Being intimidated simply by the vast look of the court did not appear to be a good sign. I walked into the gym my freshman year planning on trying out for the high school basketball team. I was overwhelmed. I had never second guessed trying out, but walking into the East gym on that late October morning I felt unsure. I had not expected to be so nervous. I had been in the gym before and not until that day did I realize how grand it really was. I considered quitting before the try-outs even started, but when they actually did start my consideration became more serious. I surprised myself because I had never considered myself a quitter, but I had never been so scared of basketball players in all my eight years of playing either. They were faster, stronger and seemed to do everything better than me. I forced myself through try-outs, making it, and realizing that even though high school sports are so much harder than junior high sports it's worth it in the end. .
To most high school freshmen the easiest thing to do is quit the sport, even though they have been playing all their lives. They feel like they have enough to do with harder classes and their social life picking up, they do not feel like they can pile the stress of a harder sport too. The best advice I can give them is to think about why they are quitting. Is it because they do not like it anymore and do not enjoy it or is it because they do not want to work hard. If it is because they do not enjoy it then they need to quit, but if it is because they do not want to work hard than they should not. They will soon realize that they are happy that they are working harder. They will improve quicker and because of that they will have more fun. .
I learned all this from an upper classman who took me under her wing when she realized how discouraged I was. One day after an extremely grueling and frustrating practice for me she took me out for ice cream.
