By Aseel Barghuthi,

So we were in Singapore. I couldn't stand not playing for 10 whole days, so we rented a ball and went down to the courts in front of our apartments. We were shooting some hoops, and Ibby starts talking about basketball and what a great game it is. (As if I didn't already know that.) Five minutes later, I start talking about our senior year and how it's our last year of school ball. Sally grabs the rebound, takes a shot, and says, "I love basketball."

I froze momentarily.

What Sally said hit a nerve. I knew that what she said came from the surface, and not from deep inside.

I mean, if she loved basketball, she wouldn't ever say, "no, thanks, I'm too tired," when I appear at her door with a ball. If she loved basketball, she would have played three hours a day this summer to work on that shot we both know needs improving. And most of all, if she really loved basketball, she wouldn't make fun of me every time I decline going out just to sit around at home and shoot some hoops.

Random comments like that annoy me. I mean it's bad enough that some people don't understand what love is, but to throw comments like that around without actually understanding what they really mean ... that hurts. So, in order to avoid hearing people say things they don't really mean about a sport that truly does reside in my heart, I've taken the liberty of writing a list of the top 10 characteristics of girls who really love basketball.

Here goes:

10. You go out of your way to play, even if you're wearing high heels and nice pants.

9. You never turn down a challenge.

8. You'd rather die than be accused of being a "selfish" player.

7. Your room is filled with basketball mementos.

6. Your imagination takes you to a court where you're playing alongside the greatest of the great WNBA players.

5. When you think of college, you think of college basketball.

4. You smile whenever people mock your obsession.

3. You're proud of being labeled "The basketball girl."

2. You treat your team like family.

1. It's number one on your list of "my favorite things to do."

Of course the list may vary, depending on how much and to what extent you love the game. What I'm trying to say is that loving basketball isn't just about playing it. It's about living it!

Wait. Before you check out, here's a short poem of the week:

They say you lose, you win,
They say it's all the same.
But I know deep inside,
That it's not just a game.

KeEp oN pLaYiNg, #68

p.s. I've used coded names for my friends--to protect the guilty parties!

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. She hopes to play college ball next year back in the United States.

To contact Aseel with any comments or suggestions, e-mail her at aseel@index.com.jo