Blood, Sweat, and Shuttle Runs

By Aaron Worten

As I was coming back from ACSC volleyball, sad from a heartbreaking 15-13 loss to Faith in the third set, my mind suddenly switched gears, and I realized that basketball season was here.

With season 1 sports coming to an end, new faces and new talent started flooding in for the start of the basketball season. There were 23 people on the list before I even signed up. Students that ranged from freshmen to seniors were all eagerly waiting for the chance to prove what they could do on the court.

The day of tryouts finally came; many students were nervously waiting outside the gym. Then we were all called into the gym and started warming up. Kaden Keefer said, “I was nervous and didn’t know what to expect, but as we started getting into the flow of things, my mind cleared, and I just played ball.”

Many students, young and old, were all fighting for 12 open roster spots. We were then separated into 4 groups, and the first day of tryouts finally began. The first day we did basic dribbling, footwork, rebounding, shooting, and passing drills. Then to end it off with a cherry on top, Coach Loustale shouted the dreaded word “Baseline!” We then ended with a down and back and some suicides. We all went home, and that night the first cuts were made.

The next day as we headed back, the number of people had dwindled to 20. After warming up, we started the practice with a passing drill. The coaches wanted to see what we could do in a game situation, so we were separated into 4 teams of 5 and started scrimmaging. Watching them play, I saw all those guys working their butts off to make the team. They were hustling for every loose ball and fighting for every rebound. To end it off, the Coach once again shouted, “Baseline!” and many people were mentally preparing for sprints, but we just did a full-court passing drill. Afterward, we all headed home excited and nervous for that dreaded email that would come that night.

At home, my phone notifications were going off with my friends who were anxious about whether they had made the team or not. Many people refreshed their email page over and over again. The emails started to come out one by one, which created even more suspense, especially for the seniors who wouldn’t know till the next morning. After all the emails were sent out on who made it or not, a sense of relief and excitement came for some people.

Onyu Kwak (12) stated, “I was almost certain I didn’t make the team. Waiting for the results to come out, I was really nervous, but when I saw my name on the roster, I was flabbergasted, and I couldn’t believe that I made it.”

Jong-Min Park (12) also described tryouts through some wise words, “I couldn’t feel my legs.”

Through this I learned an important lesson. Whether you are going to make it or not, give it your all. That is what I saw on the court, and it made me really proud to see everyone compete.