Super Skilled Me

(8)

          The Pamberton Panthers have always been one of the strongest teams in the valley. Known for their three-point shooting and tenacious defense, it's no surprise they were ranked amongst the top teams in the province last season—of course, along with ourselves. Jackson Macintosh, a 6'10" big-man from Saskatchewan, is ranked second behind me in the British Columbian top players. His size and agility played a key factor in their winning streaks last year, and he'll be a problem tonight down in the post for Kevin and Jeffrey.

          "Okay," Coach Meldrum says, drawing on the provided whiteboard inside our home locker room. "We need to lock in defensively tonight if we want to play with these guys half-court. Obviously, we gotta keep Macintosh off the boards, and we need to make sure we're taking care of the ball on offence."

          "Kevin and Jeffrey will need help down in the post," Coach Anton adds, even though he rarely speaks. "Be ready to switch when the picks are set."

          "As usual, we're gonna start in our regular zone defense," Meldrum continues. "They're a bigger team, so we can leave shooters open more than often, but don't be fooled. They have a guard named Zachary Middleton who can knock down jumpers or one-dribble pull-ups. T-roy and Rashard, you'll be running Gonzaga as usual, but make sure we're careful with the ball."

          T-roy and I nod at one another. We had success against Pamberton last year, winning both of our games, but were close matches that went down to the very wire. Both of us know we need to execute our game plan and play hard.

          "We're gonna go with our black uniforms tonight," Meldrum says. "We'll hit the court in fifteen minutes. Talk amongst yourselves for now and get ready mentally." With that, he and Coach Anton exit the locker room and leave us to ourselves.

          "Let's go, boys," Tony says, hyping us up for the game. Even though he doesn't play much, that kid's got spirit and heart inside him.

          Kevin is standing by the wall, doing some calf stretches to loosen up. He and Jeffrey are discussing how they'll match up with Jackson Macintosh.

          Getting ready myself, I decide I'll wear my Kobe shoes tonight, considering I didn't play too well against Notre Dame with the LeBron's. I prefer their flexibility, and strangely, despite being low-tops, I feel they provide better ankle support, which I've happened to endure numerous injuries throughout my career.

          The sound of the home crowd cheering emerges through the locker room walls. I absolutey love playing in this gym. I adore the fans who come and support us. It feels like we're all one big family, with one goal in mind, and that's to repeat as champions. When I finally make the big leagues one day, I'll be playing in front of even bigger crowds, with more pressure. Not to mention live television with people watching across the world. So it's only fair I get used to it now.

          Moments later, Meldrum pops his head back in and gives the signal. One by one, we line up behind each other, ready to hit the court. I bounce up and down to myself, really hyping up my energy.

          We gradually make our way to the court, welcomed by screams from the supporting fans. Each of us grab a ball from the rack, jogging with our warm-up shirts on, naturally forming into a layup line. I look in the crowd and see Dian, sitting in her usual spot. She smiles and blows a kiss, with me pretending to catch it.

          The music plays loudly as the game edges nearer and nearer. Like always, I jog to half-court and touch the centre line after laying the ball in.

          Watching Jeffrey and Kevin slam some two-handed dunks, I feel like joining the hype.

          So, switching the layup line to the left, I dribble into the paint and take off.