Darshan Dhaduk Week 14: My First Time on the Court

Darshan Dhaduk

Mrs. Smtih

English 11 AP

2 April 2025


Image credits:https://images.app.goo.gl/T46ioAHV57gAYzsR7

My love for basketball started when I was around two years old. Now being this young and loving basketball made my parents realize that this sport was going to stick with me forever. I remember the first time I played a game in elementary school and it did not turn out great. I scored 2 points, for the opposite team. I was so confused at the time because I started jumping around yelling I finally did it, I scored my first ever points in basketball, while everyone else was either laughing or had a straight face the entire time. I knew that if I practiced playing basketball again and again, then I would be able to have a chance at playing at a higher level. Now being around four three tall in elementary school I was no were near to playing basketball at a higher level. I told my parents that everyday I would come back from school, do my homework then I would go to the park to play basketball against my friends. I remember writing this schedule down on a piece of paper and hanging it up on my fridge. Now many people would hear this and think that I continued to follow this schedule for a long time, but it was the complete opposite. I probably followed it for two days and gave up on practicing basketball. But remembering back to these memories made me realize that there was so much else that I could have done instead of playing basketball. I could have picked up another hobby like learning how to properly swim, or learning how to play an instrument. Having these small memories pop up into my head out of nowhere puts a smile on my face, because it makes me know that all the choices I made, whether it be good or bad, have slowly had a massive impact in my life right now and maybe even in the future.

Comments

  1. Harini KannanApril 4, 2025 at 10:49 AM

    Hi Darshan! I'll be honest; I've never really tried to get good at basketball, but I had a similar experience with ballet as a child. I began ballet at a very young age and continued through fourth grade. I wasn't bad, but there was definitely room for improvement. I had numerous recitals where I slowly improved bit by bit. Still, in fourth grade, I felt I was wasting my time, so I quit. I spent more time on my other hobbies, like drawing and reading. Sometimes, I wonder what would have happened if I had continued ballet, but that's in the past. And, as you said, I now realize that all these choices have impacted my life, both in the present and future. But, I think it's important that we don't look backward with regret, but continue looking forward. Thank you so much for writing this blog and giving me the opportunity to ramble! I can’t wait to read your next one!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Raghav SharmaApril 5, 2025 at 12:44 PM

    Hey Darshan!
    What a beautiful blog to read! Basketball is such a close sport to my heart that I love reading about it! Super cool on how you started playing basketball at such a young age, and just like you, I started playing roughly at around the 3-4 year range, and it's truly amazing how that sport stuck with me for this long. The first basketball I ever played with is still in my garage right, and there so many memories which tie along with it. It's funny, I actually bet my 3rd grade teacher, that I will make it to the NBA, so looks like I will owe her some money soon. I loved the couple of lines where you brought up how memories pop up into your head out of nowhere, because similarly, I saw a very young kid at the park, not too long ago, and saw him playing basketball with his father, and I just smiled, because that was me when I was very young. My dad and I always after dinner would go to the park and shoot some hoops, and those memories will always stay with me for the rest of my life. Though, while playing basketball, I picked up another hobby, which is golf! Both, which I continue to play, just bring so much joy. Though I only picked up playing golf, 3 years ago, I have already started to create so many memories with my friends and family. Maybe one of these days me and you should go to the golf course, it'll be fun. Overall, I absolutely loved reading your blog, brought back some memories for me, and can't wait until the next one!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Hakimuddin Radhanpurwala Week #9 - For Every Murdered Star

Image
Faqqua Iris For Every Murdered Star Nana held me by my hand, When our smiles had grown so faint. We sat upon a promontory— With our backs against an Olive bark that beared our pain. We found solace breathing flowers, That chirped across the river to the sea, But when my Nana died,  The flowers drowned and turned to weeds! So I picked them in a basket and hailed them to the sky And a greater power had stolen them. Now I see a blue, white, and green, that always cry,  Bleeding in a dark, shining now so bright. I can still smell the stars A million miles away But never far Dear God, what words do you still have? Is beauty within our proportions? Or are we the handsome and damned? You mock our queries; Oh Powerful One But we see the world you’ve sown Your word deceives us We’d rather you leave us alone… Dear God, have you seen my flower? Growing on an Olive tree masked in a menorah’s facade I heard she caught the east winds of Gaza And swayed in the breeze with her father Two lo...
Read more

Hiba Kathawala Week 9: The Invisible Influence

Image
The Invisible Influence Everyone talks about having control over their own life and actions. But is that really true?  I often feel like I am in control of my choices, my goals, and my decisions but sometimes fail to include how much the actions of others influence my own. The power other people’s choices, and norms, in general, have on our own life is not talked about enough. It may be that half of the things I do are a direct result of the influence others have on me, for good or for bad. From which extracurricular activities we take, to the way we behave around others, our society has an invisible grasp on many of us. The hard part comes when we have to decide which influences are beneficial, and which ones are potentially harmful. Is anyone truly their own person, or are they just a result of the society they have been surrounded by, and how strong are our character and values in the face of the much more omnipresent force of expectations? The power of those around us and o...
Read more

Harini Kannan Week 12 - Mini Pizzas, Max Power

Image
  Mini Pizzas, Max Power Few things in life hold true, undeniable power. Love? Maybe. Knowledge? Okay, sure. But have you ever had Trader Joe's mini pizzas? Because that is power.  Officially, they're called Spizzico di Pizza , but I just call them mini pizzas. They come in a frozen box with a dozen, deceptively simple yet life-changing. They are soft, cheesy, and perfect . They are the reason I've survived late-night study sessions, post-work exhaustion, and moments of existential crisis when I stare at my fridge and realize I have no idea what I want to eat. The power of these little pizzas isn't just in their taste, although they are eccellente . It's in their reliability. They never let me down. They just need to microwave for 1 minute, require zero effort, and make me feel like I have my life together (I absolutely do not). I could have a 10-page paper due, an SAT practice test looming, and my dog staring at me because I forgot to take him on a walk, bu...
Read more