Believe…

 Last night I stayed up with my computer in my bed, with my eyes locked on the TCNJ Women’s Basketball ‘live stat’ screen, as my alma mater defeated the second-ranked team in the nation. Watching live stats is really difficult, I would have much rather been at the game in the stands, but I settled for cheering at the computer and believing my old teammates, players, and friends could hear me. With Kean trailing for most of the game, and watching the Lions grab offensive and defensive boards I kept thinking ‘they’re going to do it, they’re going to do it!’ Remembering what it was like to play Kean, and how dangerous their runs could be, I got out of bed and paced when Kean tied the game with 1:10 remaining in the game. I immediately bbm-ed my sister and told her, “It’s tied…all they have to do is believe. THEY JUST HAVE TO BELIEVE!” TCNJ won 68-65, and I have to say how incredibly proud I am of those girls.

This morning I sat down and really thought about ‘believing.’ There are so many different areas of my life that I have to remind myself to believe in. Basketball, love, friendships, myself. I have a habit of putting up inspiring quotes on my walls, most of which are now posted from a John Wooden quote and fact calendar my Mom gave me for Christmas, but also a few randoms I added from Eat. Pray. Love., and of course a couple from my friends.  I browsed my quote wall this morning and saw a common theme emerge: BELIEVE.

I wondered if I am drawn to quotes about believing because it is something that is so hard for me to do, or because I pride myself on how I sometimes believe too much, and tend to have blind faith in other people and the world. I decided that it’s a little bit of both. I’ll explain…

When you’re on a team that has been struggling to get a win, seal the deal, play help-side defense, sacrifice their body for the team, and show up (physically AND mentally), sometimes it’s really hard to believe. Let me take a time out for a second: I do NOT believe that let’s say, if I were to play one-on-one with a cat, that if the cat believes whole-heartedly it’s going to win, it will actually win. Come on now, obviously in order to believe you need some foundation; you have to have put in the work and effort consistently in order to be a contender, I’m not that naïve (also in this scenario opposable thumbs might help my opponent too)!  Time in: I truly believe (there’s that word again!) that all you need is one or two people on a team to buy in, to really believe that the game plan will work and that they have the ability to do the things they need to in order to win. Once one or two people kindle those beliefs, they will spread like wildfire to the rest of the team…

Well, in life and sports, that doesn’t always happen, does it? I mean I thought once we beat the LuTown Highflyers that we’d realize that we are capable of beating other teams in our league. And even though we have beaten one other team, I wonder: are we not ready to believe? And then: what are we scared of?

While I like to think I’m always ready to believe in basketball (and I am), there are other areas of my life that I do shy away from believing in. For example, there is a quote on my wall that my friend sent me that says, “This person does exist!” Without getting into too much detail, I have a hard time believing my better half, so to speak, is out there. And now that I’ve become really comfortable and happy with my routine, my life, and myself, it’s scary to think that someone else might be out there who could essentially come in and stir the pot. When I look at that quote two things happen (usually): my heart softens for a split second … and then I roll my eyes. While it’s easy for me to believe in things like basketball (I have and do put in the work and effort consistently), I struggle to believe that, well, “This person does exist!”

As a prior player, captain, and coach, I used to get really pissed off when I didn’t think everyone believed, or bought in to a system and team. Even after I’d talk to people I could single out as non-believers and try to understand what was up, I couldn’t grasp why or how it was possible they couldn’t believe. For whatever reasons, maybe they just can’t believe in basketball, or aren’t ready to, the same way I’m not ready to believe “This person does exist!” But I’ll tell you what: I DO believe it only takes one, right person, to make a believer out of anyone…

This post is dedicated to my TCNJ Lions… Don’t Stop Believing girls!!!!