Foot in the Door

Anyone, who passes me on the street, might just see me as another unknown face. They might judge me unfairly based on physical characteristics like my weight or facial features. But the few people that truly evaluate me or ask to hear my stories would be in for quite a surprise.

Although I might seem like an average person to an unsuspecting individual, most people would be surprised that this young and slightly overweight man was given an award by the NCAA for excellence in basketball, has been to multiple Final Four Tournaments, has hit shots that only Harlem Globe Trotters can make, and has been begged by scholarship basketball athletes to play on the University team after beating them in actual scrimmages and shooting contests.

Now what if I told you that I did this all without playing a single college basketball game. You might be scratching your head and confused about how this is possible. This is where my story begins and hopefully you will know a little bit about me.

It all began in high school when I was a member of the varsity basketball team. Despite being one of two players with actual skill, I was constantly riding the pine and getting passed over by my coach so he could play the much less talented kids of rich donors and Booster Club Presidents. Every time I was passed over I thought that it was due to my skill level, and I took that opportunity to practice and hone my skills to truly become the best.

Despite my limited playing time due to politics, I still got into a University interested in me both academically and for my basketball ability. The world seemed to be my oyster, but that hope for being discovered turned out to be a fleeting experience. After tryouts, the coaching staff said that I was good enough to play but that they had too many roster/scholarship athletes. I was on the backup team but quickly ran into the same political roadblocks that plagued me in high school. Athletes with donor parents or with scholarship and seniority seemed to get playing time despite my talent.

During my time at the University, I was part of a conference shootout tournament and won the 3 pt shootout tournament along with a NCAA award recognizing my abilities. Despite having the best shooter in the conference and a proven talent, my playing time did not increase and despite the appeal of players and assistant coaches.

With my time slipping away to play college basketball, I appealed to the Board of Trustees along with teammates and the support of the entire student body, who recognized my talent and wanted it to benefit the University. Even with 7/9 Board of Trustees members supporting me, I spent my senior year without getting the chance to make my school proud and get the recognition I deserved.

I later discovered that there was even more to the story than even I knew. Apparently, our head coach recognized my last name and realized that my grandfather was on a team that beat him for the national title at the beginning of his coaching career. He kept me on the team in the hopes of playing so that no one else could draft me, but he knew that he would never play me and give me my opportunity to shine.

Now I am a graduate of my University and have been out for one semester. Although I know I am running out of options, I am keeping the dream alive of one day playing pro-basketball. I am in great shape and still workout to keep my skills sharp. I know countless stories like the Kurt Warner story where he did not get his chance to shine until he was 25 years old after pushing grocery carts for a few years, and hopefully someone will have faith in me too.

Someone much wiser than me once said, "The two most important days of your life are the day you were born and the day you discover why you were born." If I can get my opportunity to shine by playing for a graduate school, professional basketball team (NBA or International), or my country on the USA Olympic Team, then I could truly get my opportunity to live my dream and do what I was born to achieve.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you were riveted. God bless you and the United States of America.

Then please read my other articles! Some of my articles are listed below.

Top 5 Most Annoying Things About Society:

http://adaus2011.hubpages.com/_2ei0qx971gzy2/hub/Top-5-Most-Annoying-Things-About-Society

How to Save Money:

http://adaus2011.hubpages.com/_2ei0qx971gzy2/hub/Voting-ABO-in-2012

How to Save Money Part 2:

http://adaus2011.hubpages.com/_2ei0qx971gzy2/hub/How-to-Save-Money-Part-2

How to Save Money Part 3:

http://adaus2011.hubpages.com/_2ei0qx971gzy2/hub/How-to-Save-Money-Part-3

Major Flaws in the US Political System:

http://adaus2011.hubpages.com/_2ei0qx971gzy2/hub/Major-Flaws-in-the-US-Political-System

Turn Your Head and Cough: How the Obama Healthcare Legislation is Flawed and My Better Solutions:

http://adaus2011.hubpages.com/_2ei0qx971gzy2/hub/Turn-Your-Head-and-Cough-How-Obama-Healthcare-is-Flawed-and-a-Better-Solution

The Forgotten Law:

http://adaus2011.hubpages.com/_2ei0qx971gzy2/hub/The-Forgotten-Law

Economics Lesson for President Obama and Congress:

http://adaus2011.hubpages.com/_2ei0qx971gzy2/hub/Economics-Lesson-for-President-Obama-and-Congress

The Rise and Demise of MTV:

http://adaus2011.hubpages.com/_2ei0qx971gzy2/hub/The-Rise-and-Demise-of-MTV