For many Woodbridge High basketball players, this sport is a constant in their lives. Some have been playing since they were five or six years old. From club teams to high school athletes, this sport has remained a constant presence throughout their weeks. They go through the weeks knowing they can depend of having practice after school. With practice every afternoon it can get time consuming and so may burn out. Others use it as motivation to keep going.
Basketball isn’t only time-consuming and physically challenging, but it also challenges them mentally. Players spend hours at practice working on how to become a better player and thinking about whether they have a chance of beating their opponents that week. The thoughts make it hard to The pressure can can cause them to either crack or succeed. All those challenges help basketball players grow on the court, but they also go far beyond those court lines. They are taught so many attributes that they can apply to their daily lives.
“Playing basketball for so many years has helped me grow more confident and responsible. It taught me how to deal with pressure and keep growing.” Junior Garret Dicostazo said.
Since they have been playing for such a long time, their love for this sport has grown with them. Working with a group of players helps them learn teamwork, leadership skills, and so much more.
“I think a couple of things I can connect outside of basketball would be leadership skills and also communication. Those two skills are important to have in basketball and have also helped me out in my life away from sports too.” Senior Kishan Pandhoh stated.
Besides attributes a lot of these players have found lifelong friends who share the same passion that they have. Having teammates with the same passions can help each other stay motivated and help them improve. Athletes often go and practice with each other to improve their skills or ven just hang out. Players have the opportunity to spend so much time with these people that they get to call their team. They have to learn to trust their team and work well with them to excel in basketball. When you are a lifelong player, a lot of the time, the friends you make are the reasons you get to where you are in your basketball career.
“I decided to join the high school team because of the relationships I’ve made up until high school, and realized I’d have opportunities to meet more good friends while also playing something I enjoyed,” Pandhoh said.
The connections players make can stay with you for years and years to come. Teammates are the people who see you at your highest points but also your lowest. You have the opportunity to experience the wins, create inside jokes, and surround yourself with like-minded people. At the end of the day, your teammates become your second family. With your teammates becoming your family also comes disagreements and little arguments from time to time. Basketball helps you learn to deal with these challenges and learn to look at the bigger picture and not to stress about the small stuff.
“[Baketball} also helped me learn how to work with other people and stay disciplined,” Dicostazo said.
Another aspect of basketball that can help people in the long run in life is perseverance. They have to remember that if you have a bad game one day, it doesn’t mean you are a bad player; it just wasn’t your day. The losses don’t make your wins any less worthy. This mindset usually takes athletes a long time to realize. Especially when they put everything into this game for most of their life, their confidence gets shaken, and they have to remember to stay resilient and reflect on what keeps them playing at the end of the day, they play because it’s what they love.
“Playing the sport for 12 years has definitely taught me that times will get hard and make you want to quit, but having the sport be with you for so long pushes you to be greater and persevere through it all,” junior Nathanael Hill said.
One of the most common reasons people join basketball is because they got inspired from one of their family members. Whether it was their parents, grandparents, or so on.
“My two brothers made me want to join and start playing just forms ewing how fun basketball looked and how competitive they got between each other.” Hill said.
All the shots you miss or the hard practices make it difficult, but those are the reasons they continue. Along with the challenges, playing basketball can help these athletes build strong habits in their lives. Having something be a part of their daily routine will help these athletes stay more organized with things like school, work, and their future in general.
At the end of the day, this sport has become more than just a game to some of these players. All the years they spent practicing in the gym or at games make their passion for the sport grow stronger. Many want to continue with basketball in different ways.
“I also would love to pass my love for basketball on to my future kids and be able to play as well,” Pandhoh said.
Playing basketball with their kids and continuing in college, or just playing pick-up games, are good ways to keep their love for the game alive. Some just need to go back to basketball as a way to destress and clear their minds. No matter how much time passes after they stop playing for a team they will always have basketball to lean back on. Their careers don’t end after the final buzzer goes off. People can find a community like this in so many organizations besides basketball or even sports in general. You can find this community in visual and performing arts, clubs, and even just your common classes.
