After being invited to a YGOS x Heart of Basketball (H.O.B) selection trial, 13-year-old Seth* was selected for the H.O.B scholarship and to play for national competitions!
His journey was not as smooth sailing as he imagined but his experience through this trial allowed him to gain some insight into the more positive mindsets that will enable him to do his best!
Here is his story:
“I have been playing basketball since I was 9 years old, and I have my brother to thank for introducing me to the sport. Ever since I started playing, I couldn’t quit! The basketball culture is interesting and different from any other sport. In my CCA, I always wonder if I am good enough to play because everyone else is very good.
When I have these thoughts, I overcome them by practicing more in hopes that I will become better. It’s difficult because I need to be disciplined and motivated. The one thing I will always tell myself is “Just go”.
Especially in challenging matches, during very stressful moments, I tell myself this same thing and put all my effort into the match.
My biggest inspiration is Kobe Bryant – I like his mentality when it comes to basketball. He won’t give up easily and puts in the time to get better. Unlike other NBA players who go for their usual team training, Kobe Bryant puts in the hard work to go for additional practices on top of the usual team training. His work ethic inspires me greatly.
When I got invited to join the YGOS x H.O.B Basketball selection trial, I was quite scared, but I told myself “Just play, what’s the worst that could happen”.
Eventually, I got selected for the H.O.B scholarship and I will be playing for the H.O.B U14 competition soon!
I was quite nervous because there were many new faces, and I was afraid that I wouldn’t fit in but over time after going for the training and getting to know people better, I am happy to be there and be trained by the coaches.
They are like friends to me, when giving advice and training, they don’t scold or lecture us but try to understand us and be direct in pointing out our mistakes.
The most important lesson I’ve picked up is to not give up during times of difficulty, the more effort you put into something, the more you will receive. If there’s something big you want, you must work even harder than anyone else.
The best piece of advice I’ve gained from my coaches is “It’s not about skills we have, it’s about the amount of effort we put in that matters and about how much we want it.” That encourages me to be successful in all the things that I do.
It also makes me want to be remembered as a sportsman who didn’t give up.”
We hope that you’ve been inspired by his story and see the significance of our belief in young people!
*Names have been changed to protect the identity of our youths.