began playing basketball for a year and a half from early 1999 until the summer of 2000, and reprised it at september 2003 until november 2005. Hanamichi Sakuragi and Slam Dunk were also a good reason to start again after watching the series for the very first time in summer 2003 on Mtv reruns.
The society in my town was kind enough to let me back in, at the condition to train with the Under 16 squad even if i was already 17. Honestly a very fair trade because i was bad at the game even in the previous year and a half and there wasn't a chance in the world i could have been useful in the under 18 squad after three seasons of inactivity. In fact, i played with them only 2 games of the entire regular season against the two weakest teams and it was already a success for me, being even able to score 2 points in each game.
I "won" three tournaments in my basketball career, and "won" is a very loose word because my contribution to each of them was non existent. The first was in december 1999 with my junior high class against the other 3 of the school (and a final won by 1 point only despite being heavily favorites), then a provincial Under 14 title in may 2000 with the aforementioned society that i still never stopped being part of nowadays, and last the intern tournament of high school in june 2001, with teams divided as the letter of the courses. This last one was never organized again in the following 4 years even if there was hope for the last one, when i resumed playing again. As a consolation act, the coach of the high school squad chose me as his assistant when we began a tournamente against other schools of the same city.
Before i decided to definitely stop my society gave me a wonderful gift, by calling me with the senior team in a road trip game far from home of its minors league, because two younger players were required by law and no other one from the youth squads wanted to participate. I went in just a week from supporting the players from the seats of our gym with the "firm" i created in april 2004, to be one of the players themselves, at least for a day, and it was amazing. Half of my team was fouled out by the refs so i almost had the chance to actually play in a senior game. Reading my last name on the local newspaper the next day was something out of this world. |