Luke crashes down on the floor with a hard smack, after a couple of seconds he comes over to the bench and the coach puts me in to shoot his free throws. With just under a minute left and down by 1 point, if I made both shots we would be in a position to win. So far I’ve had a less than impressive game and wasn’t thrilled that I had been chosen to come off the bench, although I was probably the best free-throw shooter on the team the horror of reality began to set in when I got off the bench and took a step onto the wood floor. Pressure began to build as I began to think of the consequences of missing the shots, visions began to flood my head, images of air balls and bricked shots, people fighting for a rebound. Before I knew what was happening the ball was in my hands and I noticed that both teams were lined up. I started to regret even coming to the game today. What was the point if all I was going to do is miss two free throws and humiliate myself? I wondered why out of all the people sitting next to me on the bench, the coach had to pick me? It didn’t help that practically my whole family was here, I could feel their eyes on the back of me like millions of needles in my skin. 

I was starting to feel dizzy, I could barely see my hand in front of my face. Somehow I still managed to stay standing, and with the weight of the world on my shoulders, I bounced the ball three times, took a deep breath, and before I even knew what I was doing, I had begun the motions of shooting the ball. Everything was a daze, all I could make out was the rim and the ball. Time began to slow as the ball left my hands, it danced through the air on its way up to the rim. The ball hung in the air over the net for an eternity before finally coming down, as it drifted slowly back to earth a jolt of energy surged through me as the ball made contact with the open space inside the rim. And with seconds left on the clock, the game was now tied. As surprised as I was, my Jubilance quickly faded when I realized I still had another shot to make, and now once again and with even more pressure, I had to make this shot while the entire world watched. I started thinking about how if I missed this shot, at least I was able to tie the game. But then I thought, maybe I won't miss it. I just made a shot and now because of me, the game is tied. If I was the reason the game is tied, why couldn't I be the reason we win? I have made countless shots from this very spot on the court, so why am I telling myself that I am going to miss? I started asking myself “why”, “why” shouldn’t I be able to make this shot, “why” shouldn’t I be the hero of the game, what reason do I have to miss this shot? 

While asking these questions to myself, I accidentally convinced myself that I could make this shot, that I could be the hero, and that I didn’t have a reason to miss. If I could make my first shot and all the others before it then why shouldn’t I make this one. All of a sudden I had a spark of hope, I could feel that warm sensation blooming inside of me. As the subs for the other team came on the court the teams lined up once again and the referee bounced me the ball from under the hoop. I took another deep breath, bounced the ball three times, and lined up my shot.

The ball floated up towards the basket, it soared through the air like a bird in the sky. I started to hear the commotion of squeaking shoes on the wood floor and people pushing each other to try and get a rebound, but I stood fixated on the ball. The shot looked good, like it might go in, my heart dropped into my stomach as the ball entered into the air space of the hoop and like a stone thrown into a pond, the ball sailed through the net with a splash. The gym filled with cheers from the stands and I was finally relieved of all the pressure that had been building up on me. All I had to do was trust myself to make those shots. I realized that the only thing that stood in my way of success was myself, I was the only one who didn’t believe that I could make those shots. 

The reason I was able to accomplish this task was because I realized that what I was doing was nothing new to me and all I had to do was trust myself. For that reason, I will never forget this moment because it made me understand that great things can happen when you believe in yourself. When I started believing in myself it gave me the confidence I needed to make the shot. Another lesson this moment held was that thinking with positivity can change the outcome of any situation. I was showing positivity when I reminded myself of what I was capable of and it raised my confidence. I will carry this moment with me forever because it taught me to believe in myself, and how to think with positivity. I learned that doing both these things can give you confidence and the ability to succeed.