the YMCA isn't open on Sundays.  Otherwise I would be there on Sundays after church.  Basketball has taught me to have more confidence and believe in myself more. I started playing the sport later in life versus when I was young like most of my teammates so I struggled a lot to fit into the sport or even feel good enough to be on the team. I got bullied and picked on alot because I was not as good or as confident as the others on the team, but I never gave up. I just keep showing up for practice and kept trying to get better. I still have a ways to go, but I am much better than where I when I first started. Through this sport, I have learned how to stand up for myself. I learned that everyone isn't nice individuals, but that doesn't mean that I can't still be the nice person I was raised to be and surround myself with other nice people. I have learned that everyone who is supposed to be on my team isn't always going to really be on my team. When I see that someone is not really in my life because they like me or want to see me succeed, I am no longer trying to win their acceptance or validation. This was a very hard lesson for me, but Basketball taught me that regardless of who believes in me, the main thing is to believe in myself. I learned that if I love something, I can't just give up because it's hard. I learned that if I love it, the the hard work is worth it. I learned that I will only get better if I remain focused and persistent. I hope to continue playing basketball whether on the college team or a local recreational team in the area. Regardless of whether I continue to play this sport or tey my hand at other things, all of these lessons I've learned, I can take from my experience with Basketball and apply them to many other scenarios in college and many any other area of my life. Basketball changed me for the better and I will continue to live by the principles I've learned while playing this sport. Now, I can take those failures and successes and teach them to others.

My favorite sport is Basketball.  I love playing the sport. I spend a lot of my free time at the YMCA trying to keep my skills up.  When school basketball season ends, I find other basketbal  leagues to join and be apart of.  I play 6 days out of the week, and that's only because the YMCA isn't open on Sundays.  Otherwise I would be there on Sundays after church.  Basketball has taught me to have more confidence and believe in myself more. I started playing the sport later in life versus when I was young like most of my teammates so I struggled a lot to fit into the sport or even feel good enough to be on the team. I got bullied and picked on alot because I was not as good or as confident as the others on the team, but I never gave up. I just keep showing up for practice and kept trying to get better. I still have a ways to go, but I am much better than where I when I first started. Through this sport, I have learned how to stand up for myself. I learned that everyone isn't nice individuals, but that doesn't mean that I can't still be the nice person I was raised to be and surround myself with other nice people. I have learned that everyone who is supposed to be on my team isn't always going to really be on my team. When I see that someone is not really in my life because they like me or want to see me succeed, I am no longer trying to win their acceptance or validation. This was a very hard lesson for me, but Basketball taught me that regardless of who believes in me, the main thing is to believe in myself. I learned that if I love something, I can't just give up because it's hard. I learned that if I love it, the the hard work is worth it. I learned that I will only get better if I remain focused and persistent. I hope to continue playing basketball whether on the college team or a local recreational team in the area. Regardless of whether I continue to play this sport or tey my hand at other things, all of these lessons I've learned, I can take from my experience with Basketball and apply them to many other scenarios in college and many any other area of my life. Basketball changed me for the better and I will continue to live by the principles I've learned while playing this sport.