One of the first times I felt nervous was the tip-off of USBA nationals in Myrtle Beach. We had been first all year in rankings but every team looked tuff.
We had gotten to our team house early. The team house was where the whole team stayed during the week. A lot of kid’s attitudes and egos clashed with others at the house before and after the games. The first day of the tournament we were scheduled to platy the Maryland Ruff Riders. I had so much butterflies that I was about to throw up eating breakfast. I was even sweating before the game. I can remember the silence of the crowed and the ball freezing in the air as if it took hours to come down after the ref tossed the ball slowly. Then it started the other team won the tip and they spent no time waiting to set up their offense.
They darted down the court their guard threw up the first shot, it was a miss .Me and another player leaped our highest to get to the ball. It was our ball. I was so anxious and nervous that every time I got the ball I shot. Each a brick of its own sound. Until my guard told me “calm down stop shooting” in an angry voice. I nodded my head and said “Yeah, yeah I got you,” but I was still uneasy. I was so fluttered and hasty that I really didn’t listen to him until my coach took me out and said “stop freaking out and just play”. I had the longest six minutes of my life sitting down till the rest of the quarter ended.

Coach said, “Starters go in.” I had calmed down but my nerves started to rack up. “Red ball,” the ref yelled as he blew his whistle. We brought the ball up the court slowly and threw the ball up the first shot we could take .The other team got the first rebound of the half. Neither one of the teams could make a shot, and all of a sudden we steal the ball off of their fast break. I’m the first one down the court and I get a bounce pass to score my first points of the game. The game still close . I get a pass on the wing another two points.
I had started to be more vocal in my quick escapade of scoring. After almost a minute we expanded our small lead to a blow out. Then it goes wrong. Just as we went on a rampage stealing and scoring the other team did the same. Our lead had been narrowed down to 2 points. I was so angry that steam started to come out of my ears. I call out the defense “twenty-two twenty-two ” they broke rite threw our press to score two points the game was tied. As soon as the ball left the net my heart stopped. Our team grabbed the ball and left we went down the court to score the quickest points we ever have. I called the press again. They broke it just as fast and scored points to make it even. We rushed down the court to score but this time Felix made a three point shot. We were up by one. The team came down to make a lay-up. We again had time but were fouled at half court to put us on the line for the game for one and one. Dae dae our shooting guard was on the line. I felt more at ease because he had saved us from a couple of games before. I was getting more nervous when the ref passed him the ball. His first shot hit nothing but the bottom of the net. The game was on the line with this next free throw. I was practically about to cry watching the next shot. But soon to be tears turned into shouts. He made both shots. I ran and jumped into him as the shot hit the floor and the buzzard rang. Our soon stopped our party on the court to go shake the other teams hand.