By Aseel Barghuthi,
Amman Baccalaureate School,
Amman, Jordan.

Okay, so let's say it's not your best basketball day. You missed 5 of the 8 three pointers you put up, and even your lay-ups were off-balance. Deep down inside, you feel like giving it all up.

Sometimes we let one day of bad play lead us into questioning our abilities, our dreams, and our basketball future. But when have you ever heard of an athlete that has all good days? Every now and then, we're all bound to miss that game-winning shot, or that necessary free throw. But getting down on ourselves about it is a waste of time and energy.

I remember the days when I'd leave a game swearing never to go back to playing, and vowing to tear the basketball posters off of my bedroom wall. After an hour of seething and continuously running the images of missed shots through my mind, I'd cool down and realize that I was silly to be basing my entire basketball career on one measly game.

Eventually, I came to understand that it was all in my head--literally. Going into a game with low spirits, afraid of the outcome, would cause me to play a hopeless game, with no good results on my part. However, whenever I entered a game in high spirits, with high aims and expectations, it would directly reflect on the way I played.

Whether you realize it or not, it is YOU who decide whether your game is going to be a good one, or if it's going to be as bad as you anticipate. It's what "think positive" is all about.

So, what about those days when you start out slow and your attitude starts to dip? If your offense is down, work that defense. You can always make up for one thing by doing well on the other.

The wrong thing to do would be to begin to deteriorate mentally on the basketball court, because then that can only mean one thing--the bench. Sitting out of a losing game is frustrating, and somehow you start to take out the anger of being out of the game on our teammates, and that can't be good. One thing reflects on the other.

So take a moment now, and breathe. Clear your mind and think about all the good things you have going for you. On and off the basketball court. Sometimes, after one bad game or a scoring drought, we forget all the good things we can do.

Of course, it's okay to momentarily feel bad about missing a freethrow or fouling a player. That's what drives a competitive spirit. But in a fast paced game like basketball, you can't afford to spend more than a single moment dwelling on your mistakes. The show must go on, after all, and you need to maintain your high spirits, for the sake of your teammates, and for the sake of your game.

Next time you miss a shot, shrug it off and remind yourself that one missed shot out of 10, in the long run, doesn't make a difference. Whatever you tell yourself will come true--the mind is a powerful tool. So, all you hoop girls out there, get onto those courts and use those minds to dominate.

Until next time....

#68, Aseel

Aseel Barghuthi is in her senior year at Amman Baccalaureate School, in the country of Jordan, where she plays both point guard and shooting guard on the school team. She has also lived in the United States (Athens, Georgia) and England. To contact Aseel with any comments or suggestions, e-mail her at aseel@index.com.jo