The start of basketball season last year was hard, and I really didn’t get to play much. In many games, I sat there on the bench watching my teammates play. I still put on my jersey, warmed up, and always tried my best to stay ready, but it was a frustrating feeling, like I wasn’t really contributing during games in the way my other teammates were.

While on the bench I sometimes felt invisible, especially during exciting wins when I wish I would’ve been a real part of the game. I remember being excited for my teammates but in the back of my head I felt really left out and unseen. I just wished I would be able to prove myself on the court.

At the beginning of the season, I thought that if I just worked hard in practice, playing time would maybe be given. After it didn’t, I started to feel discouraged and defeated. I found that I was comparing myself to other players on my team and wondered what I was doing wrong. Basketball hasn’t been something I’ve done my whole life, like many of the players on my team, and this made me feel less worthy. It wasn’t that I didn’t like my team—I just wanted to feel like I had a real role.

I started doubting myself and started to question if I even belonged on the team, I went home from many of our games upset and disappointed, hanging my head and wondering what I could possibly do to fix the situation I was in.

Instead of giving up on basketball and deciding to quit, I decided to focus on my own improvements. I talked to my coaches and asked what I needed to work on. They told me I needed to be more consistent and have more confidence on the court. From that point on, I paid more attention during practices and tried to apply all of their feedback when it was given, instead of just getting frustrated. I made sure I was first to finish in sprints, first to volunteer to be in a drill, and always trying my best. I chose to spend extra time practicing on my own as well, I spent time getting shots up and pushing myself even when no one was there to tell me to. Eventually I seemed to feel a switch in the way I was thinking. I stopped worrying so much about what other people might think and just wanted to be better each day than I was the day before.

Over time, I started seeing small changes. I became more comfortable handling the ball and playing defense, and I noticed myself making fewer mistakes. Eventually, I started getting more minutes in our games. Even though it wasn’t a lot at first, it felt good to finally feel like I was contributing to our team. This was so encouraging because it helped me realize my effort and hard work actually seemed to be getting noticed.

As the season went on, my playing time kept growing. I earned more trust from my coach and teammates, and later in the season, I even got to start some of our games. Being a starter wasn’t something I ever expected when the season began, but it showed me that effort does pay off, even if it takes time. The growth I had from the beginning to the end of the season was noticed by everyone and it felt so good to know that all the work I had put in truly made a difference.

Basketball has taught me that progress isn’t always immediate. Sometimes improvement will happen slowly, and it may not be noticeable right away. My experience with basketball helped me learn to be patient and to have confidence, and it reminded me that sticking with something can lead to opportunities you don’t necessarily expect. This is part of my story, and everything I learned from it I’ll carry with me beyond basketball.

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