Varsity/ISSEA Basketball 2012

Activity – Varsity/ISSEA Basketball

Location – ISK – International School of Kenya

The process of this was tryouts, then practice, then ISL season then ISSEA. This season was my second season on varsity, and my first season as Captain. This season I played in a post-position. As a post I’m considered one of the big men on the team. I was one of the players that stayed under the basket while the guards stay at a distance. Throughout the season I improved upon my skills as post player. However, as Captain I tried to focus on being a positive model for the rest of the team. I encouraged intensity and encouraged the players to always give it 100% and their best. I believe I modeled this fairly well as I did just that at each practice and game. The coach, Mr. Robbins, also noticed this and I received the Coach’s Choice Award at the end of the season.

Throughout the season there were different levels of intensity for different games, and as we had a very naturally basketball-savvy team we won a few of our league games without full intensity, but I still encouraged everyone to push themselves in such games, even though it is hard to push yourself mentally when playing a team that you know you could beat at only half intensity. However, I think that during the ISSEA Tournament (held at ISK this year) we played every game with more intensity than I had seen all season. Along with myself, every player on our team played to win every game.

It was also clear that we as a team grew tremendously in the short time that ISSEA is over. We lost our first ISSEA game, Wednesday night, which was disappointing as we were undefeated the past two years. However, we didn’t let that effect us the next three days. We won all our other round robin games and had the number 1 seed going into the semi finals. In the semi-finals we played a team we’d already beaten and won again. In the finals we played the team which we had lost two the first night. This game was the most intense sports game I have ever played in. Only subbing out for about two minutes total myself (due to a dead leg), and having players that didn’t sub out at all, this was absolutely the most intense game I have played in. We ended the regular time in a draw, going into overtime. At the end of the 5 minute overtime we lost by 1 point. Despite being disappointed for the next week, I’m still glad to have played in this game, it was truly an amazing feeling to being playing on a court with such high intensity.

At the end of the ISSEA tournament the ISL league was about to finish. We had one more game to decide the first place seed in our division and then the semi-finals. We won the first place seed, however, we did it only playing with about half the spirit we had at ISSEA. Not because we were sad, but because three days of straight high-intensity basketball will leech you of every ounce of energy you have. However, we lost the semi-finals. We lost the lead we had in the first 3 quarters due to the other team making a few lucky shots, and our team play fell apart after that.

However, despite this loss, I didn’t feel two down. I think it’s because of the ISSEA tournament. Even though we came in second, the energy in that tournament was incredible. It was my fifth ISSEA and it had more energy than any other by far. I’m truly glad to have been on the basketball team this year. It was a great experience and I’m glad I got to experience it before I graduate.