How High School Basketball Saved My Life by Zaire

How High School Basketball Saved My Life by Zaire - December 2013 Scholarship Essay

Describe an extracurricular activity you participated in for school and how it impacted you.

One extracurricular I participated in while in school was basketball. Actually, “participated” does not describe what I did. Basketball was, and still is, my passion and first love. I started playing basketball as part of the school team when I was in eighth grade. It started out as a just a hobby and something fun to do but, later the game of basketball became much more than that. It became a teacher of life, a vision of a better life, a therapeutic escape, and a physical connection to my late father.

I grew up in a large family, with my eight sisters, two brothers, my mother, and my father. Due to the large number of siblings I had, we never had much in material. The youngest children would have to share beds and wear hand me down clothes. We often had days when we weren’t sure if we would have enough to eat; but somehow my parents always found a way to provide. Of course we didn’t always have what we wanted but we did have what we needed and for what we lacked in money and materials, we definitely made up for with love, care, and great memories. My siblings and I had to be very creative with what we had and we came up with some very unique games. Such as the game “all the balls” which was a mix of dodge ball and capture the flag. Basketball was one game we often enjoyed, although, obviously, we did not make this one up. We played just for fun as something to do but, once I started middle school, a love for the game began to grow inside me. Basketball was also my dad’s greatest passion. As my passion for the game began to grow, he and I became much closer and created a stronger bond. When I was fourteen years old my father unexpectedly passed away. When we first returned home it was very strange for me to be in the house knowing he would never return. In that moment, I grabbed my basketball and went to the park. From that day forward, basketball became a crucial part of my life.
I began to play basketball as an extracurricular activity through school when I was thirteen. I became much more involved with the team and the school when my father passed. I attended Columbia Heights High School in Minnesota. As I began to use basketball as one of the few physical connections to my dad that remained, I also began to realize the therapeutic effect it had on me with many different challenges I faced in life. When I had an important decision to make, felt stressed, or needed to feel my dad’s presence, I would go to the park and play by myself. It gave me a positive way of dealing with difficulties in life.

Along with a positive escape, basketball gave me a positive vision and taught me a lot about life. With a goal to play college and professional basketball in my future, I had a vision of something more than what I was surrounded by, which was a lot of violence, drugs and alcohol, teen pregnancy, and friends dropping out of school, along with the peer pressure to get involved with these things. But my goals helped me stay focused and hold on to a vision of more positive things. I also attribute a lot of my character and life lessons to being involved with the basketball team. Playing a competitive sport such as basketball teaches you how to work with others to reach your goals. It greatly assists in building vital life characteristics, such as patience, work ethic, discipline, paying attention to detail, and learning how to deal with both success and failure.

Along with all of these great things, the most impactful thing basketball has given me is the chance to meet and work with great people, along with finding an even greater purpose in life. I have been blessed with so many great people from teammates and coaches to friends and mentors. So many of these people could see my positive vision and determination that they were willing to help in so many ways. Without them, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Which is where basketball has led me. Basketball gave me the chance to work with youth, running camps and coaching teams. Because of these programs, I have realized a greater purpose for my life: to work with youth and people throughout the world, helping them find their true passion and purpose, to guide them through their tough times. I am now a Spanish and TESOL Education major with a minor in Communication at the University of Wisconsin – River Falls. Although I no longer play basketball at the collegiate level, I continue to play all the time in different men’s leagues and in intermural. I no longer pursue basketball as a career but I am thankful every day for the chance that participating in high school basketball gave me. Combining my education with my passion truly saved my life.