Assignment 22- Koen

     For the most part, my life has been pretty average. With each year passing by, I always look back to see what has changed about me. I have experienced what is considered a typical American childhood with good principles introduced to me in elementary school, transitional and somewhat frantic middle school era and finally, a growing period of finding what to do in the future. But during my childhood, I have developed a deep understanding of perspectives and the power of observation. For most of my life, I have played basketball but now I play golf. As part of a typical childhood, sports play a major character-developing role in one's life. I would pour out my energy, running down the court in basketball, and I would improve swing strokes to get better at golf. With each sport I gained the skills to the game but  I was also introduced to new perspectives. I came to understand two very diverse cultures that gave me a better understanding of the world around me. Being able to be part of a basketball travel team let me compete at a high level while seeing the culture of basketball. I observed the grit and grind of training for hours, running suicides and drills everyday and spending every weekend at tourneys from out of the city. On the other hand, I observed the importance of structure and form playing on the high school golf team, knowing how each situation requires a different skill. My childhood may be typical to everyone else's, but it is how I embrace the perspectives from my sports experience that makes life much more intricate. While one culture may solely focus on athletics and how its their chance to prove themselves, the other will stress the importance of structure and connections with others. While one culture may struggle financially to be able to play, the other may see athletics as a social opportunity to improve their status. Through sports and other opportunities, I have been able to let these cultures influence and shape my character to be more appreciative to each. Whatever new venues these experiences come from, I continue to have sports in my life and always take in the new perspectives from every experience.