Win or Lose

“Win or lose, Good or Bad, The experience will change you.”

It was just an early, cold morning and I started to get ready for a big day. Getting ready for a basketball tournament always gets me nervous. When I texted my team, they were anxious but also hyped for the game – meanwhile, I felt like I had the whole world on my shoulders as game  time got closer. Finally it was time for me to go to the Honoka’a gym.

When I arrived, there were teams already playing. Even the gym was cold. Basketballs were bouncing, shoes squeaking against the floor, coaches screaming, crowds cheering for their teams. Time went on and me and my teammates started warming up. I started to get less nervous because I was confident in my team’s  ability to defeat the other team. Our first game was against a team I never faced before, Laupahoehoe. While warming up, I was analyzing them and I already knew our team was better.

Suddenly, And right there, a whistle blows, a as the ball is in the air, and the game starts! My team was putting our all in the game as the other team was too. We started to go off and eventually blew the other team out. 

Next, I knew DNA, our next opponents in the line up,  was pretty good but I was super confident that we could beat that team also. Although they beat us last year, I meant had to get my revenge and win this game. Again I was warming up, waiting for my next game. Again, I but was nervous. Before the game even started, “Win or lose, it will be a good game,” I said. 

Game on!  In the first quarter, the game was already intense. Both teams made big plays, ands the crowd was impressed. By halftime, me and my team and I were already tired especially from the last game, we had put our all in that game. Both teams made big plays. We then started to get momentum as the game started to come on our side. We then Finally we  won and I was then satisfied with my revenge. 

After our win, we waited to play against Waimea. Ten minutes later, I then found out we had to play a back to back game against DNA. In my mind I was like “I’m so tired,” I said. This happened because Waimea had backed out of the tournament and decided not to come. As I told the news to my team, they were irritated and frustrated. This was our final game of the tournament.  During warm up I already could feel my legs just giving up. The game started and I did everything I could to not let my team down. Being a point guard has is an important position  in a big part of the game. 

The game began, both teams started to make big plays back to back. When the score was tied, I knew I had to make a bigger play. I did a between-the-legs cross which gave me space to drive and made a floater. The team was hyped but the game was close. In the fourth quarter, one of my team’s key teammates had gotten subbed out with less than two minutes left. When he got subbed out, it started to fall apart and we started to lose. I started to get mad, so I decided to try and take over the game. I went for it, then I  lost the ball and that’s when I knew it was over. “We lost,” I said. At the end of the game, both teams showed respect and sportsmanship. Win or lose, I got to experience this moment.