BASKETBALL: LEARNING ABOUT “FLOSSIN” AND “BLINGIN,” AND “DAWG”
Sports have always been an important part of my life. As a child, if I wasn’t playing soccer, I was playing baseball or something else. I was even an assistant coach for my little brother’s tee ball team for a while. For the past 10 years, I have been actively involved in martial arts, the Eastern version of sports. I have taken lessons, competed
in regional tournaments, and taught little kids karate at fun summer programs such
as the “Ninja Camp.”
Having said all that, I must admit that being on the Varsity Basketball team has been by far the most rewarding experience of my high school days. Just how and why I am
involved may say more about me than anything else. I love so many things about
basketball: the camaraderie of the team, the fierce competition, the nervous tension I feel before a big game, and even the way Coach throws his clipboard at the ground when he’s mad. This is not to say that I’m any good at the game; in fact, I’m really bad compared to the other Varsity players. I am a scrawny “white boy” of 5’10” who can’t dribble, doesn’t shoot that well, and the only player on my team who can’t touch the rim.
Despite my lack of talent, I can’t help myself – I have a real passion for this game. I have a spot on the team not because I score a lot of points, but because I work harder than anyone else on the court. Coach and the team know they can always count on me to be
in the right place, doing the right thing and giving my all. Because of this, over the
seasons, I have become somewhat of a team leader, helping the team with my attitude
and my understanding of the game, rather than coming up with fancy moves and nasty
dunks. In order to be as useful as possible to the team, I have learned to play every single position on the court, and play it well enough for us to win. I cannot tell you how
many times I have been laughed at by the opposition when I have been called upon to
play Center and guard to someone two heads taller and fifty pounds heavier than I am.
But after four quarters of fighting, scrapping and clawing, my opponents actually stopped laughing. I may not be good, but I’m good enough and not afraid of anybody.
Not only has basketball given me a chance to run around and compete, it has also
introduced me to a completely different social group. I have become educated as to the
meaning of such words as “flossin” and “blingin,” exposed to rap music (which is now
my favorite), and even become a teammate’s “dawg.” This is all to say that I’m nuts
about basketball and wouldn’t give it up for anything.
