cbball51: 2009

There are many things you do for the love of the game
Al the workouts and practices
The late nights, the butterflies that hit you in the locker room
The sweat your have produced throughout the many years
The blood that stains your jersey
The tears after the tough loss or disappointment in your own play
Releasing the ball from your hands, praying it will go in
The sprints, drills that left your body gasping and wanting rest
The smiles, inside jokes and high fives from your teammates
Cheers of the crowd or the hollow sound of the ball in an empty gym
Joy in achievements, wins and goals achieved
Sadness in the tough loss of in falling short
The hours of hard work to the minutes of actual game time
Sacrificing your body and free time for more time in the gym
Expectations of other bearing down on you
Eyes watching for one mistake, wanting you to fail
Lonely hours spent practicing alone with just your fears and doubts
Fear of failing yourself, your team, your fans
Running out into the gym, cheering filling your ears
Being introduced at the beginning of the game
The missed shot, bad pass, stupid turnover
Praise from your coach or that disappointed look
Going home to bed to nurse your injuries
The way the ball feels in your hands, a perfect fit
The joy in picking out the perfect shoes
Putting your jersey on the first time at the beginning of the season
Walking out of the locker room to love after a win, or a loss
Having a player you look up to, who is your role model
Or being a role model to a little girl yourself
The swish of the net, the squeak of your shoes
The hurt, the joy, the tears, the smiles
Teammates that become family
Finding out how strong you really are
Releasing the ball, knowing it will go in
The hustle play that stops an opponent's score
Butterflies flutttering during the national anthem
walking through the line congratulating your opponent
the anticipation in the locker room before the game
Cheers after a win, or solemn silence after a loss
the fear in the back our your mind of getting hurt
Pride in your school and team
Confidence in yourself and also your doubts
Sacrifices for the game
Or the joy it brings
The anger you feel when the words "It's just a game" are spoken
Because to you, its so much more
It's your love, your life
It makes you happy, sad, frustrated, angry, proud and changes your life
Lessons it teaches stay with you for a lifetime,
but so do the scars, injuries and bad memories
All this for the love of the game
To some its not worth the pain, sacrifice and hard work
Even for the glory, joy and achievement that follows closely behind
But for others, playing the game with all that comes with it, is more than worth it.

It's all worth it, for the love of the game...