Persistence is a quality of just about every successful person in this world. Giving up after one failure shows weakness, but it is the easy way out. Some sit back, and criticize those who do not persist through injuries or tough times; the thing is - it's not easy. On February 9th, 2021, my father passed away from COVID-19. His passing occurred during a schoolwide shutdown due to an outbreak from the disease. My older brother, Andrew, and I were on the number two team in the state of New Jersey for basketball. We entertained the town during a boring, rough time. The death came unexpectedly to all, and it destroyed me on the inside. My father was one of my best friends - a man I talked to and joked with every single day since the day I was born. His absence at our games was detrimental to me, and other people to attended the games. I quickly realized I had two choices. Roll over and give up, or persist through this gut-wrenching time in my life. I knew what he would've wanted me to do, so I wiped my tears and kept on through the season. We ended that season undefeated greatly in part of me and Andrew's contribution to the team. To make a sad story turn joyful, in the championship game, my brother Andrew hit the game winning shot. The crowd, the team, and people all over the state rejoiced in tears. This beautiful and memorable moment all happened because of persistence.

Perseverance is a quality of just about every successful person in this world. Giving up after one failure shows weakness, but it is the easy way out. Some sit back, and criticize those who do not persevere through injuries or tough times; the thing is - it's not easy. On February 9th, 2021, my father passed away from COVID-19. His passing occurred during a schoolwide shutdown due to an outbreak from the disease. My older brother, Andrew, and I were on the number two team in the state of New Jersey for basketball. We entertained the town during a boring, rough time. The death came unexpectedly to all, and it destroyed me on the inside. My father was one of my best friends - a man I talked to and joked with every single day since the day I was born. His absence at our games was detrimental to me, and other people to attended the games. I quickly realized I had two choices. Roll over and give up, or persevere through this gut-wrenching time in my life. I knew what he would've wanted me to do, so I wiped my tears and kept on through the season. We ended that season undefeated greatly in part of me and Andrew's contribution to the team. To make a sad story turn joyful, in the championship game, my brother Andrew hit the game winning shot. The crowd, the team, and people all over the state rejoiced in tears. This beautiful and memorable moment all happened because of perseverance.

The world is a place full of problems. Some problems are right before our eyes and we do not even notice. Our number one problem the world is facing right now - social media. In the mid 1970s, social media surfaced and it took the world by storm. The growth of this idea has only grown stronger and stronger; now, having no social media is extremely out of the ordinary. More than half of teens admitted to being addicted to their phones, and social media is the prime contributor to that. The constant need to check what friends are up to and FOMO, the fear of missing out. As a high school student, I see this every day. Kids being yelled at for not being able to resist the urge of the cellular device for more than ten minutes. This is a problem because social media and electronics destroy our brains and our social skills in real life. A solution to this - simple. We must start going back in time. Reverse technology and start slowly eliminating phones, and computers. This will lead to increased social skills, more real life interactions, far less suicides. If technology is used for the right reasons such as research, then it can be beneficial. Anything else - useless. Social media is single handedly destroying the earth and is a problem that needs to be addressed.

Patience is a valuable characteristic that many have trouble mastering. The age of technology has trained us to be impatient; we want apps to download in a matter of seconds, we want to hear one ring before our friend picks up the phone, and we want everything to happen instantly. Being patient is a tool in my life that has truly elevated my attitude towards life. An infamous slogan by Heinz in 1987, "The best things come to those who wait". This is a slogan that I repeat to myself daily in order to make life more easy going. A prime example in my life when patience elevated my life is when I was a child. As a child, my whole family was extremely tall. My older brother and father - six foot four. My mother - six foot. Kids in my class would come up to me every day as we played basketball and would ask me why I wasn't growing. It destroyed my self confidence, and as a basketball player, I relied on growing. I was always tall, and all of a sudden I stopped. I talked to my mom about these comments, and she told me to just "wait". I was impatient and wanted to quit basketball and find another hobby. A hobby that did not matter how tall I was. She repeated, over and over - "wait". Leading into my sophomore year, I was on my last straw. After struggling my freshman year due to my height and lack of athleticism, I was over it. Done. But, in the summer, I worked hard, and on top of that, grew seven inches. I ended up having the most fun playing basketball and thanked my mom for preaching patience. From that point on, I have always been patient.

Losing a parent suddenly is a life-altering change. A change that throws many off the track of life, leading them into possible depression or changing them for the rest of their lives. In my case, I truly believed that would've happened to me if it wasn't for basketball and the team that surrounded me. February 9th, 2021. The echoing knock on the door pierced through the house. The shadow behind that leaf-green door broke the news that would eventually change my life forever. My father had passed of COVID-19 and bronchitis. The basketball team had shut down for two weeks due to COVID-19. The news broke of my father, and it seemed as if two days had passed by in a blink of an eye. In that blink of an eye, the Manasquan High School basketball team was walking down my street - as one, one unified group. The boys entered my house that was filled with family and friends who heard of the news, they consoled me. As I sat in my back room, alone, my bony elbows dug into my knees as my hands shielded my face. The tears dripped down my forearm onto the teal carpet. An arm wrapped around my shoulder, then another. My team was there for me. A team is defined as "a group of people who compete in a sport, game, etc., against another group" (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). Although it may have started as a team, it evolved into a family. Brothers who are there for each other no matter what. To say this sport changed my life is an understatement; this team and sport saved me from falling into a black hole of depression. Keeping a healthy mental is like a basketball practice. You must give it your all, or you will not get better. Two keys to keeping your mental health at its peak is keeping yourself distracted by an activity you love and with people you love. Manasquan Gymnasium. The instant smell of the freshly waxed floors snapped me into euphoria. My problems stayed in my brother's car, who was also on the team with me. He was a senior and I was a junior. It just so happened that it was tournament time for our conference - what we have worked for our whole lives. Focus overcame the group as we practiced intensely. Not a sorrow thought crossed my mind as I moved up and down the court like a grandfather clock. My father was a consistent fan at just about every single game of our basketball career. He rooted us on for the first few rounds of the playoffs, leading us the the championship. On the day of the championship game, a rainbow reflected onto my carpet as we exited for the most important game of our lives. He was with us. We knew As time trickled down on the clock, the game was tied. With three seconds left, our point guard lifts and passes to my brother, Andrew. Wide open. The ball left his hands and it felt as if the ball paused mid-air. It dropped into the cylinder and the few fans allowed in the gym leapt out of their seats. He hit the game winner, and as he pointed to the sky, tears streamed down the face of many. Our angel was with us that day, he actually never left us. That game winning basket in the championship game was the icing on the cake for a perfect season. It is all for him. Friday, March 5th. A day that will live on forever.

Keeping a growth mindset is a mindset that is not easy to master. Change is scary. Sometimes we are forced to change when we do not want to. How does one keep a growth mindset? This was a question I was forced to ask myself in a time of tragedy and immense change in my life. February 9th, 2021, is a day that haunts me forever. The death of my father, Larry Solomon. Losing a loved one is never easy, especially when that loved one has been apart of your life every single day since you were born. Transitioning to no longer having a father was not easy, but practices such as meditation and talking to loved ones was what made my growth easier. Growing into the man of the house comes with a lot more responsibility then I presumed - it was labor intensive, mentally draining, and stressful. Growth has to be permitted, you must let yourself grow, step out of your comfort zone, and never roll over and give up. For instance, rather than giving up and letting my mom carry the load of both father and a motherly duties, my brother and I stepped up and grew. We grew from young teenagers into men; men who have responsibilities and men who have a purpose in life. This growth is now helping us prepare for adulthood and running a household of our own one day. In using all of these techniques, my family and I found a way to grow into a strong, independent, three person family, and we are happier then ever - all because of personal and group growth.