NBA or Not by Ashton

NBA or Not by Ashton - February 2024 Scholarship Essay

I know everyone can't become a professional NBA player, but I want to be a part of that environment. Even though I always imagined basketball being a part of my future, taking me to college and becoming my profession later. After my ACL, Meniscus, and MCL injury, it seemed as though that dream for me was fading away. I had to go to physical therapy after my surgery to get my mobility back. My physical therapist was great and was there to get me well and back to playing. I fell into a bit of depression, and I wanted to stop, but he helped me get out of it.
I want to be able to do that for someone else. I want to help an athlete train for the game and rehabilitate after an injury. I enjoy coaching plays on the court with my teammates, motivating them during the games, and just being a sounding board when they don’t know how to play defense on a good player. This is why I want to gear my professional aspirations toward Sports Management, Exercise Science, or Sports Communication. Training athletes, and being a part of the process, even if I don’t make it to the pros, will be like a dream job come true for me. So, picking the best college to help me with my professional goals is a process that I’m not taking lightly. So, the help of this scholarship will allow me to get closer to achieving my future professional aspirations.