She Got Game

By Jen Butler

When I was around 11, my older brother and I always used to watch the Knicks play basketball. I thought they were the most awesome team ever. I often thought to myself that, maybe someday, I would be able to play like Patrick Ewing.

I had never really seen any women play ball at that point and I didn't really have huge dreams of becoming a professional. But I knew that I did want to play.

Now I'm a senior in high school and playing basketball is a big part of my life. I play on my school's team and in the playground on my block.

I know some people don't think girls can really play ball and, for a long time, I didn't think I could play as well as a guy. Now, I know better. I may not be Patrick Ewing, but I'm pretty good.

My First Shot

I picked up a basketball for the first time in gym class when I was in junior high school. I also started playing with my best friend in the school yard at lunch time. She was an avid ball player. She could out-dribble most of the boys on the court, and drain the three no matter who was guarding her. She was very good.

The more I played, the more I began to realize that I was good too. I was a better shooter, a better ball handler, and more aggressive than the other girls in my class. When we had free play, or mini-tournament games in gym class, I would always outscore them; they could not really hold me down.

No Girls on the Team

The school had a basketball team, but there weren't any girls on it, so I never thought about joining it. Girls were never openly discouraged from trying out, but they were never really encouraged either.

I had some skills, but not much confidence. Even though I was better than all the other girls, I didn't think I was good enough to play with the boys. I thought they were just so much better than me-they seemed like Michael Jordan in my eyes.

The boys were taller and they had fancy moves. They were quick dribblers, and they were great at outside shooting. I was OK at outside shooting, but I was better playing in the post, because I was (and am) powerful in the paint.

Playing with the Big Boys

I never tried out for the team, but I kept on playing. I began to spend a lot of time in the playground on my block, where I did play ball with the boys. They were cool with me because I had known most of them since I was little.

I was the only active girl there; all the other girls were just sitting pretty and trying to get boyfriends. A lot of those girls would watch me in awe because I was so good.

After lots of practice, and playing hard with the boys, I began to get better and better. One day, my older brother came by while I was on the court. He stopped and stood by the gate to watch me.

I was the only girl out there, and I was playing even better than a lot of the guys. I don't remember exactly what he said, but he seemed very pleased with what he saw. I don't think he even knew that I played basketball before that. I could tell that he was really proud of me.

Was I Good Enough?

Then I started high school. My school had a girls' basketball team, but for a long time I was too afraid to try out. I thought I was pretty good, but I had not seen high school girls play before, and I assumed that they had to be way better than me.

I had never played on an actual team, but I knew it was a lot different than
playing on the playground. A team works out actual plays with its coach and I didn't have any experience with that. On the playground, my friends and I would just wing it, and get the ball to whoever was open.

During my freshman and sophomore years, I continued to play ball on the playground during the summers. During the school year, I didn't even pick up a ball-well, except in gym class.

I Got Discovered

Then one day, the assistant track coach saw me playing in gym and told me that I should be on the team. He talked to the girls' basketball coach and arranged for me to go to one of their practices. That's how I found out that I could play as well as the other girls.

This is my second year on the team and it's great. I get the opportunity to play against other girls, and to prove to others that I can play. I enjoy the competition, and the determination on the faces of my teammates and our opponents.

I spend about 15 to 20 hours a week practicing with my team, and even more time when I'm alone. We play about two to three games a week.

Girls Don't Talk Trash

Playing with girls is a lot different than playing with guys. There is less trash talking on the court. Girls seem to be quieter, and make their presence known with their bodies, not with their mouths. They box out pretty hard, and always fight to get the ball. After games, I have scratches and sores and black and blue marks all over me.

Being on a team is a lot different than playing on the playground. I love being able to be part of a group that can win with pride or lose with dignity. On the playground, it's just a few kids who mess around. They don't spend 20 hours practicing together; they don't have a commitment to each other.

No 'I' in Team

As the saying goes, there is no "I" in "team." One person can't take on five people at one time; we all need each other. Being on a team has taught me that it's OK to have to depend on other people.

I'm not really, really close with everyone on my team. But I consider them all my friends, even part of my family. When we win, we win together. When we lose, we lose together.

Like most families, we do have our problems: players who lose confidence in themselves after a loss, or players who end up talking about others behind their backs. But being on this team has taught me about unity and working together.

It's also given me a chance to grow as an individual. Since joining the team, I have become more of a leader. When we were in a slump, and really weren't working as a team, I took the initiative to bring us all back together again.

It Takes a Lot of Heart

Basketball has played an important role in my life. I usually have been the awkward one, and basketball is the one thing I seem to be able to do really well.

To me, basketball isn't about bouncing a ball, and throwing it into a hoop. It's about working hard to continue to dribble that ball down the court, and to push yourself to drive in and make that shot, even when the odds are against you.

It takes a lot of heart to keep playing hard, even when you're down by more than 80 points-a situation my team was in when we played the state champions.

We didn't even deserve to play on the same court as that team. At the end of the first half, the score was 56-6. We knew that we were going to lose, but we kept our heart, and we kept on playing. In the end, the score was about 107-21.

Yes, we lost, but we weren't humiliated. In the last quarter, we drew ourselves together, and kept on playing-hard. We may have lost according to the score, but inside ourselves, we won.

Later on in my life, I'm sure I will face many situations like that-where I'll feel like there's no way I can win. But I'll also know that I can count on hard work and determination to keep me going-just like when I'm on the court. ?