Landin Brezinka
Ms. Sauer
English 8
1 February 2023
Life Lessons
One life lesson is not to wait to do the things you are asked to do. If your parents ask you to take the garbage out, take the trash out. If your teacher gives you an assignment that’s due, do it. Not doing the things your asked can cause an area of hate, anger, or even the disability of not being able to do anything, like sports or activities. The short story “How to Transform an Everyday, Ordinary Hoop Court into a Place of Higher Learning and You and the Podium” was written by Matt De La Pena. Some life lessons are learned on and off a basketball court.
First, Life lessons that can be learned on a basketball court can be important. For one example the narrator states that Dante says, “Speak up if you got something to say” (de le Pena 8)! The life lesson the narrator learned was that if he wants something he has to talk louder or let people hear his voice. Another example of a life lesson from the court is when the narrator says, “Maybe words aren’t what's important” (de le Pena 10). The
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The first one is when the narrator stated “What I learned is that when a man who stays mostly quiet offers advice, you take it” (de le Pena 11). What the narrator gained from this was the life lesson of taking advice from quiet people because they do not try to brag about anything showing that they know some things. Another life lesson the narrator said that was learned off the court is that “When a man with nothing offers to give something, you take it” (del le Pena 11). The life lesson the narrator learned was that when a man offers it is an offer that is wanted to be taken. The last life lesson the narrator said that was learned off the court is. The final off-the-court lesson the narrator learned from his statement “Put in enough hours, your game is going to blast off” (del le Pena). Was that if you push yourself you will get the outcome you
Coach Rockwell was seriously ill, and their new coach did not appeal to them. What stuck out to me during this book was the theme that the author was trying to convey. Even when times get tough, that doesn’t mean you should quit; you should push on because it will pay off. “Chip was really bugged now, but he kept quiet, resolved to play as hard as he knew how,” (Bee 126). Before this, Coach Brasher was screaming his lungs out at Hilton for not going 100 percent.
I learned that basketball should be seen more as a selfless game rather than focusing on themselves. Phil Jacksons lifelong quest to bring enlightenment to the game of basketball even though it is about competiveness. It all starts with off the court exercises and activity to help build the team chemistry. The more chemistry and teamwork that a team has the better they will play
This would go on for hours and hours until finally Brent pranced inside to do his homework. A look of exhaustion spread over his face. He whined to his father, “why can’t school be as easy as shooting a jumpshot”. Brent’s father replied, “because when you put enough effort into anything, it becomes a lot easier Brent.” Brent used this as motivation into his basketball career.
With the support of their families, William’s and Arthur’s motivation to accomplish this goal led them to fantastic high school basketball careers. From viewing the film, I found that I share William’s and Arthur’s determination. William, for his entire high school career, braved a 180 minute round trip commute to school and back. He spent three whole hours almost every day in transit to attend one
The narrator then goes on to learn more about the gym members, and each member's style when playing basketball. Lastly, the final lesson is shown near the climax of the story. This is when the narrator finally proves himself, and gets to play in a game. Dante tells the narrator “You wanna get in games, you don’t just sit there like a punk, right? You stand up and challenge the baddest dude in the gym.
“The battle you are going through is not fueled by the words or actions of others; it is fueled by the mind that gives it importance” – Shannon L. Alder. The novel, Hoops by Walter Dean Myers, chronicles the life of Lonnie Jackson– a high school student from Harlem with an impressive talent for playing basketball. Lonnie’s goal in life is more than just to become one of the best players to ever hit the court. Lonnie wishes to create a new life for himself– one that is free from the struggles of Harlem streets.
It provides him with the feeling that your faith in God may fail, and that everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but you should respect others. 10. Antonio has gained much wisdom through all of his experiences. The main life lesson he has learned is from Ultima, when she says “You must not despair of life, but gather strength to sustain you” (page 245). You should take unfortunate events and turn them into events that help strengthen you as an individual.
“It is only a game” is a common saying I have heard several times in my life. However, it does not explain the crazy actions and immense passion I experience on the PIT floor for basketball games. These feelings reached a pinnacle point during my freshman year basketball game against our arch-rivals, the Bettendorf Bulldogs. “If we can keep Bear from posting up and scoring, we should be win the game,” my friend Bryce analyzed. I responded, “We will need to shoot the three ball to have a chance, Bettendorf is a really good team”.
While the outrageousness of their jokes presents the interaction as comedic (“Yo mama so poor I seen her kicking a can down the road. I said: 'what you doing?' She said: 'moving.'”), a larger, more serious issue is being depicted where the smallest perceived confrontation can quickly escalate into a serious conflict. All it takes to invoke the reaction in the picture shown to the right is Sidney simply muttering a “Yo Mama” joke. In accordance with The Code, demonstrating one's ability to take care of oneself on the basketball courts is essential to being able to function within the
(de la Pena 9). The life lessons the narrator learned here is that he can't sit there and think he's gonna get in games, he has to speak up and tell them he wants to play. Another example he learned on the court is “but just as your feeling yourself, Dante will be back in your grill” (de la Pena 9). The lesson he learned here is just because he did one good thing on the court doesn’t mean that the guys at the gym will respect him yet. Next example he learned on the court
The lesson that everyone can benefit from that Clarice demonstrates is that you are more than your circumstances, you are more than what others have done to you and you are more than the bad experiences in your
In conclusion, the short story "There Will Come Soft Rains" by Ray Bradbury includes many possible life lessons that the reader can learn about such as the world keeps spinning even if one were to fade, everything goes through a cycle and there is always a new
In many of our lives we face adversity and crucial scenarios that seem to be impossible to overcome, but the one thing that allows us to persevere is ambition. In the novel Summer Ball by Mike Lupica he demonstrates the key aspects of how to overcome adversity through the life of Danny Walker a eighth grade boy who plays the sport basketball. Danny and his closest friends are from New York and are heading to a summer camp for basketball in Maine, but this is not just any camp it is a camp for the top players in the country. The mood and characterization demonstrated in Summer Ball illustrates the ambitious attitudes that reflect the focus and importance of success to overcome many obstacles.
For example, when the text states “I told them the whole story. “That’s not what I trained you for,” my grandfather said. “Grandfather, I learned that Ta-Na-E-Ka is important. I handled it my way. And I learned I had nothing to fear.
It was a hot summer day, sweat dripping off of Kobe Bryant's head. All you could hear was the beating of the basketball on the hot pavement, and the consistent swishes of the net. His dad's voice on the side of the court telling him what to do, and what drills to practice. This was a normal day with Kobe, practicing basketball every day. Hours on end, practice at home, then practice with the team.