The Passion of Competition.
When it comes to passion, I guess it’s pretty obvious what drives me. I would love to say music, but that may be my next adventure. So for now, my heart belongs to sports. Not watching, but competing. Honestly its hard for me to watch sports…it’ll just make me hungry for competition. My (competitive) basketball career ending was a difficult moment in my life. You are wondering why it isn't a particular sport I am referring to. Every time I try to rank my love for each sport I can hear my mothers voice, she said something that has stuck with me for along time.
“You’re not really passionate about any of the sports…you don't love football basketball or track. You just kinda like them all.”
That issue of commitment is most likely a curse. When I look back on everything, sports has always been the driving force. In 2003 I joined my first travel basketball team, we were God awful. Actually for early years of my sports life I was terrible. It never stopped my though. My childhood sleepovers were hosted in the back seats of vans driving to Chicago to prove my skills. Camping trips were shacking up in the Holiday Inn nearest to the gym. On average 9 games a weekend. 2–3 different travel teams simultaneously, you do the math. That’s a lot of hoopin. Family vacations meant we were traveling to vacation spot to play basketball or run tack. Texas, California, Florida, all because of basketball. I’ve been to Vegas 5 times before I turned 17. I have yet to go now that in 23. I was a student of every game. I didn’t want school dances or camping. I just wanted to compete.
Then someone put a football in my hand, they made me a line men. I still pushed. Then I became receiver, we went undefeated (I cannot take full credit for that). Although I wasn’t fond of hitting, I just needed to win. One day I saw someone hurdling, I thought it looked easy. The rest was history. Eventually, the hours of sports started paying off. That and the blessing of a growth spurt. Sophomore year the letters started coming. Schools I watched on TV and schools id never heard of. I didn’t know what school I wanted or what sport I wanted to play. Honestly I’m not the biggest fan of track. I just knew I wanted the biggest stage and the brightest light, hurdles gave me that opportunity.
I started doing Mui Thai just to fill the void basketball and football placed in me. I love Bruce Lee. When I found out I could kick box for competition. I immediately hit the gym. Any sport. Competition. Match. I want in.
Sports pushed me to be the best I could in life. Teachers would say there are no shortcuts in life…I would reply “but what if I get a scholarship” (cut me some slack I was in 5th grade) I did my homework to be eligible. I got better grades once I realized it lead to better schools, which meant better competition. The only reason I wanted to go to school was to play sports in college. I choose my sport based which school would pit me against the best competition. I took a semester off last spring. I really had no interest of going back. Track was the motivation. The thought of leaving a year of eligibility on the table made me sick. Competing with my teammates pulled me back into school. Sports have changed my life for the better.
