There are physical and mental factors that determine which team will win the 2015 J.V. basketball league championship.  We realized this is the championship game, so we needed to know our surroundings and what our job is and off the court.  We are here to play.  To try and win the game, but not everyone will get equal playing time.  Which team is going to score the most points to win the league? 

Playing basketball you need to work hard and play hard all the time. This was one of the most important steps we needed to do to win the game, especially since it was one of the last games of the summer league, and everyone was tired.  It was the second game that we played that night.  Hudson was ranked number one, and we were ranked number two.  Knowing as a team we had to play as hard as we could to beat Hudson.  Even when we are tired and out of breath, we needed to want it more than ever, more than anything we’ve ever wanted in life. 

Being tired was just an excuse on giving up.  That’s the key thing to do. Is to never give up, no matter what part of the game it is.  We just finished playing Osceola thirty minutes ago, and we won.  So we get to go to the championship game.  We played hard that game, because we wanted to win the game so bad just so we could get here as a team.  Yes, we were tired, but this is the game we wanted more than ever.  We can’t just use it as an excuse.  We worked hard and fought for what we wanted as a team.  The Amery J.V. team has never won a summer league before, and we knew that very moment that giving up wasn’t an option for us. 
There was only two twenty, minute quarters to play for the whole game, which would change our lives and our feelings about basketball the most.  We couldn’t go out there and be arrogant and think we run the court and that were better than them.  That’s not what you want to do.  That’s when fouls and mistakes happen in the game of basketball.  We don’t have time to make little mistakes like that.  We need to be smart, so that game begins! 

The first quarter of the game flies by, and one of the twenty minute quarters are already up.  The game is tied with one half in the game left.  Everyone watching is wondering what would happen.  New Richmond High School gym was hot and filled with people.  Finally, the buzzer buzzes for the second half to start.  Five players from each team goes out there on the court.  With the score being tied 15 to 15 the time keeps running.  Amery has the ball heading down the court, with sweat running down our backs.  There was about ten minutes left on the clock.  Things were getting physical and the referees weren’t calling as much as they were before.  Almost every girl on the court was tired and sweaty, but we were still going to push till the end of the game.  There was subs going in and out for breaks.  Just so every girl could get a short break to rest up and get a breather before they go back into the intense game we were playing. 

The summer league basketball championship was what all the teams wanted to achieve.  No one knows if Amery or Hudson would win the game.  The New Richmond gym was hot and gross.  Girls were sweating and the clock is running down with the final minute left of the championship game.  The score was tied 19 to 19, Hudson with the ball.  We knew as a team we needed to play smart and have no fouls.  Hudson missed their two point shot with forty second left on the clock.  Amery gets the rebound and heads down the court.  We pass the ball around to waste more time on the clock.  It becomes fifteen seconds left, and we pass the ball to Cheyenne, and she shoots a three point shot and drains it. “We were up by 3.” I thought to myself.  We were all excited, but there was still time on the clock left and the game wasn’t over.  The clock is running with Hudson having the ball, we were up 22 to 19.  We can’t let them score, and we cannot foul them when they were going up to shoot the ball.  All of a sudden, the buzzer goes off and the ten seconds went by like that.  In a split second our lives changed forever.  I don’t remember where those seconds went.  All I remember was looking at the New Richmond score board saying Amery 22 and Hudson 19.  We won the championship, and I couldn’t be more proud of my team. 

As you see it takes a lot to get to the championship.  We needed to play as a team, and work hard no matter what happened.  Play smart and never let anything get to you.  It will be the best feeling in your life.  By achieving something that you’ve always wanted.  Amery J.V. team won summer league for basketball.  We’ve never done that before, I remembered.   I will never forget the face expressions on our coach’s face, and on our parent’s. It was like a concert in that gym. With how loud everyone was with excitement.  Both teams deserved that win.  They played hard till the end, and the funniest thing is that Hudson beat us earlier in the season.  We fought for what we wanted, and gave it all we got, and by doing that we got there. 

Realizing, that there are physical and mental factors that determine which team had an advantage on who would win the 2015 league championship game.  Hudson or Amery you couldn’t tell.  The way you play shows your love for basketball.  Play the game how you know how to play the game.  You will be surprised on how working hard will get you far in life.  We won, Amery J.V. basketball won the Summer League Championship.  It was truly an unforgettable memory, and most of all it was the best feeling to have.