Kids Plus and Basketball Stories

What hobbies have been passed down from your family?

One hobby that has been passed down from my family include basketball. I probably played basketball when I was younger, but the last time I remembered playing basketball was in kindergarten and first grade. When I was in kindergarten and first grade my parents signed me up for an after school program called Kids Plus. Besides the awesome name, Kids Plus was a program where kids of all grades in my old school Carie Busey would do after school activities. One of the games I picked was knockout. Knockout is a basketball game where everyone lines up and if the person behind you makes a shot before you do you are out. I remember I used to not be strong enough to shoot the first shot overhanded, so I would shoot underhanded. This shooting technique is also called the “granny shot” which I guess was to make fun of the way you shoot because you look like a grandma. Fortunately, I do not remember being made fun of too much for doing the granny shot probably because I was pretty good at making them. I learned that the NBA free throw percentages with the granny shot is actually more accurate because you can put more backspin on a basketball. This fact could be the reason why I was pretty good at making granny shots, but I eventually stopped shooting granny shots. If I had to guess why I stopped, it may have been to fit in because only a couple of kindergarteners and first graders played knockout so most people were not shooting granny shots. Maybe I started to want to fit in by shooting overhand, but I think my brain started to associate shooting granny shots as being easier. I then started to shoot overhanded to either fit in or challenge myself. I remember one story when playing knockout which I still feel bad about. I think I already had a bloody nose, but I still wanted to play knockout, so I was sniffing a lot trying to stop the bleeding. When a person in front of me got out they threw the ball to me and I miss timed my catch so the ball hit my nose. I do not remember it being too dramatic that blood flew everywhere. I think I just sat down and covered my nose. I remember there was an older kid who got mad at the kid who threw that ball at me because he thought the other kid was mad he got out. The Kids Plus counselors eventually got involved and they told the kid’s parents. I remember he was very sincere and apologetic. He probably did not think he threw the ball too hard which I agreed with. I remembered I tried to express that I did not think the kid was at fault, but I do not think I got the point across which I regret. I just hope his parents did not punish him too severely or anything. Kindergarten and first grade to be the end of my basketball career for a long time because I started going to Dr. Howard and they did not have a basketball hoop. The next time I remember picking up basketball again was during middle school where I started to play with mostly my dad and older brother. I remember we used to mostly play two on one against my dad and it would be pretty even. Ever since I started playing basketball at Uni the roles have been switched and not to brag or anything, but I can beat them two on one. I guess my biggest regret was that I did not go to the try outs for my middle school basketball team although I signed up. I do not think I was that good in middle school, but I would have been able to play more in middle school. Currently I would consider basketball my favorite sport so I am glad of my parents for signing me up for Kids Plus where I discovered it and all the times I was able to play it with my family. I guess if I had to come up with a moral of the story it would be to try new things because they might become your favorite.