Turner 1

David Turner

Mrs. Davenport

English 9 Honors

23 March 2017

The Ambition of Josh Hart

Like an engine to a car, ambition is the main motivation in life that keeps human beings

progressing. Whether its that one person in class that you want to impress or you just want to

prove yourself, ambition has touched everyone's life. Personally, ambition has been the drive to

succeed in almost everything I do.Nearly every athlete has ambition and it gives them the

determination that coaches and teammates can't give. The passion for victory and competition

burns in these players and some will stop at nothing to win a championship. While ambition is

generally positive, some athletes want to be victorious so bad, they will stop at nothing, and even

cheat their way to victory in some cases. These frauds want the satisfaction of winning so bad

that they will do whatever it takes., even if that means breaking the rules.

For college basketball players, their satisfaction is pleased when they win the John

Wooden Award. This award is presented for excellence on the court, and for being the most

outstanding player in the league. No one deserves the award more than the hard working,

ambitious, Josh Hart. Josh has a work ethic like no coach has ever seen before. He has the

determination of a real winner. But most of all, he has the love and passion for the game. When

you see him step on the court you can just tell he is about to have a blast and run the court. Josh

is the definition of what it means to be a leader. But most of all, Josh knows what it means to be

a teammate. Josh will always be there for his team to lift their spirits when they are down. Being

a point guard, it makes it very easy for Josh to be a leader and run the offense. Between
 Turner 4

balancing school and sports Josh barely found enough time for one of his favorite activities.

While Josh loved basketball the most fun he had was in Boy Scouts. Unlike Gene from A

Separate Peace who in order to be a valedictorian had to take time away from his social life. Josh

is a great example of what it is like to be an Eagle Scout and a successful athlete. Josh is a case

of positive ambition that didnt take a toll on his life. He found a way to balance all of his

favorite things while maintaining good grades and doing well in all of his extracurriculars and

Boy Scouts. Other college basketball players have struggled to balance sports and schoolwork.

For example UNCs academic fraud scandal, consisted of evidence of several years of players

taking what is essentially a free class. The student athletes were given As even if they didn't

show up, giving them more time to practice basketball. The dedication Josh puts into all of his

activities is unmatched similar to his work ethic. Some athletes train for their sport, some even

got the extra mile and use performance-enhancing drugs to give them an edge. In some cases

those athletes are never caught, unless you are Lance Armstrong who was evoked of seven Tour

de France trophies after a doping scandal. Josh Hart is not like this, Josh will put in hours of hard

work until he gets a desirable outcome. Hart wont stop until he is passed out on the floor, which

is what it takes to be a high caliber player. He is one of the few to recognize this which is why

the league highlights him often as a standout player.

While the broadcasting networks mention Joshs work ethic and his dedication to the

game, they never let his passion and love for basketball go unnoticed. Hart takes being a

teammate and a leader to a new level. Josh would quit playing basketball before he left his

teammates, even if they could not make a shot the entire game Josh would be there to cheer them

up and get them fired up. Shaquille ONeal however took the first bus to Los Angeles leaving

the dynamic duo of him and Penny Hardaway. What could have been multiple championships
 Turner 4

with Penny, turned into none for Penny, and Shaq ran away with two championships with the

Lakers. While there were greener pastures for Shaq, he left his teammate all alone and wasted

what could have been the greatest duo in basketball history. The story of bad ambition leading to

leaving people you once cared about is similar to that of Macbeth. Macbeth was envious of

others being in a spot to hurt his shot at the throne. Instead of waiting patiently to let nature take

its course Macbeth killed his friends and earned the role of king through doing so. Josh even

goes as far as to motivate others that arent on his team. Like the time that a player on the

opposing team missed team missed the game winning shot. Josh congratulated him and assured

him that everything would be alright and he had a great game. You cant find that in players

today.

The craving for victory never stops for Josh Hart. He will take whatever he desires using

his passion, drive, and hard work to get to his destination. Some athletes find it hard to be a role

model and be a fantastic player. Take Kobe Bryant for example, while an amazing athlete Kobe

struggled on and off the court to keep his mouth shut. Other players like Lebron James manage

to be a role model and one of the greatest ever. This is the kind of player that Josh is. Wherever

Josh is sent he will try to help out that community and give his team a great image. The John

Wooden Award belongs to Josh and he is ready to receive it.

Works Cited

Knowles, John. A Seperate Peace: a Novel. New York, Macmillan, 1966.

 Turner 4

Rutherford, Mike. Why UNC Hoops Won't Get Hammered. SBNation.com, SBNation.com, 5

June 2015 www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/2015/6/5/8735807/north-

carolina-basketball-academic-scandal-ncaa-2015. Accessed 28 Mar. 2017.

Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. San Diego, CA, Huge Print Press, 2000.

Shaq: This Is Where I Started and I Should Have Stayed. Orlando Magic,

www.nba.com/magic/news/shaq-where-i-started-and-i-should-have-stayed/. Accessed 28

Mar. 2017.

Watts, Stephen. Kobe Bryant and Why Our Favorite Athlete Should Not Be Our

Hero.Millennial Influx, 24 Dec. 2015, www.millennialinflux.com/kobe-bryant-and-why-our-

favorite-athlete-should-not-be-our-hero/. Accessed 28 Mar. 2017.

Wilson, Jacque. Lance Armstrong's Doping Drugs. CNN, Cable News Network, 18 Jan. 2013,

www.cnn.com/2013/01/15/health/armstrong-ped-explainer/. Accessed 28 Mar. 2017.

Wilkinson, A. B. LeBron James and the Return of the Role Model. The Huffington Post,

TheHuffingtonPost.com, 14 July 2014, www.huffingtonpost.com/a-b-wilkinson/lebron-james-

and-the-retu_b_5583065.html. Accessed 28 Mar. 2017.