Text and Photos by Kelsea Schafer
The court. Where two teams meet, star players compete, fans show out for their team, and the final score determines the trajectory of their season. Despite that, this is not their first dance, as the players share more than they realize.
What happens on the court is a physical, back-and-forth representation of the foundation that started the players’ athletic careers. It is everything from knowing their home court like the back of their hand, perfecting plays, creating friends that become family, and creating an environment where teamwork thrives. Most of all, it is reading your fellow teammates and communicating without words. While opposing teams wear different jerseys and go to other schools, they are all fighting for a spot to keep the dream alive by practicing each day, putting the work in, and perfecting their skills.
But when each player steps onto the court, whether they want to admit it or not, they are not playing for statistics, records, and fame but for that nine-year-old that picked up the ball for the first time. For the 12-year-old, watching the television and saying, “I will be there someday.” For the sophomore, finding out they made it to varsity. For the crowds of people telling them, “You’re going to be great someday.” For their first coach, whether it was a dad, mom, brother, or overall mentor, who believed in them. For the player looking back on their career realizing just how much basketball meant to them.
The court is synonymous with home to these players. A place they know they can go to, a place that never leaves them, because when a player steps back onto the court, it is a step back into the dreams that led them to the peak of their mountain, remembering the climb they took to get there.
To the players — in every sport, continue to show up, put forth the effort, and be a team player, but know that you cannot be the next Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, or any other player in your sport. But you can be the first you, remembering your passion for the craft and what you bring to the table, not only as a player but as an individual.