Our ability to handle life’s challenges is a measure of our strength and character -Les Brown. In my freshman year of high school, I joined the Hoover basketball team in Des Moines, Iowa. Hoover is the most diverse public high school in the state and is also the most under-resourced. Before my freshman year, I participated in a homeschool co-op; in that community, all of the families looked like mine. In the Hoover community, on average, the parents are split up or come from a non-traditional household. It gave me a peek into reality and understanding that all of life isn’t just how it was at the homeschool co-op. It showed me that there are different communities and cultures in life. Life is not fair, some have more than others, and we have to make the most of what we have.
My responsibility as a player on the team was to give rides to players, to and from practice. If I did not provide rides, the players simply wouldn’t make it to practice. Rarely did we have a full team at practice, which was the opposite of any other team I had ever been a part of. We started the year with twenty-two players in November, and by February we had 11 players. Various reasons for the diminishing team included, insufficient grades, some needing to work and didn’t have the time, and lethargic attitudes. Practices were challenging and through them I became a better basketball player, and I believe a wiser individual having seen a broader perspective of different environments.
Going from a homeschool co-op to being at Hoover was an immense change of culture and lifestyle. I’m thankful that it happened because it showed me two different cultures and gave me the ability to compare and contrast. I felt like I was a part of the Hoover community just as much as I was a part of my homeschool co-op community, it just looked different. We set our goals out for the season and strived for them together, as a team. I believe that the challenge of going to Hoover as a freshman taught me about community, relationships, and the ability to adapt to new and challenging circumstances.