In seventh grade, I was a chubby, 5Ɖ boy who liked to have fun and play sports. I did not want to go out for the basketball team at my school because never played in on team where it counted. A friend of mine named Tony who played basketball with me in the little ages convinced me to try-out for the team with him.

When try-outs came, I was nervous! I wanted to make the team because it seemed like something fun. The coach, Dave Gillette, was out going; he knew how to coach basketball but most importantly knew that we all wanted to have fun. Coach Gillette made us condition for the first three weeks of practice, so we were able to have more endurance and stamina then the other team; during these three weeks of conditioning, I was not having fun and neither were the other guys because we did not even touch a basketball. We were running suicides, running the stairs, and running around the track; but Coach Gillette told me personally that as long as I gave it my all he would not cut me. Cuts came after the end of those dreadful three weeks, and I was still there happier then ever because Couch saw me give it my all.

When the season came around, we out hustled everyone on the court. We messed around in some of the games just to have fun because we knew we were going to win. By the end of the season, we did not lose one game! Coach Gillette told us at the last practice that he was proud of us and wanted us to know that as along as we practice hard like we have this season then anything is possible no matter what.

That was my first season under an actual coach, and I believe that because of Coach and going undefeated it made me realize that this is what I want to do in life: play basketball!