Basketball

Basketball is something that I've done ever since I was little. It's made up a big part of my life growing up, and it's still a good chunk of my life right now. I started playing basketball around the age of 6. I remember going out on my driveway after dinner, just practicing on my dribbling and trying out new things. No matter what I was doing, my goal was just to get better. I don't know why I loved the sport so much at the time, but back then I didn't really care.

I guess my reasoning for it now is partially because of my father. My dad loves basketball with a passion. He used to play in his free time back in China and he even managed to play for his high school team. While growing up my dad would become super excited whenever there was a basketball game on the TV. I remember watching the games with him, while he would comment on the game every now and then about a play. I guess I felt attached to the sport at first sight since this could be the one thing that my dad and I really have in common. So from that point on, I set a goal to keep getting better and better. My new found love for the sport also let me spend some quality time with my dad when I was a child. My parents back then were probably working 10+ hour jobs daily. I wouldn't see them when I woke up to go to school and I barely saw them when they came home late at night. So on the rare days that my dad gets to leave work early I would always ask him to play basketball with me. I remember that I would constantly try to show off to him whenever we would play a game, showing him the new tricks that I taught myself, or how much better my shooting improved. There was one thing that really bugged me about playing against my dad, it was the fact that he would win every single game. No matter how hard I tried, how lucky I got, he would always win. So probably from the age of 8 and beyond I would make new goal to beat my dad at basketball. This was especially tempting because my mom would always taunt me saying things like, "How can a young child like you possibly beat your dad in basketball?". It took me quite some time, but I finally did it a couple years later. I can't really give myself all the credit though because during those times, my dad's health got worse and he was more tired after work. I really miss those moments now. By now my dad is too fragile or tired to play basketball with me. It's not like I would have time either due to schoolwork or other activities. Nevertheless, I miss the father-son time that we used to share. It was the only way I really felt connected to him.

I still play basketball to this day, although maybe not as much as I would like and I'm probably not as motivated by it. For now I just do it as a hobby. I never joined any basketball league or team because I felt like that restricted the game in too many ways. The petty fouls and the occasional travels aren't a big deal when you just play with friends or in a pick-up game. I hope that basketball will remain in my life for the years to come. It's an outlet and a hobby that I appreciate with all my heart.

Friendship.

Friendship, one of the really major things that I value in life. It's a relationship with a person that you regard with affection and trust. I would much rather have a close knit group of friends compared to knowing every person in the school. Another thing is that I like to keep long term relationships with friends, meaning that I would go out of my way to stay in contact with a person who I feel like is drifting away from me. I value my friends a lot and would pretty much do anything for them. There's just this sort of energy when I'm around them that makes me feel safe and secure. I know most of their habits and how they act, and they pretty much know mine. I honestly can tell them anything about me without having to worry about being embarrassed. I'm really glad that I have the kind of friends that I do because there's people out there with just acquaintances rather than friends.

There's also those types of people who act like they're you're friends one minute and ditch you the next. That's why I'm so hesitant on making new friends or meeting new people. I mean sure, it's a great thing to get to know others, but you can't really tell what a person is like just after a few encounters. Also, there are those who have a misunderstanding of who their friends are. I'm not trying to sound harsh or selective or anything, but it's true. For example, if you're constantly hanging out with the same group of friends and suddenly one day someone just decides to randomly go with your group and act like they've been there the whole time. Like honestly, what are they thinking? Are they just trying to be a part of a new group or just have nothing better do? Either way it just annoying to me. There's just a lot of risks in meeting new people I suppose. You can't be too sure on what kind of information to tell them, and depending on the type of person you are, the trust factor has a big determination in how close you make friends.

The bond between friends is a very strong one. To me, they're basically the family that is there for you when your real family isn't. I treat them basically the same way as my real family, with the exception of being overly polite at times to my family. I guess a better word for them would be an extended family. I'm just really grateful towards all of my friends and everything that they've done to me. This weeks been pretty stressful for me and if it wasn't for my friends I would be in a mess right now. Like there's just something that I don't tell ym family either because I feel like they wouldnt understand or it would make matters worse and so that's when my friends are there for me, they cheer me up and help me through all the rough moments that I have.

Quickwrite: Cooperation VS Competition

Prompt- Do people achieve more success by cooperation than by competition?

I believe that it depends on the situation that a person is in that determines whether or not they will become more successful in. It can vary depending on the environment along with the people that may be involved. Cooperation helps because ideas can be shared and the work can also be split up evenly. However, competition gives humans this drive, or determination to achieve success. This pushes a person's work ethic and because of the idea of competition, new successes can be achieved.

The first thought that comes to mind when I think of people cooperating with each other is when they are working together on a project. In any other situation I believe that the person can accomplish the workload independently. Projects require extra work and effort that is expected to be put in. Working in a group can enhance the overall success of this because you have different people collaborating together, with ideas being shared and different strengths, which can lead to success in groups.

As for competition, it all depends on your expectation of success. The human ego can act as a 'boost' in this kind of situation. The thought of coming in first place and being the very best is what drives everybody. The whole world is a competition. This mental drive can force a person to go through great lengths to achieve success. IT however call comes down to the person itself. The person must have a strong will and determination in order to use this mentality as an advantage. Striving to be the best is what every single person has in common. Whether it be at one subject or another, everyone wants to be able to say that they're the best at something, anything.

This whole question can be answered with another question. What is success? Depending on what a person views as success, whther it be a personal one, or one that society recognizes. Either way works, but I personally believe that to obtain the most success, both personally and in society, competition is key. Everyone has a goal they want to reach and it all boils down to this drive that keeps them going. A strive to be the very best that a person can be is the key to success.