Tyson Hartnett's Blog - Posts Tagged "dreams"
Intro of Hoop Dreams Fulfilled
One day during one of the lowest points of my life, I stepped outside, picked up a basketball, and started dribbling again. I hadn’t touched a ball in months but I was immediately transported back to my freshman year of high school, when I would spend hours shooting in the cold, trying to get as many minutes as I could on the JV team. I thought about how life took some weird turns, but at that moment the smell and feeling of the ball in my hands felt so good.
I kept dribbling, eventually walking out to the street in front of the house. For over an hour, I did the same dribbling drills I performed years earlier, mixing in different moves like there was someone playing defense on me. My handle was horrible, but after every dribble I felt myself getting it back ever so slightly. When I finished dribbling, I shot for a few minutes in the driveway. It felt amazing, and I wondered why I had given this up in the first place.
Following my psychiatrist’s advice, I tried to exercise as much as possible in those days. It gave me a sense of power after every session, also providing me with clarity of what I wanted to do in the future.
Shortly after that, an old friend who still lived in the area pushed me to play with him at some courts nearby. I told him I was rusty and out of shape, but he kept asking me. Eventually I gave in and went with him. Being around the guys and playing again felt amazing. It was the same trash talking I grew up with, and I actually still had game. I wasn’t scoring every play but the talent was there. I knew, and felt in my bones, that there was potential.
Despite everything that had happened, I realized, Things are good when I play basketball. The sport was sneaking its way back into my life, but I knew the dangers of overdoing it. I told myself to take it slow.
I kept dribbling, eventually walking out to the street in front of the house. For over an hour, I did the same dribbling drills I performed years earlier, mixing in different moves like there was someone playing defense on me. My handle was horrible, but after every dribble I felt myself getting it back ever so slightly. When I finished dribbling, I shot for a few minutes in the driveway. It felt amazing, and I wondered why I had given this up in the first place.
Following my psychiatrist’s advice, I tried to exercise as much as possible in those days. It gave me a sense of power after every session, also providing me with clarity of what I wanted to do in the future.
Shortly after that, an old friend who still lived in the area pushed me to play with him at some courts nearby. I told him I was rusty and out of shape, but he kept asking me. Eventually I gave in and went with him. Being around the guys and playing again felt amazing. It was the same trash talking I grew up with, and I actually still had game. I wasn’t scoring every play but the talent was there. I knew, and felt in my bones, that there was potential.
Despite everything that had happened, I realized, Things are good when I play basketball. The sport was sneaking its way back into my life, but I knew the dangers of overdoing it. I told myself to take it slow.
