Basketball-full

This is almost becoming a monthly edition. If not for a certain new reader, i doubt i'd be as motivated to update. Though it's not for lack of material, more like lack of enthusiasm. But i'm enthusiastic enough now, plus it's not everyday i get to brag a little. Don't worry, i'll try to make this as short as possible (ELTH).

Can't remember if i've mentioned this, but i joined a non-chinese basketball team recently, which was really my dream (big ambitions) since i was 17. So yeah, i got in the team and i played my first tournament with the team last week. I was pretty pumped up for the first game, and we did well; winning by 30 odd points. Plus i got my first ever double digit score! Only just though. 10 points.

After that it went downhill. First the organizers postponed our game, which resulted in them rescheduling our match to the following week. End result: 3 games in 4 days. As if that wasn't bad enough, i had my Monash sports carnival thing going on. I had to skip the futsal games (paid 5 bucks for nothing), and i had my basketball games on the days i don't have my non-chinese team tournament. So to summarize:

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday = Tournament with non-chinese team
Wednesday, Friday = Monash Sports carnival basketball games
Result = 5 consecutive nights of competitive basketball!

Now normally this would be something i'd relish. But on Monday, an opponent came charging to me shoulder first, hitting me on my back. And no foul was called! I tried getting up after the hit, but i went straight down. The pain was unbearable for awhile, and i thought "Crap, not a serious injury". Moments later the pain was all gone and i jumped to my feet, ready to play again! It was like in football, this player gets fouled then fakes injury; gets the free kick and gets back right up. But my pain was real, i just had too much adrenaline flowing to feel it then.

Felt it the next day though, and the days after that. Ended up losing the group stages of the tournament, so got knocked out. Personally i was super disappointed and frustrated with myself and the circumstance i was in. First, i suffered major back pains after every game. Secondly, i was frustrated 'cause i felt that i didn't try hard enough for the last do-or-die game. It was a Thursday, the fourth consecutive night of basketball playing. So maybe i was a little tired. But still.. I've always hated losing, and what's worse is when i feel like my intensity wasn't there. I try not to show it, but it hurts so bad.

The final day of the 5 day sports package, Friday, was the semis and the final of the Monash Sports carnival. We had won the in the group stages on Wednesday, and so we're in the semis. I was pretty determined not to lose this time, disregarding the pain for one night (sounds heroic). So i played full minutes of both the semis and finals, and thankfully we won. Not without a fight, but i had just enough in the tank to see it through.

So was it all worth it? The pain, physically and phsycologically? Hell yeah. A gold medal and a MVP trophy to boot. Though my back hurts like hell still.