Sports Saves Lives

To many, sports have helped shape the person they are today—myself included. Most people tend to live through their hobbies. It’s what makes us who we are. What would we be without them? For a vast majority of the world, sports is a common hobby. Whether you are simply a fan, a coach, a ref, an athlete, a broadcaster, a reporter-–the sports community has brought the world together to bond over a shared passion. 

I have loved sports since as long as I can remember. To say there was a moment or time that made me fall in love with sports would be a lie. Basketball has always been my favorite. Not to brag…I’d like to think I’m pretty good at it. It’s definitely one of my strongest suits. There are so many elements that go into my love for basketball. For starters, I enjoy the rush of the game. I like how fast paced it is, it gets the blood pumping. Then, with the rush comes aggression. People who are passionate about the game can be extremely aggressive—coming from personal experience. Some even incorporate their anger into the game. Another reason why sports matter is it can be used as a coping mechanism. Not just for anger, but also as an escape, to clear your head when lost in your thoughts. The obvious reason why I love the sport so much is due to the fact that it’s entertainment–something engaging. Not to mention, it’s also great for your health. The list could go on but I think you get the idea. 

I grew up with an older sporty brother, as one does. I always wanted to join in on the activities he was doing—I just wanted to be close to him. So, he taught me how to play his favorite games. He taught me how to play many sports, basketball being the biggest one. That’s something we still share a great love for to this day. We both played basketball growing up, until we didn’t anymore. Although, here and there we will have a quick scrimmage on the street. Some of my favorite memories of us growing up playing together is our indoor basketball games because of how rough they’d get. We had a plastic hoop up on the wall in our playroom. I loved to cheat by latching onto his back, refusing to get off, attempting to drag him to the ground as a tactic to try to slow him down from playing to the best of his abilities. We enjoy going to Celtics games together where we can share our passion and love for basketball with the rest of the crowd. 

I can recall back to my very first Celtics game. It was Christmas morning of the year 2022, just when I thought I had finished opening my gifts, my dad handed me an envelope sealed with my name on it. I opened it to find four Celtics tickets–one for my brother, my father, my mother, and me. I had been waiting for this day ever so patiently. The game was on the following Easter Sunday. We parked by the old Courthouse and navigated our way down the streets of Boston to TD Garden. I remember seeing the streets mobbed with fans in their jerseys—I was wearing my brother’s hand-me-down Larry Bird Jersey. This is when it really started to hit me. There were people on every corner selling merchandise. We crammed into the Garden that was overflowing with fans. We got there extra early so I’d have time to browse around the shops. That’s where I purchased my first Celtics Jersey. Without any hesitation whatsoever, I had picked out the jersey of Marcus Smart. It was a no brainer, he had been my favorite for as long as I could remember from watching him play on tv with my brother. That is, after the Celtics traded Isaiah Thomas in 2017, who will forever be number one in my heart. Once I had my Smart Jersey, we went to find our seats. I couldn’t believe it, we were so close to the floor. We sat in one of the first few rows in the LOGE. From that point on, I sat there in a trance. I’m pretty sure I blacked out for a moment there. It was a memory I will cherish forever. 

Basketball helped shape the person that I am today because it taught me your family doesn’t have to be just blood. When you become part of a team, you become part of a family. You go through ups and downs together, you help one another grow and learn, but most of all you can turn to each other. It also taught me how to be a team player and a good sport. Winning isn’t the top priority. Sure, everyone wants to feel good with a big win. Although, it’s important to keep in mind that at the end of the day—it’s just a game. It’s about having fun and trying your hardest. It’s about putting in the work to get better. Playing a sport teaches you to push yourself past what you thought was your limit. 

The biggest sports related challenge I faced was in middle school. I had just been promoted to the top girl’s team to represent the school. All the girls were giving me a rough time because I was on the team below them the year before. They would leave me out, give looks, laugh, just like your average mean girls. It was horrible and extremely unwelcoming. Unfortunately, I caved in and quit. I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling of not being liked. I regret giving into their cruel ways to give up something I loved so deeply. But, it was a lesson learned. I know better now to not care what others may think. Though It cut deep, it was crucial to have gone through this. It taught me to grow thicker skin.  

Playing sports has ultimately taught me to have perseverance, good sportsmanship, how to regulate my emotions, and what it means to be part of a team. Since playing sports I have been nothing short of ambitious, constantly pushing myself to the best of my ability. Like I said previously, sports helped shape me into the person I am today. But in truth, I owe it all to my brother. For he is the one that taught me everything I know.