Basketball - Making An Impact Off The Court by Elias

Basketball - Making An Impact Off The Court by Elias - December 2016 Scholarship Essay

In the summer of 2014, my father was approached by Mill Valley High School basketball coach about starting up a sophomore basketball team. There was not enough in the school budget to fund this new team. My dad agreed knowing it would might be the only way I would get to play as a sophomore since there were so many upperclassmen who already had spots. My dad approached me and said if he did this he would need my help. He was able to find fund raising opportunities but it wasn't selling cookies, coupon books or anything. It would be earned through volunteer work. We only had 4 months to raise $6000 to pay for new coach and all the expenses. My father landed three major events that summer. It was up to me to get as many players as I could to work. I asked the upperclassmen and they pretty much laughed at me. I tried to get all of my fellow sophomores but those who had spots locked showed no interest. Sadly, the original coach was no longer at the school and the new coach was too busy adjusting to assist. There was a core group of ten players. It was us ten who probably knew if we didn't have this new team we probably would not make the team. In the heat of mid-July, the players along with supportive parents worked a corporate picnic. An event planner that did corporate picnics looked for hard working groups to staff their events. We started at 8 in the morning and got home at 10 that night. My dad and I were the last ones to leave making sure we did everything that was asked of our group. We made such a great first impression we were asked to do another event in August. I invited other school groups to join my team since there were plenty of spots at this second event. Not only did we get over half way to our goal but we assisted several other groups to earn funds for their club. We worked a burrito breakfast and a 50/50 raffle at a football game to make it the rest of the way. I am proud to say I was a member of the first MVHS sophomore basketball team. And those other nine players that helped so much during the summer....they were my teammates.

Not only had we funded a team, but we had built a unique chemistry and bond that carried over to the court. Later that year, we played and defeated the sophomores and juniors who declined to help us. The difference? They had more talent but we had the better team. And it all started that summer.

The following summer I was now a junior but the school district still couldn't fund the program and there was my dad leading the way still. The next group of sophomores weren't alone in their efforts. They had the juniors side by side.

On Dec 2, 2016, the third sophomore team had its first game of the year. And for the third year there was my dad leading the fund raising and the seniors and juniors were there supporting the sophomores.

It had become a total team effort. It also has become a legacy I am proud of.