Mary Therese T.

Paredes 2-AB-ELS PEDS104 N40M

”Rebound”
Basketball is widely popular here in the Philippines as a sport played by children and adults as
well as an exciting show that people look forward to, even bet on. When I was young, I always
liked to observe gameplays because of their dynamic nature. Basketball was always fun for me as
it gave me that thrill to see how people play and change the odds with their skills. I would always
be amazed by my classmates that were natural-born players who would do well in our Intramurals.
I wanted to join in but I never really had opportunities to play it and I was always discouraged to
do so.
I am not an athletic person. I would always be part of the audience because I had the talent
to do basketball or any sport for that matter. In basketball, you had to use every part of your body
to move, to think thoroughly and quickly to strategize, and to be determined and passionate to win.
In starking contrast, I had zero coordination, weak stamina, slow thinking process, and
overwhelming anxiety. I always feared the ball, the hundred pairs of eyes, and the loss. I never
dare try participating in basketball because there were better people fit for it and I didn’t want to
let my team down.
I was only able to play it in junior high school when our physical education focused on
basketball as a team sport. We were required to learn how to shoot, pass, and dribble, to become
an umpire, and play the sport formally. I did really poorly in practices but seeing how everyone in
my class was just like me, beginning out, I never stopped trying. I practiced a lot during my free
time with my friends who played with me and cheered me on. I was able to work on my
coordination and stamina, build up the confidence, and genuinely enjoy the sport. I learned that
with basketball, what you see in court is only half of what it is. Basketball, when stripped of its
fancy courts and events, is at its core, the players that sacrifice their time to practice and hone their
skills, to fail and bounce back, and to be better at their craft. The process was as important as the
game itself.
Moreover, my past class and our class has reminded me of the importance of the rules.
Before, I have always thought that the rules were constricting and made the game less enjoyable.
I realized that these are created to guide people on how to play it properly and challenge them to
think better and creatively within these limits. These are established to ensure good gameplay and
ensure everyone’s safety and enjoyment. It has also taught me to play with sportsmanship as a
form of respect for the game, for the players who have put all of their efforts, the umpire and table
officials, organizers, and audience. Basketball in itself was a game meant to be enjoyed, not as a
cause for fights or ill intentions. It is a social activity meant to be enjoyed by everyone.
Lastly, it has taught me to be better at coordinating with people. Teamwork is important in
this sport. Basketball is played for forty-five minutes against five and more players. One cannot
win it alone even if he or she is talented. The sport has taught me that things will be more enjoyable
and easier with a team whom you can trust and support. They fill in my weaknesses and utilize my
strengths. Having a team and working together will always help me bounce back and do better. I
may have lost my shot in my early years because of my fears and anxiety but basketball has taught
me how to pick myself up again, hone my skills, appreciate the process, be fair, and to work with
my team. All of these things will provide me another shot to be better and win the game.