This started as a playful story. It took a turn down a dark alley. The end is just a rant .... but I'm turning it in on time and it's close to 650 words so whatever.
I started consistently playing pickup basketball when I moved to Champaign in 2014. This was when I first gained access to the Stephens family YMCA, more commonly known as “the Y”. During the school year, you can find me at the Y Friday night, all day on Saturday, and all day on Sunday. When school’s out, I’m pretty much at the Y for 6 hours a day (Sidenote: I’m mostly playing basketball during those hours, but I can also be found lifting weights, waiting for a court to open, or trying to talk to some girl that’s out of my league). I truly feel like it has made me a better basketball player in a way that no drill, film review, or workout routine can. However, my friends and I have noticed that kids are really straying away from pickup games. People from my grade play pickup at the park or the Y, and so does the grade above us. Even college students and adults are seen often at the Y playing a game or two. But it’s rare for us to see a freshman or sophomore that’s serious about playing pickup.
Now, what do I mean by “serious”? Approximately 97.65% of pickup basketball players have, at some point, argued about how seriously a game should be taken. Since there’s no clear “reward” for winning the game, it’s hard to determine how much effort should go in. You should never play a pickup game like your life depends on it. Then you risk injury and, if you’re playing pickup basketball to get better for the actual competitive season, an injury isn’t helping you at all. You also shouldn’t feel like you’re dragging your team down. You shouldn’t be letting your man, the guy/girl (because it’s 2017) you’re guarding, score with ease each time down the court. As a general rule, be a role player. Score where you can. Don’t let your man score. Pass more than you shoot. Do well, but not too well.
In a way, the philosophy “do well, but not too well” has trickled over into other aspects of my life. My universal goal is to do well. What’s the point of being involved in something if you don’t want to succeed? At the same time, the second part of that motto is just as important. Don’t get me wrong, being as good you can possibly be at a specific activity is always a good thing. In fact, people should strive to be their best. However, there is a point past your best. This is the point of overexertion, feeling so tired that the activity you originally loved is no longer enjoyable because of the pain it brings. This is the point of obsession, when nothing is as important as returning to that one activity by any means necessary.
Imagine playing a pickup basketball game at the Y. I already stated, your job is to score where you can, don’t let your man score, and pass more than you shoot. That’s doing well. On the other hand, you could go your absolute hardest, hog the ball the whole time, and then brag to the other team until a fight breaks out. That’s doing too well. Do well, but not too well. Imagine studying hard for a physics quiz, actively asking questions in class, and you get a good grade. That’s doing well. You could also study like your life depends on it, get a perfect score, and gloat to your classmates about your “superiority”. That’s doing too well. Do well, but not too well. If you understand a concept in math class that your peers may struggle with, you’re doing well. If one of your struggling peers asks you a question about a concept and you say, “it just makes sense”, that’s doing too well. Do well, but not too well.
I started consistently playing pickup basketball when I moved to Champaign in 2014. This was when I first gained access to the Stephens family YMCA, more commonly known as “the Y”. During the school year, you can find me at the Y Friday night, all day on Saturday, and all day on Sunday. When school’s out, I’m pretty much at the Y for 6 hours a day (Sidenote: I’m mostly playing basketball during those hours, but I can also be found lifting weights, waiting for a court to open, or trying to talk to some girl that’s out of my league). I truly feel like it has made me a better basketball player in a way that no drill, film review, or workout routine can. However, my friends and I have noticed that kids are really straying away from pickup games. People from my grade play pickup at the park or the Y, and so does the grade above us. Even college students and adults are seen often at the Y playing a game or two. But it’s rare for us to see a freshman or sophomore that’s serious about playing pickup.
Now, what do I mean by “serious”? Approximately 97.65% of pickup basketball players have, at some point, argued about how seriously a game should be taken. Since there’s no clear “reward” for winning the game, it’s hard to determine how much effort should go in. You should never play a pickup game like your life depends on it. Then you risk injury and, if you’re playing pickup basketball to get better for the actual competitive season, an injury isn’t helping you at all. You also shouldn’t feel like you’re dragging your team down. You shouldn’t be letting your man, the guy/girl (because it’s 2017) you’re guarding, score with ease each time down the court. As a general rule, be a role player. Score where you can. Don’t let your man score. Pass more than you shoot. Do well, but not too well.
In a way, the philosophy “do well, but not too well” has trickled over into other aspects of my life. My universal goal is to do well. What’s the point of being involved in something if you don’t want to succeed? At the same time, the second part of that motto is just as important. Don’t get me wrong, being as good you can possibly be at a specific activity is always a good thing. In fact, people should strive to be their best. However, there is a point past your best. This is the point of overexertion, feeling so tired that the activity you originally loved is no longer enjoyable because of the pain it brings. This is the point of obsession, when nothing is as important as returning to that one activity by any means necessary.
Imagine playing a pickup basketball game at the Y. I already stated, your job is to score where you can, don’t let your man score, and pass more than you shoot. That’s doing well. On the other hand, you could go your absolute hardest, hog the ball the whole time, and then brag to the other team until a fight breaks out. That’s doing too well. Do well, but not too well. Imagine studying hard for a physics quiz, actively asking questions in class, and you get a good grade. That’s doing well. You could also study like your life depends on it, get a perfect score, and gloat to your classmates about your “superiority”. That’s doing too well. Do well, but not too well. If you understand a concept in math class that your peers may struggle with, you’re doing well. If one of your struggling peers asks you a question about a concept and you say, “it just makes sense”, that’s doing too well. Do well, but not too well.
I found your explanation about how this idea from pick up basketball applied to many aspects of life. At first, I was a little bit dubious about the whole "do well but not to well" thing, but you did a really good job of explaining what you meant, and by the end of the essay, I understood your point of view. Your connection to basketball, each step of the way, tied the argument together and made it easy to follow.
ReplyDeleteI really like this idea. It's unique and surprising and confusing a first, which just drew me in more. There are some details that I feel are a bit extraneous (explaining that the YMCA is also called the Y, what else you do there besides play basketball) but overall your story flows well. I think you might've even over-explained the application of "do well but not too well" to basketball. It would be cool to hear about how you apply this mantra to other aspects of your life. You started to do it in the last paragraph, but it was a little abrupt.
ReplyDeleteGood post!
Nice essay! I really liked how you introduced the reader to yourself and your passion for basketball through the first few paragraphs, and then introduced the motto that you go by. I was a little confused about the motto as well, but I think you did a good job of explaining it throughly through your narrative and a strong reflective voice.
ReplyDelete