Imagine At Least One Female Dunker On Your High School Team

After watching my Hamden Hall Boys put a beating on Hopkins, I was inspired by the energy that was created when, 6'8, Darren Payen cleaned up the missed shot, in the opening minute of the game, with a monstrous dunk. The crowd erupted! Hopkins had no chance from then on.

I really started to think, "what if I could dunk!" or "what if one of my teammates could dunk!". The closest high school girls basketball players can get to a dunk is a long three pointer. It seems to have a similar affect from the crowd, but not nearly as much as a dunk would. Imagine a Lisa Leslie, Brittney Griner, Candace Parker, or Michelle Snow on your team. Your coach would set up out of bounds lob plays for her to get a quick bucket. And even scoring the go-ahead basket in the last seconds of the game would be much easier with a tall, leaping presence at the rim ready to slam home or tip in any miss.

It is just funny because if the average female basketball player goes on a fast break, she can only lay it up. Many of us would be thankful to tap backboard on our lay-ups. The dunk seems like a more high percentage shot than any other. I could be totally wrong, but to my eye it is the highest percentage shot. Yes, there is always a potential to miss, but you are right there at the rim, and all you have to do is put the ball in the hoop. I know easier said then done, but still all that is needed is a some elevation and authority. Everything would be so much easier. Maybe more people would start attending girls' games if they knew of such female phenomenons. It would be a great addition to the female game if it could be done regularly.

On that note...to all female basketball players, we can achieve more than just a lay-up (lol). I am going to keep working on my ups and maybe next year I will be dunking; you never know! Impossible is nothing. :)

www.nhregister.com

Who Ever Said Overcoming Self-Defeat Was Easy?

As I sit here at my computer, to the front of me is my window portraying a winter wonderland, to the back of me is a pile of dirty clothes, to the left of me is my wall of Love & Basketball quotes, and to the right of me is a mirror reflecting an image of a young woman who is self-defeated. This young woman is me.

It is so easy to dish out advice to other people about how to overcome and how to face adversity. It comes second nature to me; I love helping out other people if they are in a mental and emotional jam, but I can't seem to do the same for myself. I have been in a mental slump for about 26 hours now, and I say it is time to get out of it. If I continue to be in this slump, I will let my teammates and coaches down and that is something I have always feared of doing. That is the worst thing I can do; it would be selfish to make my team pay for my frustrations .

The first thing I think I need to do is smile. Anyone should be able to smile after a hard-fought win, but I just couldn't. I cannot go back in time, instead I will live for right now and right now only. Smiling is probably one of the most simple and healthiest therapies. It may be hard at times, but it's free! a lot of things don't come free these days, but a smile most definitely does.

Second thing, I need to do is accept responsibility. I can't keep holding on to past mistakes. I have to take responsibility for my actions and improve my attitude for my team. To not take responsibility for my actions would be like playing the victim. The world doesn't revolve around one single person. And I for sure don't want to be the victim in any situation, but rather the hero.

Third thing is that I need to learn how to finish what I started. Never do I want any of my tasks, goals, or commitments be left undone and unfinished, it would put myself and the people around me in jeopardy. It is difficult to feel good about your abilities if you haven't experienced the success and rewards from it, so then that's when I work even harder to get there and not feel sorry for myself that nothing is going my way.

I am my worst critic. It is a learning experience, and it is going to take time, but I have to be proactive about it. I am going to take the initiative and work hard at overcoming this self-defeating behavior. Bruises from a tough game can hurt for days. Scratches from a pick up game can leave long-lasting welts. Scars from self-defeat can virtually stay on your body forever, unless you turn the situation around and demonstrate a positive attitude as much as you can. 

I am ready to make the change.

www.nhregister.com

A New Year's Resolution For All Players

Stop cursing on the court! It's ignorant, it's unprofessional, and it's not sportsmanship-like. Players now just say it like saying hi and bye. Saying the "F word" after you miss a lay-up is not going to make the next lay-up go in.  What can you possibly gain from throwing belligerent profanities out on the court for everyone to hear? If I was a coach scouting a game, and my recruit displayed a lack of care for the game by cursing, I would most likely remove he/she from my list. I don't need a player like that on my team. I need positivity. I don't get it. What's wrong with just saying it in your head? This way you hear it and no one else does. Be as frustrated as you want without scarring the 3 year old boy that is sitting in the front row watching the game. You never know who is in the stands.

This year let's strive to play clean. If you have to, take a nice cap full of Listerine, gargle, and spit the profanities down the sink before every game. It will leave you with pearly whites and a clean attitude. :)

www.nhregister.com