Basketball

One of my greatest passions in life is the sport of basketball. From the time I was five years old, I was hooked on basketball. My mom signed me up for basketball leagues and even private lessons. Any free time I ever had you could find me at the basketball courts. Middle school was the time that I started playing basketball competitively. While I enjoyed playing for my team, I was always frustrated by the fact that I was not a good shooter. For all the time I spent practicing, it was really disappointing to me that I was only recognized on my team as being good defensively. No matter how much I practiced, I could not improve my scoring. This pattern continued through my sophomore year of high school. It was a trip to visit my family in New Jersey that enabled me to change this pattern.

The summer between my sophomore and junior year of high school, I spent a couple of weeks in New Jersey with my aunt and uncle. My uncle, an avid basketball player, had been playing since childhood and has continued to play in his mid 50s. My uncle and I played a lot those few weeks and I was there. It was in those two weeks playing basketball with him that my game completely changed. After a few days of watching me play, my uncle tweaked my skills and as a result, changed my attitude with seeking guidance when wanting to make a change, whether it is basketball or anything else.

My uncle identified four different things that I needed to improve my shooting skills. The first thing he identified was my eye placement in relationship with the hoop. The second thing he pointed out was that my wrist did not have enough motion in it. The third weakness he saw was the direction of my elbow. And lastly, he said that my knees were too stiff. I spent my remaining time in New Jersey incorporating these changes into my shooting. When I returned home, I continued through the summer to practice this new way of shooting.

For months, I practice this new way of...