More Than Just a Ball

Its spherical shape has been something familiar to me since the age of four. Ever since I was in kindergarten, it has seemed to fit perfectly into my hand like two pieces of a puzzle coming together. Its texture is both rough and smooth at the same time, accented by the indent of pitch-black lines encircling its circumference, as well as that WILSON logo. Its sound is like the beating of a drum, steady and rhythmic, as it bounces into your hand. It can be of any color, from traditional burnt orange to patriotic red, white, & blue, and it always carries that distinctive rubbery aroma with it. Its uses are endless, from spinning it on your finger to taking it hard to the hole. It is a blank canvas onto which you project your own skills and abilities. It is filled with more than simply air. Within it lie hope and tragedy, opportunities and disappointments, chances at eternal fame and crushed dreams. It can hold new friendships and settle old rivalries. It can separate the weak from the strong. It becomes a part of you, and with it, you are a force.

There is no sight sweeter to a player’s eyes than this wonderful orb against the stark yellowish-brown of the court. There is no music more melodic to a player’s ears than the cadenced beat that it makes as you dribble it down the court. And there is no feeling more satisfying than when it leaves your hands, and you know exactly where it’s going. It can be the key to acceptance, heroism, a title. Its trajectory can affect your future as well as change your present.

It hits the backboard smack in the middle and slides through the white netting that hangs from the orange rim of the hoop. You’ve won. The game has become your life, and you’ve won. You’re on top of the world and that old familiar sphere is right there with you. It is what has helped you to get to where you are now and will help you get to where you will be in the future. The greatest part of it: its power lies within you.