On the morning of the championship game, I woke up so nervous that I could barely compose a coherent thought, and my body was trembling like an earthquake. As I walked towards the AT&T Center, adrenaline pumped throughout my whole body as if I was about to burst. My stomach was a bundle of huge knots, and I realized my dream was becoming a reality. Making my way towards center court, I was blinded by the shiny gold Spurs’ championship trophies that were on display, and I envisioned myself hoisting up the championship trophy at the end of the game. In this very moment, I realized that winning this championship would take a lot more than just physical and mental strength.

The game was about to begin, and I could feel the rush of energy from the crowd and the echoes of their cheers bouncing off the walls. Suddenly, all of the sounds and cheering from the fans disappeared, and I focused on the game. Approaching the court, I was struck with fear when I realized this game was going to be a battle between David and Goliath. Immediately, the opposing team manhandled us all over the court, and they rapidly pulled ahead with a double-digit lead. Because our team had been dominant throughout the tournament, I was shocked by how our opponent shut down our game in the first few minutes. Before I knew it, we were struggling for every point, and we started to make poor decisions on the court. I could see discouragement starting to creep its way onto my teammates’ faces. The halftime buzzer finally rang, giving my team and me a small amount of relief. Gathering the team, Coach Stacey sat us down and said, “Come on, girls, I know we can do it. Pretend the score is zero to zero, and focus on getting one basket at a time.” At that moment, I realized that it was only halftime, and we still had sixteen minutes left to play. Walking back out on the court, my team felt a resurgence of energy, and we were not going down without a fight. With every possession, we became meticulous in executing the offenses and fighting for every ball that hit the floor. Because I was sprinting as fast as lightning, my hair started swinging from left to right like windshield wipers on steroids. We were able to capitalize off our opponent’s mistakes and ultimately tie the game. The look of defeat and discouragement in my teammates’ eyes became determination and belief. One basket at a time, we attacked our opponents like a pack of hungry wolves.

With fourteen seconds left in the game, the clean swish of two free throws put us in the lead. After the final buzzer went off, my teammates and I sprinted across the court, leaping into each other's arms with joy. Because of our mental strength and refusal to give up, we were presented the AAU National Championship trophy. Through hard work and dedication, my team was able to persevere and overcome a huge deficit to accomplish our goal. The national championship trophy will always serve as a reminder that, no matter what obstacles I may face, I can overcome adversity and be successful.