What is the most exciting thing that is experienced?

By Lara from Germany

Exciting? To me the whole year was exciting. I lived through ups and downs in these 10 months that I have never thought of before. MY exchange year occurred in Armuchee, Georgia. Of all the great things there is one major time period that has probably had the most effect on my in my entire life.

The first one, the one I want to talk about, is my basketball team, The Lady Indians. I played sports all my life. I used to be always good enough to play on my soccer team without working a whole lot because I was pretty good. Since Armuchee High School, the school I am attending right now, just has right above 600 students the after-school-activities consists out of softball, cross country, cheerleading, football, basketball, tennis, soccer, baseball and track & field. I wanted to try something new. I decided to play basketball. I had never seen the game; I had no clue how you even play basketball. I knew that you were supposed to throw the ball in the basket. That's all. I was pretty confident at first, I met two girls, that showed me how to play and encouraged me to try out for the team. We got closer to the beginning of the season and suddenly there were more and more people joining us at the open gym times. Mostly it was the varsity team at first; I saw them play and knew that I will not have a chance ever in my life to get just nearly as good as they are. So I started to get afraid, because my goal was to make the team.

More and more of the Junior Varsity showed up and even they were still a lot better than me. But I wanted to and I decided to work hard. The first day of the try-outs nearly killed me. I think in my life I have never been in so much pain. I could feel muscles I have never felt before and my biggest problem was my language barrier at first that made it more difficult to understand, when my coach was yelling out the next drill.

I was done. I was positive I was not going to make the team, there could be no way. But I loved the girls each of them. The team was like a family, everybody supported their teammates. I decided to talk to the coach, asked her if there could be a way that I may be a "water-girl" or the "manager" or just keep on practicing. Her answer to my question was: "Don't think you cannot make the team! But even if it won't work you can practice with us. Lara, the girls love you so much, we want you to be with us". I didn't expect that. I though why in the world do they want me, the little German girl, that cannot even make a single basket. But it made me happy; it showed me how much my team already cared about me, even if they didn't know me really well.

So, the day after the try-outs were over the team was made. I didn't make it, but I was on the list and it said "practice team" I was the only girl in that school, which probably ever had that opportunity to be the "practice team" by herself. I went to every practice, every day two hours, I was exhausted, but for that team I would have done anything in the world. I was slow, me being slow when we had to run made everybody run even more till I made it in time, too. Instead of getting made, the encourage me and supported me. I got more and more into the rhythm, two girls had to quit playing, which gave me my chance. On the day before the first game I asked if I could ride on the bus with the team. My Coach said "No Lara, you are a part of the team you will dress out too. Two girls quit so you will get a jersey too."

Instead of watching the first basketball game in my life from the bleachers I was sitting on the bench. We lost, we were late, and we did not play good. I thought our try-outs were hard, this practice after our first game was worse; I ran so much that I had to throw up afterwards, but I knew why I was running. We didn't get mad each other, but we ran for each other and we ran as a team.

My second game, I expected just being the little German benchwarmer for the rest of the season. We were winning by a lot, so suddenly my coach said" Lara, it is your turn. Go in!" My heart stopped beating, my eyes got major big. I didn't even know how to play but they trusted me to not kill anybody out there. That was the first time I played. We were a great team. I played more. In one game the whole team tried to make me score, because they wanted me to get some points. I did not work out that well. But I felt as if I am a part of our team. Our Varsity girls made it to state.

It was a great time. I do not regret a single minute I spend on running, running and running, because those girls gave me so much strength. It helped me to find my place here in the U.S. I love each of the girls and every single coach. They have all had so much faith in me, that is hard to believe for me. But it was great!