Basketball season means a lot to a lot of people, including me. I am a student manager for the Kutztown University Golden Bears Men's Basketball team. Previously, I was a student manager for the Perkiomen Valley High School Boys Basketball team. Every year, basketball season and managing my team is the thing I look forward to the most. The game has given me a lot of great experiences and I've met a lot of great people through it so far. When the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) announced that Kutztown was not going to be having a 2020-2021 basketball season, it was devastating. But I know that I should take advantage of the time.
These are a few things that a year without a basketball season has taught me.
1. Don't take the game for granted.
We often don't even think about this at all while we are playing our favorite sports. The game can be taken away from you at any time. We don't even want to think about this. But it can happen. No one knew that the pandemic would occur, so we all felt that the next season was a definite and sure thing.
I don't like seeing someone play the game of basketball or any sport with no heart because of this. For a few months, basketball courts were shut down. Gyms were closed. Playoff basketball tournaments were suspended. A lot of players played their final games without even knowing it was their final games. That's just an example of how quickly the game can be taken away. Play each game like it's your last.
2. Sometimes You Have to Sacrifice What You Love for Something Bigger
The COVID-19 Pandemic is something that our world has not seen in a long time. Because of how little the world knew about it, we had to find a way to stop the spread of the virus. While many may not have agreed with closing gyms, basketball courts, and suspending sports seasons, it was the right thing to do. Even if it meant losing a basketball season.
3. Work Harder and Come Back Stronger
Not having a season and seeing other teams have seasons just made me want to win more. It was like throwing gasoline into a fire for me. I began to think of ways to make myself stronger on and off the court. One of the ways, of course, was by creating my own sports media brand, the one you're reading on right now. That is JP Sports. With the website, I also started Collegeville Conversation, my sports podcast. Starting a podcast was new to me, but talking sports was not new to me at all. I have been doing it all my life.
I also kept working out and lifting weights to keep myself and shape. I also developed new appreciation for golf and bike riding. I have always loved staying in shape and exercising. That love only grew during quarantine.
4. Be Patient. The Best is Yet to Come
Sometimes, the best things come to those who are paitent. It has been nearly 400 days since the last game of the 2019-2020 Season. When the 2021-2022 Season starts It'll have been over 500 days since I last managed a basketball game. The feeling of the start of the start of basketball season is a different type of excitement for me and I know that the excitement and feeling at the start of the 2021-2022 is going to be higher than previous seasons. I believe that it will be a great season overall with great success and more learning experiences.
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