Love affair with Basketball

This is not a poem, but rather the story, or how I remember it of how I have come to my current love affair of the sport.

No matter what mood I am in, whether good or bad, happy or sad, basketball calms me down, brings me to a place where nothing else matters in that moment other than the game. The sound of the ball bouncing against the hardwood just penetrates my body and I get sucked into the game, or if its on TV, its the perfect backhground noise because it keeps me calm. And it isnt just the basketball hitting hardwood that is a good sound, I grew up with the noise of a basketball hitting all surfaces, the wall, the concrete, or just the floor, the sound the ball makes as someone catches a pass, or the sound of Chris' laughter as he tries to keep the ball away from Abbey. Its what I grew up with, what I know and its just soothing. For as long as I can remember I have been around the game, but I think my first memories come from when Jimmy and Chris were playing on the team called the Suns and Dad was their coach, I know this wasnt my first experience of basketball teams and indoor courts but thats the first memory. I remember basketball games between my parents and my brothers as the day was winding down during warm weather. I think those games happened maybe once a week. But SO funny, even my childish memory of the games was that everyone was having fun. I remember Chris getting hurt while playing a pick up game on our concrete court with his friend Joey. He sprained his ankle and because of my mom's work schedule with the doctor's schedule Chris and I spent a day or two in the basement of my kindergarden teacher's house watching TV. Then Chris and Jimmy were coaches for their brothers' team. This happened about the same time that I decided to try out ball for myself. They werent my official coaches though, but I did go to their practices so that I could learn more. So the 1 year that I played ball I had practice twice a week- Tuesdays and Fridays if I remember correctly and then I went to Jimmy and Chris' practices for their team on Wednesdays, I think. And of course I had my dad giving me pointers too. So I more or less had 4 coaches, and I was the tallest player on the team by like 8+ inches. We had a losing season and I was the leading scorer, but I didnt like having so many coaches, so I didnt sign up for another season. My next memories are of watching my brothers play with their friends on Thursday nights. And them playing in an adult league. Jimmy then started coaching for the middle school that I went to, he was just an assistant coach while I was there, but hes been head coach now for 5 or more years- I think. In high school I went to a catholic school freshman year, but I went to as many games for the public school (where I ended up) as I could. Even went to a tournament where both teams were playing, and ended up spending they day with my friends on the public school team. The coach even let me go with them on the bus to get food. Too bad I was supporting the catholic school, and not the public school. Even if I did get made fun of that day, it was a great way to spend time with some of the people that I can still call friends. Then Jimmy taught me how to do the official scorer's books for his middle school team. And I did that for 3 years. For extra practice I would do the books for his adult league as well, and had a good time with that. I like doing books better when I am not the official bookkeeper! But either way, its fun. So, during high school my basketball life consisted of me going to as many of my high school's games, as well as going to all of the games for the team that my brother coaches, and the games for the team that both brothers play for. I did books for the latter two, and was involved, though unofficially with the high school team, helping out during tournaments and such.
UK basketball has also always been a constant in my life. The first players that I really remember though are Keith Bogans and Gerald Fitch- I honestly loved those guys! HAHA. Keith was number 10 and Fitch 4. (Yup there goes my random number memory.) My family got season tickets to UK basketball when I was in high school (it was my idea to send all our names in for the lottery drawing), and my brothers split up the games between the three of us, and dad goes to ALMOST every game, there the occasional that he doesnt go to, but still. I got super obsessed with the UK program during high school.
Then comes college. I was really homesick my first year at Transy, going home every weekend and even sometimes during the week. And during basketball season, I got to see a fair amount of my brothers coaching outings as well as almost all of the games for the adult league, and then I discovered Transy's basketball team. I dont know what game was my first, but 1 was all it took and I was hooked. I went to as many of the rest of the games in the season that I could and I started counting down to the first game BEFORE we came back to Lexington from summer vacation. And I have been to all but 2 homes games, I missed 1 because I was out of the country and I missed the other because I couldnt get my plans set in time for the game. I even gave up my ticket to a UK game this year to go to a Transy game. I also started my own stats sheet, and I have been taking stats for the last 5-6 games. I keep track of field goals (missed and hit), 3 pointers, free throws, rebounds, assists, turnovers, blocks, steals, and fouls. I am not quite perfect at these yet, but I am getting better, and with helpful hints from basketball players/ my brother I am only going to get better! My next goal, is to keep a shot chart, something I havent ever attempted, we shall see. Jimmy says I cant do it all, but I can at least TRY it all! I may be crazy, but to me this is fun. :)