It's a... Basket!

We’ve been talking about school and learning for the past few weeks, so let’s take a little breather and talk about sports…

Football season is exciting with the stands full, students and alumni united, cheering loudly, while the boys run the ball down the field. The band plays until the cannon booms. When the other team has the ball, WSU students shout and jingle their keys as distractions. The coach, who is new this year, has worked hard to get the boys ready for a good competition. Everyone is full of energy and encouragement. Excitement pulses through the stands.

What I’m really excited for though, is basketball season. Basketball: the best sport. It has always been my favorite and always will be. Growing up, my grandpa, who happens to be one of my favorite people, coached high school girls’ basketball. He taught my siblings and I how to throw a ball correctly, how to dribble down the court and keep control, how to block steals. Being born in Indiana makes me a Hoosier, which means basketball is in my blood. In the Midwest, basketball is a major part of life. Everyone in town goes to the high school games, and watches their college teams on the television. Rivalry games are loud and intense (I’ve been at numerous family functions where shouting at each other and the screen occurred).  I wish Wazzu was more excited, as a whole, for basketball. Not as many people attend those games, even though they are inside -you don’t have to lose feeling in your toes- while you cheer them on. When it’s basketball season, I find a couple friends to drag with me, and I’m at every game that I am able to attend.  At football games I am usually engaged, but there are times when it’s a little boring; but at basketball games I’m closely watching the whole time.

Yes, I think a part of my love for the game is connected to my grandpa and memories of playing with him, watching him coach, and sitting in our lazy boys watching college ball when I was little. It was something that bonded us.

Everyone likes one sport or another for their own reasonings, or maybe they can’t explain a reason but they still have a favorite. And of course, not everyone is into sports at all. Everyone has their own interests. Basketball just happens to be a part of me.