“Basketball & Life”

By Ken DeWeese, University of Mary Hardin Baylor...Belton, TX

BASKETBALL TEACHES US HOW TO HANDLE EACH ONE:

DEATH- The end of a basketball season comes so abruptly and rudely and that feeling of emptiness and “what do I do with all this time?” must be dealt with each year. I choose to handle it as if I lost my best friend, the most current basketball season, it has dominated my life and made my life very enjoyable since October so I must grieve for a while when it is gone and even though a new one is coming, it will be different from the last. When players have played their last year of

Eligibility, they must truly deal with a loss of a very good friend, Basketball as a Player.

TAXES- Basketball requires us to sacrifice for the good of the group.. As a citizen, that is supposed to be the reason we pay taxes, to benefit the group.

COMPETE- Basketball is just the beginning of competition for the student-athlete. Once they enter the work force, no longer a student or athlete, they had better COMPETE or…well it is dire circumstances for those that do not compete!

CRISES- In basketball, we go from crises to crises and they are never-ending. If you are in a trap at ½ court you have a crises and you must safely make a pass to get out of it, but alas, a new crises is now looming, it can be many from having to make a shot or get a rebound or help a teammate that is in a trap, then most definitely a defensive crises is on the horizon. The game is simply moving from one crises to another. It is the same in practice and it is the same in the team dynamic, A Crises will arise and another will surely follow.

"SELF DISCIPLINE QUOTE"

By Dr Walsh , (From a study by Duckworth Seligman at the University of Pennsylvania

"Self Discipline is TWICE as strong a predictor of

Success than Intelligence."

You always feel cheated, or left out when you are learning it. Self discipline is self deprivation without complaining because you are mature enough to see the greater good that will come.