My Biggest Sports Memory: Making the Winning Free Throw

My biggest sports memory was hard to choose. Sports have always played a key role in my life. As a kid, I was shy and self-conscious, but my years of participating in athletics helped me to become the confident, independent woman that I am today.

I made the varsity girls basketball team during my sophomore year of high school. I was the only sophomore on the team. I was really proud just to have made the squad and I knew that for the first time in my life, I would be a bench warmer. I was the back-up point guard and my team's starting point guard was our truly impressive team captain. I learned a lot from her that year, but the greatest thing I learned was how to be a team leader.

We traveled to a rival high school for a game that would determine if we would make the playoffs. It was a hostile environment to say the least. The game was close and the lead went back and forth. The game was so important that the coach kept his veteran players on the court. I completely understood and I still sat next to him and cheered for my team and stayed involved. I did not sit and pout because I was not playing.

With less than 2 minutes left in the game, our awesome starting point guard (Tonya) fouled out. Coach S looked at me and said, "It's your time, you can do this." I was excited and scared, but I felt I could help my team. We were down by 2 points and the crowd was hollering (some words were not so nice). My goal was to get the ball to our big players; I never intended to shoot in those last 2 minutes. The other team (The Tigers) ran their play and shot the ball, somehow I managed to get inside the paint and grab the rebound. They fouled me by literally shoving me out of bounds and onto the floor.

As I walked down to shoot my 1 and 1 free throw, one of their players told another player, "She's just a bench warmer, she won't make it." She was wrong. I stepped up, made the first free throw and then the second, and tied the game. There was just over a minute left to play. Once again they ran a play, missed a lay up and I grabbed the rebound. They didn't foul me this time so I took the ball up the court and ran a play the coach called. They were all over everyone, but not me. When they play clock was at 3, I hit a 2 point basket that gave us a lead.

The Tigers responded by pushing the ball up the court and into their big inside player for a quick basket. I called a time-out so coach could tell us what to run. Once again they were all over everyone, this time I was included in that. We ran the clock down to less than 10 seconds left in the game. I made a head fake move and as I went up for a shot I got fouled. It was my chance to win the biggest game of my 15 year old life.

The crowd was booing and jeering, but I looked toward the bench and I saw our senior point guard standing up and yelling, "You got this, you can do it!" I took a deep breath and sank the first free throw. I bounced the ball, got my rhythm and hit nothing but net for the second free throw. The Tigers never got another shot off and we won the game. I was practically tackled by all my teammates, it was a glorious feeling. A feeling I will never forget.

Source: The authors memories (and newspaper clippings I still have today!)