Jesse Musinguzi, Grade 12
UWCEA Moshi
Five seconds left on the clock. The score is tied. My teammate passes me the ball as I get to my spot. I stop in rhythm and set my feet slightly tilted to the left, but my shoulders remain square. In one motion, I rise up. The ball makes its way to my set point. My eyes lock on to the rim. As I release, the ball rolls off my fingers ever so gently. I can feel it. It’s perfect. The crowd is loud, but I can’t hear them. I watch the ball soar towards the rim with perfect rotation. ”3..2..1”, they chant. "Swish" goes the net as the ball falls through the red, metal ring. The scores are now uneven; we win. No sooner had the ball gone through the net than the crowd filled the court. Screams of joy filled the air, followed by many high fives and hugs.
As cliche as it sounds, the basketball court is my safe space. The IB can be a tad overwhelming, and so finding something that will keep you sane is absolutely crucial. I personally tried stargazing, sunset watching, sleeping, billiards, and anything else I could think of. None of those even compared to the court. From the dusty wooden floor, to the previously white walls, to the random clothes placed on the bleachers, to the crows on the roof, occasionally letting it fly onto the court, to the flying termites that make the court their home during the rain. During my first year in diploma, things just weren’t clicking for me yet, but heading to the court with a basketball always seemed to help. This was also where I got my first in game dunk. I had poked the ball free from my opponent and ran down the court. I remember saying to my friend before playing, “I’m feeling bouncy today.” And I was, in fact. I took flight, soaring with one goal in mind; to slam that ball hard. That night, the gym had never been so loud. All I could see was everyone joining me in celebration.
Here I found my brotherhood, a place where I saw that I could get through the IB and anything with the help of my brothers. Here I made new friends. When I was new, we were put into quarantine and not allowed to go near the court. When we were finally allowed to, it was one of the first places I went and found nearly everyone there watching the game. I couldn’t wait to play, but I also couldn’t wait to meet everyone and so there is where I bloomed my first few friendships at my new school. Now that I think about it, this could be where I’ve experienced most of my difficult situations. Not just in games, but in practice. Here is where I saw that practice is much harder than games. From all the jogging, sprinting, walking, then sprinting, then jogging again, finally a water break, but back to sprinting straight after. This is where I learned to be loud. I’ve always been a quiet one, but on the court, I’ve been told that I can be annoyingly loud. I’ve chosen to take that as a compliment. Here is where my confidence skyrocketed. I can always be myself on the court. It can also be the quietest place on campus sometimes, a perfect place to just sit there in silence. It’s a place where everything happens, but with the right balance. This is why it’s special to me.
As cliche as it sounds, the basketball court is my safe space. The IB can be a tad overwhelming, and so finding something that will keep you sane is absolutely crucial. I personally tried stargazing, sunset watching, sleeping, billiards, and anything else I could think of. None of those even compared to the court. From the dusty wooden floor, to the previously white walls, to the random clothes placed on the bleachers, to the crows on the roof, occasionally letting it fly onto the court, to the flying termites that make the court their home during the rain. During my first year in diploma, things just weren’t clicking for me yet, but heading to the court with a basketball always seemed to help. This was also where I got my first in game dunk. I had poked the ball free from my opponent and ran down the court. I remember saying to my friend before playing, “I’m feeling bouncy today.” And I was, in fact. I took flight, soaring with one goal in mind; to slam that ball hard. That night, the gym had never been so loud. All I could see was everyone joining me in celebration.
Here I found my brotherhood, a place where I saw that I could get through the IB and anything with the help of my brothers. Here I made new friends. When I was new, we were put into quarantine and not allowed to go near the court. When we were finally allowed to, it was one of the first places I went and found nearly everyone there watching the game. I couldn’t wait to play, but I also couldn’t wait to meet everyone and so there is where I bloomed my first few friendships at my new school. Now that I think about it, this could be where I’ve experienced most of my difficult situations. Not just in games, but in practice. Here is where I saw that practice is much harder than games. From all the jogging, sprinting, walking, then sprinting, then jogging again, finally a water break, but back to sprinting straight after. This is where I learned to be loud. I’ve always been a quiet one, but on the court, I’ve been told that I can be annoyingly loud. I’ve chosen to take that as a compliment. Here is where my confidence skyrocketed. I can always be myself on the court. It can also be the quietest place on campus sometimes, a perfect place to just sit there in silence. It’s a place where everything happens, but with the right balance. This is why it’s special to me.
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