Basketball Season So Far

This year, my basketball season has been very interesting. We are currently 3-4 on the season and on a two game winning streak. Our new style is finally coming together and we are now playing as a team. But tomorrow we have a tournament that will show us how good we really are. We are hosting this event at our school and many good teams are attending. We play Concord the first round who knocked us out of our tourney last year. So the first game is going to be very difficult and intense. Our second game, win or loose will be a tougher challenge. We will be playing either Berkeley or McClymonds, two very good teams that will be tough to beat. Last season we got fifth place in our tournament so it won't be very difficult to do better. I don't expect this team to win this tournament because we will have to get past a lot of talented schools. We will probably get no lower than fifth place. I don't think we are ready for this tournament because we still have things to go over. This is probably going to be the toughest tourney I have ever played in my career. I'm a little nervous even though I am not going to play that much.

It is now two days after the start of this event and we have played two games so far. Our first game, against Concord, was a very exciting game. It was a defensive game that only went up to about forty points. We needed our revenge on them so we came out determined to end the game early. But Concord is a very talented team and stuck in it. The score was very close throughout the whole game. We never lost the lead until the final two minutes of the game which is very disappointing because we worked so hard to keep the lead and to have it taken away from you during the final minutes is devastating. But we got over it quick and came back to tie the score. It went into over time and we gave it our all. We took a early six point lead and never looked back. We won the game by four point and we moving on to play McClymonds.

McClymond and De La Salle are the two best basketball teams in California and they both are in our tournament. We had the opportunity to play McClymond for a chance at the championship game. We started off slow because we had to adjust to their extremely tall players. After a while we figured out how we needed to play against this team and rallied back down ten. We would get as close to one point away from leading but would loose our focus and let them extend their lead. It was like this until the last couple of minutes of the second quarter. They somehow started to pull away from us. It wasn't all our fault, most of the decisions the coach made were poor and hurt the team badly. Because of our coach we went from loosing by one point to trailing by fifteen. After this we were questioning our coach during the game and we just completely lost our focus. We lost and we got very mad at our coach and told the head coach of the varsity squad how we felt. I don't know what is going to happen tomorrow and who will coach us. All I know is that we are playing Skyline High for the third place prize and I get to play against one of my teammate on a other basketball organization. Despite all these distractions we will still play our hearts out like usual and try to come out of our own tournament with the third place trophy, which will be much better than our sixth place finish last season.

My Basketball Tournment

This week I had a basketball tournament at Central Valley High School. It starts on thursday and ends on friday and we stay their for two nights. I am doing my blog post from my host families house who are very nice. They are very kind and welcomed us in with open arms. At first, I was a little scared about living with strangers for two days but once I met them I knew it was going to be fun. Our first game went extremely well and we played great. We won that game by 10 points. After the game we went to our host families house and ate dinner, played video games, and had a good sleep. The next day was fun as well. There was an school assemble that was about all the basketball teams that participated in the tourny. It had a shooting contest, dunking contest and other fun activities that was a lot of fun to watch. After it was over, we had to get ready for our game. So we had a walk through session to help us understand what we needed to do more clearly. It help us a lot by letting us know what we need to do and get things straightened out. Then came our game, we started off slow and had to fight our way back it. We trailed Shasta High the whole game and lost by ten points. It was very disappointing and we know we should have won. The intensity, compassion, and determination was there but we came up short in the end. Now I am back at my host family,s house. Resting up for the game tomorrow and about to eat pizza for dinner then watch a movie. I can't wait for tomorrow because we will be playing for third place. It isn't first but at least we have chance to win a trophy and bring it back to Alameda. We will be playing the host school, Central Valley. They are not a very talented team and we should win easily.

My First Game

Today is my first basketball game of the season. I am very excited to see how good our team really is. We have high expectations this year because of how we preformed last season. But I'm not so sure we will come through with the wins. We have a new coach and I don't think that our team will execute well under his system. I still think we are a solid team but I don't believe that we are as good a team as last year. With many new players and a new coach it is hard to adjust to a new style after preforming our previous system so well. I don't understand why we are changing how we play because we won almost all our games last year. But its the coaches decision and we have to respect it.

It is now the next day and the game is over. We lost by four points. It was a well played game by both teams and was decided during the last minute. We had many mistakes as a team that we know we should have not made. I guess we were just a little rusty because we haven't played a game together since last year. But that not an excuse for loosing. We are too good of a team to let a team we know we are better than us win. Our team needs to get back on track and win. We won about twenty-four games last year and did not loose a game until the middle of the season. So for us to loose our first game, its disappointing and frustrating. Because of our success last year each player on this team gets extremely disappointed when we loose. This team never looses to teams we know that we can demolish. No one likes the feeling and no one wants to get to the point where we have that discomfort most of our games. I'm not going to make any excuses nor blame it on anyone because we know that we have to be pursue perfection every game. This year is going to be very long and hard but we have to come out on top of our league like we did last season. This may be my last season playing any sports so I have to try my best and give it my all. Leave it all out on the court. This season can be very enjoyable and fun but we have to do our best because we do not have the motivation and determination we had last season. No more excuse, no complaining, just execute our system and keep winning.

This Week / Year

This week has been extremely chaotic. At the beginning, I was deciding weather I was going to play varsity football for the NCS playoffs. After a very tough decision, was going to give it a try. That day, we had our first practice and it was very boring. All I did was stand on the sidelines waiting for the coaches to give me a chance to play. But they never did. the time was going by extremely slow and I was very bored because I had not got on the field yet. When practice was coming to an end we had to condition our bodies. So we ran for a very long time and did other things that made us tired. After practice was over, I thought to myself, all I did during that practice was stand on the sidelines and condition myself. At that moment I realized that the team did not need me and it was pointless for me to play. So I quit the team. Another reason why I decided to quit was because I had basketball tryouts. The very next day I decided that I would go to the tryouts and play the sport I loved. The tryouts didn't go as I expected it to. I didn't know that I would be so rusty after not playing for only one month. I couldn't make a shot, executed drills incorrectly, and made bad decisions. I didn't think I was going to make the team. But the next day, after practicing hours at my house, I was much better. I was content with how I preformed but I know it was not the best of my abilities. I was frustrated and I didn't know how to make myself better. Even though I am getting better every practice, I am still not as good as I want to be. I also don't know what my chances are on making the team. Basketball is my favorite sport and I will be furious if I got cut from the team. This year has been very hard and frustrating but I know I have to forget about what has happened and move on with my life.

This year has been a confusing one. At first, I wanted to play for the football team after I decided I would give it up for good. After a very disappointing season, I had a decision to make on if I would like to play for the varsity team in the NCS playoffs. When I wanted to give it a try, I quit after the first practice. Then, trying out for the basketball team was extremely bad. I didn't and still don't know what is wrong with my game. Its hard to figure out what I am doing wrong and I need to fix it fast before I get cut from the team and give up sports for my life. I am very sure that if I do not make the basketball team this year, I will give it up for my whole life and focus on other things in life. This year has been very hard on me and I don't know when its going to turn around and if it ever will. But I will keep on focusing on the positive things and carry on from that.

Start of a New Season

Now that the football season is coming to an end, i am now reminiscing on what I have accomplished this year. I am wondering on how much I have improved in the game and if I will play in the future. This year has been very tough for me because I joined late and I was basically catching up the whole year. This season has been very disappointing and that's why I am questioning if I should play next year. But I know I can't keep on thinking about my disappointments this year. I have basketball season to look forward to. This year is going to be very interesting. We have a new coach that I am not familiar with. It will be very challenging and hard at some times, but I think we will have a successful year.
Even though my football year was very disappointing, I still can look forward to the basketball season. My tryouts start this Monday and I know I still need a lot of practice. I have not played basketball in about three months and I'm scared I will make a bad first impression on the new coaches. During these tryouts I will have a lot more pressure and will be more nervous because I don't know if I have what it takes to make the team. Basketball has always been my favorite sport to play but after this long season of football, I am not sure I am ready to start basketball. It is very hard to change sports without any break or time to practice. It is a lot more difficult but I think by body has what it takes to make the transition. I don't know if I will have a lot of fun playing basketball this year if I make the team. I do not really like our new coach and the style we are playing. For this reason, I am also skeptical if I want to play. Basketball has always been my favorite sport but as I get older I am losing the passion to play. Its a tough decision I have to make and I hope in the end it will work out for the best.

My Blogs

In the beginning I decided that I was going to write mainly on sports. It was very fun and exciting to finally write about something I enjoyed. But after a while, I didn't know what else I could write about. So I tried something different, I tried writing about myself and it was very effective. I would write about how my decisions and experiences in my life have made me the man I am today. It seemed like I was going to enjoy writing again. As the weeks went on, my blogs kept on getting better and better but I realized that the more personal my blogs are the better it gets. So I decided that I would stop writing about my personal experience and write about something else. So that's where I am today and I hope that I can think of something that I enjoy writing about.
Writing these blogs have always been fun for me. It has told me a lot of myself and who I am. They helped me see what I have done with my life so far and what decisions I made. I didn't realize all the things I actually did until I read my blogs. Its hard to believe that after all these years in my very short life, I have done so much things that had an impact on who I am today. Each experience has taught me something very special and gave me a better understanding of myself. Writing about sports and my personal experiences had been very enjoyable, but I am ready to start writing about something else. I hope I will be able to find something that I enjoy writing about as much as I loved writing about sports. These blogs have been extremely fun to write and I hope that I will continue to have a lot of fun making new blogs that everyone can read and enjoy.

What i enjoy doing

I have enjoyed playing sports my whole life and it has always been my favorite thing to do. But since I cant play sports all day, I need another hobby that I enjoy doing. That hobby is watching sports. As much as I love playing sports, I enjoy watching it as well. I mainly watch football, basketball, and baseball but i enjoy watching other sports too. For example, I sometimes watch hockey, golf, and tennis. Unlike playing sports I have watched sports my whole life and it never gets old. At some points watching sports gets more intense than actually playing. It is also a lot more relaxing and less work because all you need to do is watch your television and enjoy the moment. Watching sports is very enjoyable and I will continue this hobby for a very long time.

Like everyone else who watch sports, I have my favorite team and athletes that I follow. Because my favorite players are usually on my favorite team its not hard for me to keep up with them. I always get extremely excited when my team is in a very close game that might come down to the last play. And when they win, I get a feeling almost like when I win a game for my team. Both of those emotions are the best for anyone to have. But watching sports isn't always that enjoyable, sometimes my team loses. When this happens I get very angry, and sometimes I can't even watch another game for days. I don't understand why I get so mad when my favorite team loses because its not my team and the players probably don't know or care who I am or what I think. I always tell myself not to get so intense when watching a game because I am not on the team and I shouldn't care. But I still continue to angry when my team loses and its still hard for me to continue to watch. Watching sports can be very fun but it can also be very hard and painful emotionally.

Watching sports is very entertaining and fun to do. Its a great hobby I have and will enjoy for a very long time. I will continue to root for my favorite teams and players and follow them where ever they might go. I will also continue to get mad when my team loses or my favorite player does bad. But most of all I will learn to advance my own skills in playing that sport. I learn from the professionals by watching them frequently and looking at what they do to be so good. I will sometimes mimic the player hoping that it will make me better. Sports have always been a huge part of my life and it will continue to be.

Trip to Lake Tahoe

A couple of years ago my family and I were traveling to Lake Tahoe for winter break. I was extremely excited about going skiing and snowboarding. When we arrived on the freeway we saw a sign warning us about a blizzard. So we decided to wait until the afternoon so the storm could pass. This trip was meant to be only three hours but when we saw all the traffic we knew it would take longer. After a long time we got tired and needed a rest. So we stopped at a gas station and went to the bathroom and get snacks. When I got out I was freezing, it was so cold that I had to run into the store. I have never been more cold in my life. After I was done, I ran into the car and we carried on with the trip. Later on that day it started to snow. I think it was the second time I have seen snow and I was very happy. Because this trip had so much traffic, we had to drive into the night. It was crazy, we were driving into a blizzard and could not see anything. I was extremely scared that we were going to crash or drive off the cliff. As the night went on, the blizzard got so bad that we had to stop and wait for it to pass. When I got out of the car this time I was colder than before, but I didn't care because it was snowing! I played with the snow until the blizzard stopped and then we continued our journey. Now the blizzard was gone and all we had to worry about was the slippery roads. But, we had chains on our tires so we didn't worry top much about slipping off the mountain. When we arrived at our destination, I was extremely relieved that we finally made it. We checked in our hotel and slept well that night. What was supposed to be a three our drive turned into a horrible eight hour drive.

We planned to stay in Lake Tahoe for three days so we had plenty of time t decide what we wanted to do. The first day we decided to go skiing. Because I had been skiing for a very long time, it was very enjoyable and fun. After a while of skiing on the intermediate routes it got boring so I tried the advanced ones. At first I was very scared because I had a long way to go and the hill was very steep as well. In the end, I finally got enough courage to try out the route and I did a good job. I was very happy about how good I really was at skiing. The next day we decided to go snowboarding. This was my first time so I took some lessons before I went off on my own. The lessons didn't go as well as I wanted it to and I didn't realize how hard snowboarding really was. After my lessons I went to try it out by myself, that was a bad idea. I couldn't even make it down the hill once without falling onto the snow. It got so annoying that I just stopped and gave up. So we went back to the hotel to rest for the final day.

The last day of my trip was a very good one. On this day we wanted to both ski and snowboard. Since I needed a lot of practice snowboarding, I spent most of my time going down the hill trying to get better. After a long time of practicing I finally was able to go down the hill without falling. When I was happy with my progress I then switched to skiing. I was extremely relieved that I was no longer falling repeatedly and was able to enjoy the last part of my trip. When the day came to an end we went to the hotel got all of our things and headed home. The trip back was not nearly as intense as going there. It was very relaxing and we had a fast trip back. This was one of my best vacations ever that I will never forget. I had a blast and left Lake Tahoe with many memories.

The Game

Football games are always very intense and enjoyable. I love the feeling that I always get before I step onto the field. It is an amazing feeling that I can't describe but I enjoy having. But last week this feelings was like nothing else. It was stronger than ever and I just wanted to step on that field and play my heart out. During the whole game I was extremely nervous and anxious to get in the game. I knew I wasn't going to play that much because of how poorly I played at practice, but I wanted to make the most out of ever minute I played. I understood why my coaches didn't let me play that much and I it was hard to stand on the sideline most of the game. Football is a very entertaining sport to play and I have plenty of fun playing it.

When I finally got into this game, I was ready to play hard. It was during a very important part of the game that decided weather or not we would win. During this series I played well, I didn't rally have an impact on the game but I didn't do anything that caused us to loose. When the series was over, I thought we had won. But quickly after the other team got the ball back. It didn't go very well for me this time. First, I missed a tackle that would have won us the game. Next, I got confused and allowed the opponent to gain a couple of yards. Finally, I made a very bad mistake and let the other team to gain a huge amount of ground. My coaches took me out of the game and I didn't play again. It was hard for me to watch my team struggle and let the opponent score. But it was harder to not be able to do anything about it and redeem myself after my poorly played series. We ended up loosing that game because of a missed played field goal and everyone was upset.

From that game I learned that you should never take anything granted for, always treat every moment like its your last. Never back down from a challenge and always try your best. Because you never know if it is your last. If I knew I was going to be taken out of the game, I would have given it my all and probably would have played much better. It hurts so much when you know that you can't do anything other than watch your team struggle to stay in the game, knowing that it was your mistake that caused them to play that way. Football is a game of many disappointments but has many rewards as well. This experience will stick with me for a long time because of what had happened at the game.

Memories

In my life I have had many good and bad memories. Memories that will stick with me my whole life. Some of them will hurt me when I look back at them but others will give me a sense of nostalgia. It's amazing how much one person can remember from the past and how those memories make them who they are today. They can influence a person in many different ways that may hurt or help you. Memories are a great part of a persons life but they can also be hurtful and hard to deal with. I beleive that the memories that have had a huge impact on their lives will never go away no matter what you do. In my opinion, those thoughts will stick with that person his/her whole life. In my life I have had many good and bad memories that have ifluenced my life in a huge way.
Everytime I look back at all these memories, I get chills throughout my body and it gets hard to stop thinking about them. Some of these memories hurt so much that I just want to forget them, but they are extremely hard to get out of my mind because of what they did to my life. I have tried very hard to forget these thoughts, including, thinking of other issues, being occupied with an activity, and distracting myself from that problem. But some how these painful memories just come back and becasue of that I know they will never go away. But my life isn't filled wiht all the bad hurtful memories, I have had many good ones as well.
During my life I have had many nostalgic memories of my childhood. These memories include my first time at school, playing sport, and having a true friend that I can trust. Those are great memories that I hope I will never forget. But, I think that good memories are easier to forget than bad ones. Good memories will help you become happy about where you are in your life. But bad ones will stay in your life longger because they have casued you pain and you will always remember them. An example of this is, everytime I loose a close hard fought game I will always remember that moment everytime I play that sport. But when I win, I will remember that great moment but I know I will have many moments similar to that one. In conclusion, memories are good for a person but in the end you know that you will remember those bad memories more than the good ones becasue of what they did to your life.

Annotating

Certainly some people are more prejudiced than others, actively embracing and perpetuating negative and hateful images of those who are different from themselves. When we claim to be free of prejudice, perhaps what we are really saying is that we are not hate-mongers.[10] But none of us is completely innocent. Prejudice is an integral part of our socialization,[11] and it is not our fault. Just as the preschoolers my student interviewed are not to blame for the negative messages they internalized, we are not at fault for the stereotypes, distortions, and omissions that shaped our thinking as we grew up.

I started annotating this paragraph by trying to think of life experiences that relate to what the paragraph is talking about. Next, I highlighted the important parts of the paragraph and explained why it was important. For example, I highlighted 10 and I annotated it by saying how I felt about it and if I agree or disagree with the statement. Then I would underline parts that I felt were important and didn't need any commentary because everyone knows what it means. After I would start chunking the paragraph, crossing out all the information I didn't think was important. Finally, i would finish by writing important ideas and feeling about the paragraph of the side of the page. I would also translate some statements to make them easier to understand.

Decisions of my life

During my life I have had many good and bad experiences in sports and my personal life. I have thought of giving up many times in many different things. In fact, I am starting to question my ability of playing basketball and i don't know if I want to continue. Its tough for me to make decisions like this because I don't know if I may regret it in the future. I recently decide to play for the schools football team after I decided not to in the summer. But when school started many players and coaches persuaded me to continue playing this sport because they believed that I could be successful. It was a tough decision but it was all worth it, to represent our school is an amazing feeling. I know many players are jealous or mad at me by joining the team late and not participating in summer workouts. But I took my consequences and I know that they now respect of who I am and what I can do to help the team succeed.

In my life I have had many difficult decisions to make. Not all of them helped me but I know they were for the best. At one point, I questioned if I wanted to continue to go to school. I know that was a stupid thought but I was extremely confused at that time. I ended up making the right decision by staying in school and hoping to be an extremely happy and successful person. Although this part of my life worked out for the best, there are still many that didn't. One time, I made a decision that almost determined whether or not I would have to repeat a course. I once had a finally exam in middle school and I totally forgot about it. I was lost in the excitement of summer coming soon that I just zoned out on everything else. As I was taking this test I saw someones answers right in front of me and I thought to myself that this would either help me out a lot or devastate me tremendously. Unfortunately this hurt me bad. I was caught! My teacher automatically took away my test and gave me a zero. I didn't know what to do, I was extremely scared of what would happen next. I had no idea if I had enough credit to pass this class. Finally after very stressful weeks, I found out I had just enough credits to pass the class. I was happy and I told myself that I would never try to take the easy way out.

Writing this blog has made me think of how lucky I am. I have made a numerous amount of bad decisions and they have hurt me in a huge way. But in the end everything would always work out for the best. But I wasn't happy with just getting away with things because I know things won't always go my way. Every time one of these experiences happened I learned something and know I believe that I learned enough to make the correct decision every time. I am looking forward for the future and the many challenges I may have to face. With those challenges I want to prove myself that I can make the correct decision. I have had a blast writing this blog and sharing my experiences and I hope that I can influence many people to not make the stupid decisions that I did.

How I Got Started

Sports have influenced my life in a huge way. It has given me confidence, determination, focus, and attentiveness. The traits that will lead me to success. Sports have helped me in many ways, including, being a better student, more active, and keeping me physically fit. I enjoy playing sports very much and want to continue for a long time. I am very good at almost every sport I play which makes me believe that I am a true athlete. I never get tired of playing sports because they are very fun and give me something to do in my free time. Sports have been a huge part of my life and it will continue to be for a extremely long time.

I was not always obsessed with sports like I am today. I started to get into sports when I was about 11 years old in the fifth grade. It started when my parents forced me to play in an organized sports league. At first I was skeptical about playing a sport because I didn't know how to play basketball. That whole year I was the worst player on my team, but it was very fun after I started to understand the game more clearly. After the season was over I was so obsessed about basketball that I would practice almost everyday at the park. When a couple of months past my parents knew that I wanted to play this sport for a long time. So that Christmas they bought me a basketball hoop as a present and I was extremely happy. After numerous hours of practicing the next season finally arrived and I was ready. This time I was much better and was one of the best on my team. When I realized I had improved so much I was happy but I knew I needed to keep on getting better. I carried this motive for every sport I played and that's how I think I am so athletic today. Till this day I have that mind set of improving on every sport I play and I hope to continue to play the sports I love for a very long time.

The reason why I decided to write about what caused me to love sports so much is to help motivate people to do the same. Everyone should take risks, even though they may seem scary. But you never know if that risk can change your life forever. I don't know what I would be like today if I didn't take that chance to play sports for the first time. It was extremely hard but I enjoyed it very much. If you have something that you enjoy doing stick to it no matter how hard it may be, in the end it will all pay off if you really enjoy doing it. I know taking risks isn't that easy but life is nothing without risks. Taking that one chance can changed your life dramatically and will make you extremely happy. That one chance has helped me in a great way by making me the man I am today.

Football

Although football isn't my favorite sport, I still enjoy playing the very exciting game. Every time I step onto the field I get an adrenaline rush and I have to contribute to the team. It is amazing how one simple thing can lead to something amazing. Football is extremely hard and painful but it all pays off when you step on that field, smell the freshly cut grass, and look at the crowd and see all your peers cheering you on. I have only been playing football for one year and I still have a lot to learn but I am excited to find new ways of improving my game. I know it will take a long time to perfect everything I have learned during this past year, but I am looking forward to the challenge. Many people think that football is a dangerous sport but I disagree. In my opinion I think that football is one of the safest sports you can play. Everyone receives a lot of protection and support when playing football and will rarely receive serious injuries. Even though I have only played the sport for one year I am positive that it is extremely rare for someone to receive and injury. You may be hurt or sore after hard days of football but that happens with every sport. Football is a very fun sport to play and I believe that not enough people play. Everyone should stop criticizing the sport because I know those people have never attempted to play. The critics should stop watching this great sport and give it a try and I know once they attempt to play they will realize that football is safe, fun, and extremely exciting.

The reason why I decided to write about football is because I want to tell everyone how fun this sport really is. Many people criticize about football, saying that it is dangerous and dumb but I believe that you need a lot of knowledge and determination to play this sport. Its not always the biggest man that wins the game, it is sometimes the smartest team that wins. The trick of being a good football player is to not be afraid of pain and don't panic when you are faced with a tough task. I hope that what I have explained about football will change many minds of hypocrites that don't approve of the game. I know that I have only played football for one year but I think that it is very fun and more people should give it a try. I have enjoyed sharing my ideas about football and I hope that I have changed the minds of many people.

Basketball

The topic I am writing about is basketball because I enjoy playing and watching the game. I have played basketball my whole life and I understand the game very well. Because of my experience, I feel like I can tell you what basketball is about and how to play the sport. Basketball is very fun and entertaining and I believe many people will enjoy reading about. Playing basketball has always been my favorite thing to do and I have plenty of facts I want to share. It will be very fun to write about something I enjoy doing and know a lot about. Basketball is a sport that many people don’t know much about and I want to be the person who helps them understand the sport more clearly.

Writing about basketball will help improve my writing in many ways. First, It will help me write about something I know a lot about and can give an enormous amount of information to readers. Next, I won’t need to work as hard to get information because I know the sport very well and I can just concentrate on my writing more. Writing about basketball will also help me by letting me write about something I enjoy very much and will have a lot of fun writing. Finally, writing about this sport will help me understand the game more and improve my writing more by giving me an advantage over other people.