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Griffin Dempsey
Instructor Rebecca Agosta
UWRT 1101-002
4 August 2014
Whatever It Takes
Often, people hear about basketball players and think of the stereotypical Ball is and
always has been life, or the I came from nothing stories. For me, I
never really cared about basketball when I was younger. Honestly, I
never really cared about anything until I got to high school. I just went
with the flow of things everywhere I went. I played on my travel team, I
played for my middle school team, and I practiced with the high school
team. I just played because I had fun. I never had to try to be good at
basketball once I played at a competitive level; it just came to me. This
was probably from the endless games of pick-up in the backyard against
my older brother, from the first few years I learned to dribble. He didnt take it easy on me
either. He would go to any extreme to make sure I didnt win, or score for that matter. He was
competitive and I hated it. I hated losing. He would make me so mad, but I loved him for it.
I remember playing pickup one day, and I actually scored the first point, my only point
that day, but that didnt matter to me though. The fact that I finally scored on him is what
changed me- I was finally able to believe in myself. I instantly became confident in myself as a
basketball player. I wasnt scared anymore; I could play with the big kids- even my older
brother. We went on to play seven more games that night. My mom ended up having to threaten
to ground us if we didnt come inside and get ready for bed. By the time we got inside, it was
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one oclock in the morning. I walked into the kitchen to get a drink of water, and I could hear my
brother still shooting outside. I figured me scoring that point on him must have really got to him.
I walked back outside thinking hed pull the classic What do you want, loser? or, Isnt it past
your bedtime, turd? Instead, he looked back at me for a few minutes, and then he threw the ball
to me.
He had me hold the ball in one hand and place the other on the side. He taught me how to
properly shoot the ball. Id never been so happy. My brother, the best basketball player in the
world (in my eyes), was teaching me how to play. The kid who I always thought wanted to beat
me up and FedEx me off to North Carolina finally saw potential in me. It took me a solid forty
minutes to get the technique down, but once I got it, he smiled and high-fived me. He was happy
for me- or probably just his teaching.
I still dont think he knows this, or probably even remembers that day,
but he made me fall in love with the game of basketball. He taught me how to
be a competitor. I learned so much from my brother. He was always the star
athlete. He played every sport, and he was good at every one of them too. In
high school, he was All-State in baseball, golf, basketball, and he would have
played any other sport if they had let him. Today, hes still
the star athlete. Hes currently playing baseball for The Ohio
State University Buckeyes, his dream school. Hes living out his dreams and
pursuing so many accolades that no one thought he was capable of attaining. I
receive texts from him occasionally that say Im so proud of you, turd. Keep
it up. I just wish I knew how to tell him that I wouldnt be here if it werent
for him; he is one of the main reasons that I am so driven to succeed.
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After all those games in the backyard, my brother found himself playing and traveling on
six different sports teams. He wasnt around as much during his teenage years, so I was left to
get better on my own, or at least find some new people to play with. I kept playing basketball,
and I was still in love with it. I was eight years old when I was asked to join the West Virginia
Thunder girls AAU travel basketball team. I was beyond scared; the girls on the team were all
nine years old. We even had to practice with the high school kids too. I was asked to join the
team by an old man named Larry Lambert, the founder of WV Thunder. I didnt know anything
about him, but he looked so cute and innocent- like the grandpa from the movie Up. His motto
was whatever it takes. He always spoke to us about this huge tournament called Nationals. He
wanted to win Nationals more than he wanted to breathe. He had been coaching for very many
years, but he never got the chance to win nationals.
We ended up qualifying for nationals every year after we started up the team. We got
ninth place, fifth place, third, and fourteenth. Then it was finally our last chance at nationals. Ill
never forget the day we won- never. We were tied with three seconds left and won on a last
second shot. Larrys little body jumped for joy and he burst into tears. I remember how everyone
was running around and rushing on to the court, but I just stood there in my place. I was frozen
in my steps. I watched Larry as he made his way over to his wife to give her the biggest hug I
have ever seen. His dreams came true that day and we helped accomplish that for him. No
amount of success can ever compare to that day.
After all of that years excitement, AAU started to get a bit different. Suddenly, Larry
didnt come around as often; he was sick. No one knew what was wrong- we just assumed it had
something to do with being old or tired. We never imagined that he would have been diagnosed
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with brain cancer. Soon, Larry was hospitalized, and we were notified that he would only have a
few more weeks left to live.
I still remember walking into the room and seeing him lying there. I felt something die
inside of me. My stomach churned, and I just wanted look away. He opened his eyes and turned
his head toward me. Finally, after what seemed like hours, the churning in my stomach stopped. I
couldnt help but smile. I got up and walked to his bed and stood over him. He flashed a huge
smile at me and pointed to a pad of paper on the end of his bed. I walked over to pick it up and
handed it to him (trying not to read it and be nosey). He laughed and handed it back to me. I read
the note; actually, it was a list. The list said the following: Elon University, Marshall University,
Middle Tennessee State University, East Tennessee State University, and Stetson University.
Then he said, I couldnt let my cancer stop you from reaching your dreams. I received calls
from those schools for you last night and today. They want to offer you full-ride scholarships to
their universities for basketball. Thats your dream, right? Thats what weve been working for
all this time?
I didnt reply to him- only because I was too busy holding back tears. He amazed me, but
I was also angry with him. I had not once thought about my chances of playing college
basketball being disrupted because he was ill. I didnt even really care about it at the time, but he
did. He should have been worried about making up with old friends, enjoying his family,
reflecting on his life, but that wasnt his main focus. He knew
that once all of this was over I would need something to work
for; I needed new goals. He wasnt going to let me lose hope
over my future just because he may not be present. He
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reached his hand out to grab my arm that was shaking while trying to hold on to the list. He
looked at me and all he said was, whatever it takes, right?
That day will never leave me. I dont know if Larry ever really knew what all he did for
me, but I would give all of my success away just to be able to tell him thank you. I would not
have had the will power, determination, heart, perseverance, or anything- if it werent for that
day. Losing someone you look up to, like a mentor, its hard to understand. Suddenly, someone I
thought was invincible started dying on me. That is when reality hit me. That annoying saying
of: Life is too short is true. But its also a lie. Its only too short if you dont live it out. At least
this is what I thought was true until April 2, 2009.
I walked into school just as I did any other day; however, today, something didnt feel
right. I went to class and fell asleep- like usual. I woke up to the teacher telling me I had been
asleep for an hour, but it was okay because we were asked by school officials to not let anyone
leave the classrooms. The day went on, and I got on my phone. I realized I had seven missed
calls and twenty unread text messages. I opened them and experienced the biggest heartache I
have ever felt in my life. The first text read, Its okay, Griff. Shes in a better place. The second
text said, I know youre strong, babe. Youll be fine. . . I should have stopped reading right
that second, but I went on reading. . . .Kelsey loved you and you will see her again one day.
Then it hit me. My best friend was dead. Not sick, diagnosed with cancer, but dead. My
heart broke in half. My stomach turned a thousand times until I almost threw up on myself. I
burst into tears as everyone around me stared. The teacher panicked and asked if I needed to call
home. I didnt answer her. I just sat there, frozen in my seat.
After that day, I didnt really talk much. I stopped going to the gym; I stopped caring
about everything. Nothing really made sense to me anymore. Until one day, I went to the gym. I
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had to pick up something for my mom; I dont even remember what it was. I just remember
walking in and picking up a ball. I stood there for a second- then I shot it. I made it. I continued
to shoot. I ended up not leaving the gym until nine hours later, when school started the next
morning. During that time, I finally realized that Kelsey had dreams too- just like me. The only
difference was that her dreams were no longer realistic. Then I decided that I was going to
achieve my dreams, not because I have to, but because I can. Kelsey didnt get her chance, but I
do.
From that day on, basketball wasnt just a game to me anymore.
Basketball became a portal to achieving all of my dreams, my escape from my
sorrows, and my happiness away from friends and family. I had finally
realized that only I was in control of my life, just like Im in control of the
ball. It amazes me to think that a twenty-ounce piece of air-filled rubber has
allowed me to get to where I am today; thats why I play basketball.