Basketball is my life and the center of my dreams. Since my father introduced me to this sport, I have been passionate about it. When I was four years old, I received my first Fisher Price basketball court. The court was at my house and the basket was only five feet high. My parents placed it in the living room because it was the only room in the house without a carpet. I practiced shooting every day. I wore my dad's sneakers and imitated the basketball moves I saw on TV. At that age, I was not yet aware of my potential for this sport, but my father knew that it would most likely become a passion. When I was five years old, my father took me to the park with a basketball, and I remember the day I made my first basket. After that, I continued playing in basketball leagues and working out every night with my dad at gyms. It was the best of times. Basketball became an important thread in my life and ultimately proved to help guide the decisions I made for my future. I had to do a lot of work at first, but it was worth it because it paved the way for me to have the opportunity to play at the college level. When practices are difficult now and the demands of being a college athlete seem overwhelming, thinking back to my earliest basketball memories brings me happiness and keeps me going. Some of the reasons I love basketball are because it's a challenge, it helps me improve as an athlete. person and teaches me a lot about life. In this sport, I learned to mentally prepare myself for events. When I'm in a game and I'm down by two points with just a few seconds left on the clock, I know exactly what play to make. I also know how to use the energy I have left in my body and mind... middle of paper ... I hear the fans chanting, shouting and cheering for my team. When I make a shot and they cheer me on, I have the feeling of being loved, even loved, by others. When fans come up to me after matches, say my name and tell me I had a good match, I'm happy. Naturally, I smile when the younger ones tell me that they admire me and that they want to be as good, or even better, than me one day when they grow up. To be loved because of my work on and off the field is a privilege. I strive to be a person of integrity, a leader and a good role model because the game I love has given me the opportunity to set a good example and have it noticed and copied. When newspapers or online media sites talk about the good things I do, I fill myself with joy. But it is a joy not only for basketball, but also for other areas of life..