Coming of age Essay

Coming of Age

            Growing up is like a basketball game.  There are many defenders that you have to get past to score like fears and stereotypes.  When you face these challenges sometimes you succeed other times you fall.  But the main thing is that when you fall you get back up.  I experienced this when I tried out for my 7^th grade basketball team and I wasn’t even close to making it.  But I gained a lot more from not making the team then I would have if I made the team.

            One day I was in the cafeteria eating lunch with my friends.  When a booming voice gave a big announcement.  “Boys Basketball tryouts next week Wednesday if you want to tryout please get a form and fill it out”.  Hearing that my friends and I went up to get a form.  We were so excited about it we couldn’t keep quite we talked about it the whole day.  The days went by quick after that and before I knew it, it was Wednesday the day of basketball tryouts.  Once the bell rang all off the 7^th graders ran down to the basketball court waiting impatiently to play.  While waiting the butterflies started to kick in making everyone nervous.  When the coach arrived it was dead silent.  All of the players having mixed emotions.  He then collected the forms and tryouts began.  We started off with a long good stretch too get our body loose.  After we started to do lay ups and jump shots. We started to do many other drills that were so long and agonizing.  The sun started to set in the sky, which meant that day one of tryouts, was almost done.  We did our last drill, which was a prolonged scrimmage.  Then the moment we were all waiting for happened.  It was the first day cuts.  The coaches broke us into 2 groups.  I was put into the smaller group, which I thought something was up.  Then I found out I got cut from the team.  That day I was really depressed and sad. That was when I fell but it took me a while to get up.

            After my confidents went down under a landslide.  After I still played basketball for fun but I didn’t intend to play basketball seriously.  But I hit another defender on the court when I played Lakeside PAL.  On the first day of practice I was nervous but it went well I met a lot of new people.  But after a few practices he showed his true colors to everyone.  During that practice I found out that he is harsh and plays his favorites.  He yelled at me and then he put me on the spot when I didn’t take a lay up when I had an open lane.  He also played favorites by not yelling at them when they did something wrong or disciplining them.  Lastly he made everyone run as a team when one person was at fault.  It got so bad that I came home crying from one game.  I also ended up quitting the team because my confidence plummeted to a all time low.  It dropped so low until I had 2 other players came into play to support me.

             The first player that came into the game that I was dreadfully losing.  Coach KP!  He was my trainer to prepare me to try out my ninth grade year.  But when he heard that I didn’t want to tryout he sent me a motivational email that said “there are several factors that are reasonable: 1) you are afraid to not make the team, 2) you don't want to let your parents down, 3) you don't want to put in the work it takes to be your best. In any case, make the decision to play or not play based on what is best for Dylan... Don't feel sorry for yourself and play the victim.  It is at this juncture that you have to learn how to make decisions and live with it because you made the decision. I wish we could have had this talk in person, but circumstances have made that impossible. Nevertheless, I know that you know that your parents and sister love you to death. Your parents do everything they can for you and they are good people and they love you. Your sister still gets emotional during workouts when you are struggling... You have an awesome support system, don't ruin it”.  Those gave me a lot of confidence back and help me surpass defenders.  Then the second player came into play.  Coach Cy!  He always motivated me to tryout.  But when he found out I didn’t he spoke to me and motivated me to overcome defenders and tryout next year. 

To sum up, that is my coming of age experience and lesson that when you fall always get back up.  That is how I changed from getting depressed when you fail to always having to get back up and having to take risk to be successful.  There were also many obstacles that were in my way but there were 2 main supporting roles.  But I have changed in a big way.

Coming of Age

            Growing up is like a basketball game.  There are many defenders that you have to get past to score like fears and stereotypes.  When you face these challenges sometimes you succeed other times you fall.  But the main thing is that when you fall you get back up.  I experienced this when I tried out for my 7^th grade basketball team and I wasn’t even close to making it.  But I gained a lot more from not making the team then I would have if I made the team.

            One day I was in the cafeteria eating lunch with my friends.  When a booming voice gave a big announcement.  “Boys Basketball tryouts next week Wednesday if you want to tryout please get a form and fill it out”.  Hearing that my friends and I went up to get a form.  We were so excited about it we couldn’t keep quite we talked about it the whole day.  The days went by quick after that and before I knew it, it was Wednesday the day of basketball tryouts.  Once the bell rang all off the 7^th graders ran down to the basketball court waiting impatiently to play.  While waiting the butterflies started to kick in making everyone nervous.  When the coach arrived it was dead silent.  All of the players having mixed emotions.  He then collected the forms and tryouts began.  We started off with a long good stretch too get our body loose.  After we started to do lay ups and jump shots. We started to do many other drills that were so long and agonizing.  The sun started to set in the sky, which meant that day one of tryouts, was almost done.  We did our last drill, which was a prolonged scrimmage.  Then the moment we were all waiting for happened.  It was the first day cuts.  The coaches broke us into 2 groups.  I was put into the smaller group, which I thought something was up.  Then I found out I got cut from the team.  That day I was really depressed and sad. That was when I fell but it took me a while to get up.

            After my confidents went down under a landslide.  After I still played basketball for fun but I didn’t intend to play basketball seriously.  But I hit another defender on the court when I played Lakeside PAL.  On the first day of practice I was nervous but it went well I met a lot of new people.  But after a few practices he showed his true colors to everyone.  During that practice I found out that he is harsh and plays his favorites.  He yelled at me and then he put me on the spot when I didn’t take a lay up when I had an open lane.  He also played favorites by not yelling at them when they did something wrong or disciplining them.  Lastly he made everyone run as a team when one person was at fault.  It got so bad that I came home crying from one game.  I also ended up quitting the team because my confidence plummeted to a all time low.  It dropped so low until I had 2 other players came into play to support me.

             The first player that came into the game that I was dreadfully losing.  Coach KP!  He was my trainer to prepare me to try out my ninth grade year.  But when he heard that I didn’t want to tryout he sent me a motivational email that said “there are several factors that are reasonable: 1) you are afraid to not make the team, 2) you don't want to let your parents down, 3) you don't want to put in the work it takes to be your best. In any case, make the decision to play or not play based on what is best for Dylan... Don't feel sorry for yourself and play the victim.  It is at this juncture that you have to learn how to make decisions and live with it because you made the decision. I wish we could have had this talk in person, but circumstances have made that impossible. Nevertheless, I know that you know that your parents and sister love you to death. Your parents do everything they can for you and they are good people and they love you. Your sister still gets emotional during workouts when you are struggling... You have an awesome support system, don't ruin it”.  Those gave me a lot of confidence back and help me surpass defenders.  Then the second player came into play.  Coach Cy!  He always motivated me to tryout.  But when he found out I didn’t he spoke to me and motivated me to overcome defenders and tryout next year. 

To sum up, that is my coming of age experience and lesson that when you fall always get back up.  That is how I changed from getting depressed when you fail to always having to get back up and having to take risk to be successful.  There were also many obstacles that were in my way but there were 2 main supporting roles.  But I have changed in a big way.