Day 2 - Tuesday Sport & Disappointment

People can underestimate the weight that sporting achievement bears on a kid in highschool. Some people spend everyday playing their sport, every lunchtime perfecting their skills. I know for a fact that I've seen a ball fly through the hoop more times than I've looked at any textbook, that I can hear the sound of a swish (or click on the outdoor courts) louder than any teacher's voice, that I can recall the memories of past games better than any syllabus, and that sport vs school comparisons are fun to write. 

Today I played my last game of basketball while representing Fort Street. A midget playing a giant's game, throughout the years I've banded with my fellow hobbits and together we ventured to destroy the One Ring to show that the little guys can play too. Five years of flawless grand final victories later, we stood on the very cracks of Mt Doom, leading towards what should have been an easy victory despite losing our best and biggest player to Balrog-related injuries.

I wasn't kidding about the midget thing. Look at that height difference! I'm barely up to his shoulders. I had to mark that for most of the game.

First 10 minutes went down a little like this:

Hey Hunters Hill, what's up? Oh wait, what's that? Your point guard is taller than our centre? No worries mate, we'll just casually double your score whilst playing the best team basketball I've seen us play in ages. We'll make the extra pass. We'll hit the open shot. We'll close out the half playing slightly worse, but its okay, we're still 10 points ahead of you. 

Second half was a bit of a worry, though; they got to within 2 points of us in the last minutes. Then one of their players drew a foul and was shooting free throws when - time's up! We won! This guy's a scrub, he won't hit these two shots, right? Wrong. He hit them.

Then we lost in overtime.

Damnit. To win every game in the season, only to lose in the semi finals. That's heartbreaking. Year 12 basketball was something I was looking forward to since Year 7, too. All those accolades from the teachers and students at school and coaches I've had over the years just crumbled in front of me when I realised that we couldn't even carry Fort Street to the victory we've had every year since I've been here. Shit is mad lame. 

But it ain't all bad. We've had some massive successes  in sport as a school, and as individuals. Mr Bradley Fisher playing for the North Sydney Bears, then later winning a different competition with the Dragons. Big man Ramilo going overseas to rep hometown Philippines in U20s rugby union, and bringing that cup home. Jacky finding his passion in soccer.

And as the year comes to a close and we temporarily trade in our brawn for brains, I can only hope that I'll always remember these moments of sporting success with y'all. Especially in basketball, because really, fuck every other sport.

Year 7 when EVERYONE played.

Year 8 when I was king. 

Year 9 when Willie took my starting point guard spot.

Year 10 when Nelson kicked everyone's asses.

Year 11 when - fuck, when I didn't play for almost half a year. And Harman rose from the shadows to dominate all. 

And finally, Year 12, when I realised that basketball really is more than just a hobby. 

And to everyone else I haven't mentioned yet - Squiddy, Nahizzle, John, Joey, James, KP - you're all ballaz. Goodluck in the HSC gaiz, and keep up the ballin' attitude. Sorry Willie for not keeping fit for knockout earlier this year. Sorry everyone for an all-round disappointing season/performance this year. Love you all, 4real. (NO HOMO) (Damnit, we need to take a ballaz photo before the year ends)

More photos after the jump.

We should have won this.

Ballin'

FOR STREEEET |_|_|

Defence!

All smiles at halftime