I was cut during tryouts. I was cut during tryouts again. I almost made it, but I was cut during tryouts again. I finally made my highly competitive high school basketball team as a senior. That’s my basketball story in a nutshell, but it runs deeper than that. For most people in the world, basketball is a game and maybe an amusing way to pass the time between lunch and class, or a fun week in PE. But if you’re like me, basketball is more than that. It’s a game that mimics life, a choice, a guiding lifestyle. It’s your social life, a refuge, and a set of principals. It’s a confirmation of joy and sorrow and falls somewhere just shy of water, food, and air in the order of life’s necessities.

I grew up in Las Vegas and started playing basketball around 5th grade. I remember elementary school recess gave us two options: chat in the sandbox, or play basketball. I was not good by any measure, but I loved the game that allowed you play all the spots and do all the things. Basketball is freeing; there is no other sport that allows every player to do every thing equally — the rules are the same for everyone on the court.

I learned the game from other kids around me and watching NBA and the occasional college games on TV. Being able to see the NCAA championship UNLV Runnin’ Rebels in my backyard was awe-inspiring. I checked out “How To” books on shooting, dribbling, and jumping from the library. I bought VHS tapes from Wal-Mart and through mail order that offered to teach fundamentals. Today, the amount of resources available to every one is endless. It can be frustrating trying to figure out what is worth while and what isn’t.

You can definitely get better and good enough on your own. I did it, but I would have loved having someone knowledgeable in my corner to provide guidance and suggestions along the way. Make no mistake, it really is all on you, but you don’t have to do it alone. That’s what I’m trying to do here; help motivated people who love the game like I do reach their potential without expensive, long-term commitments to personal trainers or club teams.