My Experience about Basketball in USA

Liu - China

Joining basketball team was an accident, but it is the most wonderful one. The basketball season started in November, which was more than two months later after I have been the U.S. Because I did not take any gym classes; and people here in my host county drive cars to everywhere; I had no chance to do exercise. I was afraid that I would gain a lot weights after this school year, so I asked my friends at school for suggestions. They told me that I could do basketball; I thought it was club or something like that; I even did not think about it: what they were talking is the school varsity and JV team.

The first I went to basketball was conditioning; for a person who have never done any sports, like me, it was impossible to finish everything that coach told us. Half way of the first day, I gave up. I sat on the floor in the gym, thinking: I should just give up. The head coach came to me and asked what I thought about it. I told him that I should quit. Then he looked at me, asking, “Have you tried your best?” “I don’t know.” “What about try your best? If you still think you can’t do it, you can be the manager; you can still be a part of the team.”

So I decided not to give up and try my best to do one thing that I have never done before—basketball. I started getting knowing my teammates, from the names first. Everyone was so excited that a Chinese exchange student played basketball with them! There is always someone there when I need help.

Because of basketball, I got know one of my best friends here; and got know most people at school. I was getting better everyday; from having no idea how to shoot the basket, to make 70 percent of the foul shots. It was amazing how things going on. I joke with friends all the time, I hang out with my teammates, and we get running a lot after a bad game.

Our last home game, school played Chinese National Song for me before the game started! Two days before it, my JV coach even asked me if I had Chinese national flag with me! The crowd was screaming my name when I was on. Everyone was so excited and we tried our best to beat the other team. And we did make it, we won while people were cheering.

I have so many precious experiences with my basketball team, thus, I cried so hard when our last game of the season was over; even though we won both JV and Varsity games.

Now the basketball season is already over, but I am doing softball with my friend. I am pretty sure it would be another wonderful memory!