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"One Last Season" by Chloe Boyd

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Walking into the gym this year feels different. Tryouts are over, but this time it’s not just about the season that lies ahead; it’s knowing this will be the last time I do this as a Dalat player. Everything that used to feel normal and repetitive now feels different. Shoes squeaking whilst running through the gym doing some warmup that feels totally out of place for basketball, the ball echoing through the gym as we run the Laker Drill (for the third time), and those moments before practice, when the gym is quiet and empty, all remind me how much I’m going to miss this. Basketball has been a huge part of my life at Dalat, and it’s difficult to picture myself leaving it behind.

Basketball has become much more than a game in my life. It’s been “bonding” during inchworms, encouraging words when I was close to giving up, and becoming friends with people you would have never imagined. 

Mary Grace Guffy, a player from last year, even said, “Basketball challenged and expanded my capacity to lead and connect with people I likely never would have made outside of the sport. It created friendships that I value so much to this day, and otherwise would never have made. Basketball is an avenue for so much growth and fun!” 

It’s where I, and many others, learned how to work with others, push myself, and keep showing up for my team even when I really didn’t want to. It’s taught me discipline, responsibility (especially these past two years), and to notice and appreciate the small things, whether we win or not. Every season has shaped me, not just as a player, but as a person.

Seeing the younger players reminded me of when I played throughout these four years, and how far I’ve come since then, not only as a player but as a person. It’s strange to see it all come full circle and realise I’ve grown so much and that now I’m someone they look up to, as I used to do to the older players. Watching them do the same things I have done and being able to resonate with them made me appreciate even more how special it is to be part of this team and how loving and nurturing the environment we have is.

When the season, and inevitably the year, ends, I know leaving the team will be one of the hardest things to say goodbye to. Playing basketball is something I have dedicated a lot of my time and effort to; it's been four days a week during the season, countless CrossFit sessions to improve my ability to play, Saturday mornings, Sunday afternoons, Advanced Fitness, and so many more things. It's a game I love entirely, and I honestly cannot imagine playing somewhere that isn’t here with my teammates (although I wish some of them would come back).

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