It was September 1, 1987 around 7:00am the first day of school. I was eating breakfast while my mother was sitting at the table reading a newspaper. It was a cold morning; I was getting ready to go to school that morning, when I started talking to my mother about playing basketball for the high school. My mother thought I was just kidding around until I asked her if she could take me to practice. Her face had a blank look to it, so I repeated what I said. She waited for a minute with a smile on her face and said, “Baby I would take you to the moon if you won’t me to.” I know she was just answering my question from a mother’s point of view. Then I asked, do you think I would make the team? She said, “You are good in everything you do of course you will make the team.” I was sitting their wondering how I would tell my family if I may the team. Should I call them one by one or have a dinner and tell them.
I was walking down the school walls, when I say a sign saying “basketball try-outs September 15 at 3:15 in the gym.” I went home told my mother the day and time of the try-outs. She told me that she had to work. I called and called trying to find away to try-outs. Finally my sister said she would be able to take me that day. One week went by then another before I knew it try-outs was the next day. I ran, jumped, and dribbled the basketball like it was my last day on earth. I didn’t know I had that type of energy in my body.
The next day at school my body was sore from all those basketball drills, but I had to go to school because the basketball roster would be out that day. As I was walking through the halls I seen a note posted on the coaches door saying’ “The finally basketball roster will be posted at 2:00 today” my nerves were bad all day long worrying about that roster.
I was reading through the list of names very slowly, watching and listening to the other children say I made the team or I didn’t make it this time in a loud or very soft voice. I wanted...