This was the first year in my new school and I got selected in the school basketball team. We as a team worked very hard together to improve our individual skills as well as team understanding. We practiced with full dedication in every PS slot and also came early in the morning for some days before the actual time to have an edge in our game. 2-3 months before the tournaments, I got 3 minor fractures and a ligament injury in my left foot but that didn’t stop me from playing in the tournament.

Learning outcomes I’ve achieved:

LO-1 – Identify own strengths and develop areas for growth

I’ve been playing basketball since a long time as a post player. The main duties of the post are collecting rebounds and finish the baskets from within the D area. I am very good at these skills, so this time I worked upon other posts, including controlling and playing at the 45 position. Thus, I worked hard in areas I could grow.

LO-4- Show commitment to and perseverance in CAS experiences.

Though being very tiring and painstaking, playing basketball has always been my passion. Therefore, I attended all my PS slots regularly even when I was lazy, tired or had some other pending school work. At home, I woke up early for doing enduring exercises which would boost my stamina to help me play more efficiently in the game.

LO-5- Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively.

Basketball is a team game and unlike other sports, you can’t perform well unless you have good coordination with your teammates. Being a new student in this academic year, I didn’t have good coordination with my teammates, most of whom are my seniors. So, I had to work additionally to build a rapport with everyone, and I think I managed it pretty well to an extent it doesn’t hamper the performance. We won the tournament.

LO-7- Recognize and consider the ethics of choices and actions.

During the matches, there are many players who deliberately push and intentionally hurt good players from opponent teams so that they have better chances at winning. Though, fowls are given but that doesn’t hamper their game to that extent. Winning at the cost of injury and hurting someone else is very unjust as per me and I could never do that. I implemented all these ethics while playing all my matches and it made me feel content happy that we won without cheating.

The final takeaway of this CAS experience for me is that one should always be sincere and committed to your passion. Challenges are inevitable in every experience we have, but that should not let you stop from fulfilling your purpose. Also, while playing one should always consider the game ethics and morales. It makes you a better sportsperson as well as a better person.