Ball is Life

If basketball could be rated from 1 to 10 – 1 liking basketball the least and 10 liking basketball the most – I would rate basketball a 15. Now, some people may rate basketball a 10, maybe even express their love of basketball beyond the boundary of 10 by rating it an 11. I need to go beyond that even. I love basketball so much that it rates at 15!

I love basketball because it keeps me happy, in shape, and out of trouble. Basketball is a sport of accountability. High school students need to pass their classes or they cannot play on a team.

Basketball teaches discipline. If a student does not develop discipline on and off the court, they won’t get to play. Basketball teaches strategy, particularly time management. Players need to balance their academic studies, practice, and a social life. But, who needs a social life when you have basketball?

Basketball is a family tradition in the Howell family. My father and uncle play, and when I was a little girl I would go to my uncle’s games and watch him play. It takes courage to play basketball on a New York City court. It was exciting to watch my uncle play. I would daydream about having the same skills as my uncle, and play as he did. I wanted to play with strength and confidence. My uncle thinks that he is nice like Michael Jordan. And, I agree.

In the Nike commercial entitled “Failure” Michael Jordan famously explains what it means to succeed when he says, “I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” How I will succeed is to continue to practice so that when it is my turn to take the game winning shot I am prepared to shoot with confidence. 

The High School Life

Thurgood Marshall Academy (TMA) shaped me to be the person I am today. When I transferred to Thurgood Marshall in ninth grade, I was the new girl and did not know anybody. Most of the students had graduated together from eighth grade at TMA, so when ninth grade started clichés had already been made. But, it was surprisingly easy to make friends. For me, the problem was not making friends; it was making the wrong kinds of friends.

I stated gambling and hanging out with the wrong crowd. I cut class. I soon learned that the friends I had made were not real friends. The friends I made were only my friends when it was time to have fun, not when I needed them. You live and you learn.

I wanted to play basketball for the TMA Girl’s Basketball Team, but as long as I was cutting classes I could not play. You’d think I would have learned freshmen year how to get straight and do it right. But, sophomore year started out like freshman year. First semester I failed classes and hung out in the halls instead of going to class. Academics were not my main focus, getting money was, and I got money by gambling (which was also illegal).

My mom, my teachers, and my student advocate lectured me frequently about not completing my schoolwork. They would ask if I wanted to go to college. I told them all that I wanted to go to college but I did not know how to transition from a student that did not work to a student that did their work.

Then, I enrolled at the Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ). HCZ is an organization that works with students, helping them with their homework. I started to get back on track. Junior year the gambling game was getting old for me, and my grades had improved. I was maturing more and more with each day. But, because of the academic damage I had done during my freshman and sophomore years I was still ineligible to play basketball. My story is a cautionary tale for other high school students. Start your high school career strong, that way you won’t be catching up in the end.