|
| | Lindsey Burleson's Blog | | | Welcome to Lindsey's blog! | |
|  | |  |
| | | | | |  | |  |
| | |  | Reguarding my previous blog post. |
|
| Posted By: Lindsey Burleson on 2008-06-02 21:52:35 EST | Email Story | Flag As Spam | Comments (3) |
|
forget it.
i'm back and that all i care about! |
|
|
|
| |
| Tags: |
|
| Posted in basketball, club sports, women's athletics |
| | An Athlete's Heartbreak |
|
| Posted By: Lindsey Burleson on 2008-05-29 21:06:50 EST | Email Story | Flag As Spam | Comments (2) |
|
The beginning of last summer I stepped into the gym of McKlintock Middle School, not really knowing what to except. I had just come for a quick workout, just to keep my skills in shape. But what i got out of it was a lot more than I could ever imagine. One practice became another, and then another, and then even more. I soon found myself on a team that i would call family.
I was in the middle of making a transition from one AAU team to another. I was happy with my choice, but knew that some serious hard work was in store for me. By the end of that summer, I had completely changed as a player and a person. I was working with the best coaches ever and having the time of my life with the greatest team of girls. We had also become a part of the Sixer's Organization and soon took over the name Charlotte Lady 76ers.
The beginning of the season was a nerve-wracking time, any player will tell you, and we were no exception. As our first tournament drew closer, the practices were more enduring and intense as ever. At the end of it, we soon came to see that we, as a team, had a lot more work to do.
It seemed like time flew by until spring came, and this was the time to get serious. We were practicing more, and bonded more as a team. We went to a number of team showcases, but a few of us did exceedingly well in individual showcases. Then the time came for our team to travel to Wilkes to compete in AAU Regionals. After a long weekend and a close champoinship game, The Charlotte Lady 76er's were named NC Western Regoinal Champions. The State tournament was right around the corner and after the regional win we were super excited! It wasn't until we got there that we realized that it was going to be a long, hard road. Seeing as how we were playing it Asheville, it wasn't really a surprise. On the Champoinship game on Sunday we lost by 2 points. I, like many many others was extremely proud of my team and still knew that we were the best, no matter what the scoreboard said.
During my career with the Sixers I have established basketball and life skills that I will always take with me wherever I go. Due to the devastating rise in gas prices (along with everything else) I had a big problem. My team practices in Charlotte twice a week, not counting fundraisers. Charlotte is more than 40 miles away from where I live, and my family doesn't have that kind of money.
My parents and I have decided that its best for our family if I didn't play in Charlotte anymore. I've been playing with these people for over a year now (some of them two) and it hurts... a lot. The first time my parents ever brought up the subject, I was incredibly disappointed. But after the first night of officially not being on the team I cried for most of the night. These people are so close to me they were practically family. I probably have spent more time with them then any other team I have ever been on. I will miss so many things. The big tournaments, the wins, the losses, the laughs, the good practices, and the sucky ones, even getting chewed out after every bad game. But most of all I think I'm going to miss the people. The girls have been really great friends, and the coaches have been amazing. They have taught me so much, I don't think I could ever thank them enough.
I've been playing with a YBOA team here in Stanly County for about a week now. I can't really honestly say that I like it right now, because compared to the Sixer's nothing will ever be that good. I guess playing on this team is good for for, because I'll be playing with these girls in high school, but I don't think anything will ever compare to what I had. Adjusting to a new team is always hard, but eventually I'll get through it.
As a teenager I have gone through a lot of heartbreak, but as an athlete this is the biggest of them all. It's almost like losing something that is your everything. This is an incredible group of people that has taught me to risk everything for a dream that only I see. Until I came to this team I never really took basketball very seriously, it was more of a hobby than anything. But now, after spending time and working with them, it's turned into a passion. Now I want this more than anything in the world! If it was not for the money expenses there would be no way on this Earth that I would ever leave this team. As a team we have accomplished so much, but as an individual I have accomplished more than I could ever imagine. I hope and pray with everything in me that someday I'll be playing on this team again.
So rounding out this blog entry, I just wanted to say that if you are currently on a team that you are really close to, then cherish and enjoy every moment you have. Whether it's sprints or drills in practice, big games, fundraisers, and even just hanging out in a hotel after a long day at a tournament, because those are the things that you will look back and miss the most. I do. |
|
|
|
| |
| Tags: |
|
| Posted in basketball, club sports, women's athletics |
| | | previous 1 next | |
| | | | | | |
| |
| Lindsey's Most Popular Posts | | | |
| Comments on Lindsey's Posts | | | |
| |
