Basketball was introduced to me in the school itself, I never knew I would love this sport so much until I started playing it. It is among one of the fastest games in the world, which really fascinated me. The game is played by 10 players in total, with 5 players from each team on a rectangular court. The aim is to score the highest number of baskets in the opponents’ side of the ring. In school, we get to choose between the sports we would like to learn. So, I chose basketball as my Physical Activity. I also participated in certain basketball tournaments, including a district level basketball tournament too.
LO1: Identify own strengths and develop areas for growth
While performing several drills which would help us improve our game, I realised that my aims at the basket were really good. I was able to score a basket from anywhere under the three-pointer line. My coach also told me I would be able to become a good controller if I practice my dribbling and long passing well.
So, I set my goals to become better at the sport:
- Practicing my shooting, and try to shoot from beyond three pointer line too.
- Work on my dribbling and long passing skills
One most important strength of mine was that I knew the rules of the game very well, so I would usually make minimum silly fauls, and secondly, I understood that it is a team sport. So I used my team players well too.
LO2: Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills
For being a good controller, strong and smooth dribbling of the ball is very important. I was good at right hand dribbling, as right hand is my dominant hand, however, I needed to make my left hand dribbling strong to be able to switch the ball smoothly and control it better.
I took it up as a challenge and practiced drills where in we had to use only the left hand for dribbling. This did make my left hand dribbling better, however I couldn’t gain confidence to dribble with my left hand during matches. That is when my coach made it compulsory for me to use my left hand only during practice matches. Several times initially I couldn’t control my ball. I felt a bit demotivated, but slowly, I could perform better.
I also personally took up the challenge of shooting from beyond three-pointer line.
LO 4: Showing commitment and perseverance in CAS experiences
I believe commitment is the most important thing to succeed in any sport, or art. Initially, I did not take basketball very seriously. I played the sport just for fun. However, as our coach announced selections for the tournament, I was determined to be selected. I knew it was going to be tough, so I made sure I practiced thoroughly. Apart from school, I also went for practicing basketball during weekends. It was really tiring and difficult to wake up early in the morning, and my study schedule was also getting affected because I usually study in the morning rather than at night. So my mother suggested I should go for my practice in the evenings. It used to be an exhausting schedule, but I didn’t give up and got selected for my district level tournament. I was glad about my achievements, and learnt that nothing is impossible if one puts in effort.
I had a lot of fun in this CAS experience, and I wish to continue playing basketball too because it gives me a lot of happiness and helps me keep myself physically fit as well. I couldn’t achieve my goal of shooting from beyond three pointer line, but I am sure I will be able to do that as well with more practice.
