Take Your Shot

I am a fan of basketball but never really played basketball. For years I watched two of my neighbors and friends play CYO basketball. One played only in school and the other went on to make basketball his career and is now a college coach. It’s no secret that I am in awe of an athlete. I am drawn to most sports and genuinely appreciate and soak in the amount of training it takes to perform or compete. Some people have the raw gift it takes to perform well – exceptionally well. For some it takes more training than others. Not everyone has a God given talent. Not everyone is inclined to play sports. Some people are born with a tiny flaw which prevents them from excelling into the big leagues. Perhaps some of these same people though will play and enjoy every little nanosecond of the game even if they do not score a basket, a goal, a touchdown, or a hole in one. It does not matter. What DOES matter is their ability to get out there and try.

Each year Jake’s Challenger basketball team will play a huge home game at our Bethpage High School. The crowds are tremendous. Teachers, administrators, staff, students, cheerleaders, kickline, parents, grandparents, and Goldie, the school mascot are in the stands cheering our Eagles on the court and the sidelines. Each player is introduced in grand fashion by the game announcers (who by the way rival an ESPN panel). The team members line up and wave to the crowd. They place their hands on their hearts and sing the National Anthem with such intensity that you feel prouder to be in front of our flag than ever before. 

The tears start when I look over at my Jake on the sidelines. Once a Challenger team member himself, he is now holding a clipboard and calling off the first team members who will start on the court. He is proud of his position and spends countless hours at home making sure that he and the team are ready for each game. This game though is nothing short of spectacular. The game begins and now I am openly sobbing. 

The players were moving the ball back and forth – basket to basket. Some people score easily while others struggle and will need a little TLC to score. The players help each other even if they are not on the same team. In a world where it seems so cut-throat these days, it is heartwarming to see player helping player. What gets me every time though is watching players move the ball down the court and take three-point shots and score. They know how to play the crowd and in true dramatic fashion will shoot the ball and SCORE at the buzzer. 

The faces of the players when they score give off enough energy to light up a whole city. The pride they feel literally lifts them off the ground and carries them to the next spot on the court. You can feel their joy in your seat. Yesterday I caught the reaction of one player’s mom, and I was transported back to the day when Jake first scored a basket. The kid who I was told would most likely never speak. Never interact with others. Never function beyond elementary school level. Watching that ball slip into the net was not only two points on the scoreboard but a score in life. He did it. He did something that someone without a disability could do naturally. To me that basket and being on the court was proof that you can do anything you want to if you try. The crowd’s roar dragged me back into the game. I looked at the scoreboard and there were 17 seconds left in the game. A high school freshman was dribbling the ball and set himself up for the three-point shot. One of the coaches gave him a sign to pass to his teammate. That player brought the ball in and launched the ball. Nothing but net at the buzzer. We won but it wasn’t about the one-point win at the buzzer. Every player on that court won and every fan in the stands won for being there to cheer on each player. My tears dried and I was smiling and laughing. I looked up at the hoop. Take your shot no matter what you are going through. You will always score. You just have to try.