Crowd cheering. Coach screaming “Shoot the ball. Shoot the ball.” ‘Tick tock’ goes the shot clock. At that moment, I knew my team was depending on me. Should I shoot it? But, what if I miss it? So many questions running through my head, so little time.

Finally, I shot the ball. Shot clock going down…I made it! Right on the money. I could see my excited teammates jump up from their seats yelling my name. Coaches yelling, “Yeah, let’s go Cam! Yeah, let’s go!” The feeling of making a basket was exhilarating.

I felt accomplished and proficient. All I wanted to do was shine one the court. And that was my day. That day, we won the game. That extra basket helped us in ways we were thankful for. The feeling of my coaches congratulating me felt good.

But, that feeling left me…I gave up basketball. For what? Nothing. Nothing that would ever give me that excitement and appreciation it offered me. Do I regret it? Yes. Sometimes. Basketball gave me that feeling of being needed. Being able to make a difference. Making someone proud for what you’ve accomplished or achieved.

Life without basketball feels empty. No games. No tournaments. No long road trips. No kicking back with the team. It’s all gone. Giving up something that made you happy doesn’t make things better. You miss the feeling it gave you. The thoughts that went through your mind when you make a basket are crazy. The adrenaline going through your body running up and down that court just for an easy basket. The happiness. The appreciation. The encouragement. The accomplishments. Pursue in your dreams. Don’t let go of something that makes you happy in the most. You’ll regret that decision in the meantime.