My Monthly Sports Minute: The Feeling of Invincibility
The YMCA of Downtown Dayton, Ohio has seen some legendary moments in basketball. Players known and players unknown, playing basketball with every bit of focus on making a name for themselves. When I was in the 4th grade, I watched from the sidelines and dreamed of playing on the same court with these zealous athletes. Fast forward 6 years, a young Allen Iverson obsessed kid began making a small but growing name for himself. A fat kid that got picked last every time is now playing against players who would later go to the NBA. I was about 5’5” and had taken on insanely good point guards, shooting guards, and even a few forwards.
In all the basketball I played, a feeling that stayed with me was the feeling of invincibility. Not invincibility of the body but more so of the mind and will. I was a small guy and got knocked around, injured, embarrassed, and so much more, but playing basketball gave me the feeling of indestructibility and no matter what I went through on the court I could rise to the occasion and be my best. The feeling that my focus and drive was invincible gave me a tenacity that stayed with me for years even after I stopped playing basketball.
Basketball was the gateway to me believing that no one could defeat me internally. That notion followed me off the court to every other facet of my life. It wasn’t until recent years, I realized that basketball played a critical role in the development of my belief in self. Playing basketball as a kid established a strong man to come.
