As many students finish their final exams and dream about their extravagant plans for winter break, members of the basketball team like me look forward to morning practices and games.
I have been a part of the school’s basketball team since freshman year, meaning that I have never had a free winter break in high school. Our team practices for 2 to 3 hours a day, 6 days per week. Whether it’s during school or during break, we are in the gym. Of course, we enjoy a few days off for Thanksgiving and Christmas, but the next morning, we’re right back to practice, with the league season only days or weeks away.
Contrary to the common assumption that having all my free time stripped away is a miserable way to spend winter break, I don’t mind, because basketball is my favorite form of leisure.
Playing the sport helps me unwind from school and liberates me from the continuous cycle of tests, homework and academic extracurricular activities that repeats during the fall semester. Although people may dread going to practice early every morning, I love hanging out with my teammates — who also happen to be my closest friends — and sharing the pain of running after a hefty Christmas dinner or grabbing a quick bite at Popeyes after practice.
Last year, during winter break, the basketball team even went to Victoria, Canada, to play in a tournament hosted by University of Victoria. This was the first time I had traveled during the Christmas season since before COVID.
Although we did have games and practices on the trip, we also had plenty of free time to explore downtown Victoria. In those moments, it took me back to my winter breaks in middle school: wandering around the city with my friends with no destination in mind.
My team is like my second family, so I don’t care if I’m in the gym every day over winter break. I would much rather be working out with my team and preparing for our league games than to be sitting on a beach alone in Hawaii, bored and wishing I were shooting 3s over oncoming defenders.
