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What People Are Saying about GTS... Patrick Deegan - Coach - Claudia Daisley, a GTS player To step away from the “story” for a minute, I would like to discuss the term “opportunity.” As touched upon, I feel as though I have taken advantage of every opportunity possible this year. By just being myself, I am credited as a good student, a talented musician, and a funny entertainer. When it came to the thing I wanted the most, though, there was still always something holding me back. While reflecting on my final basketball season, I jokingly complained to Katie that her training did not work for me—that I never became the great basketball player I so desperately aspired to be. She replied, “Game Time Skills made you the best basketball player possible. What you lacked is opportunity.” What did this mean? To this day, I am not sure. Was my trainer/friend talking about my most recent season, in which events and people outside of my control limited my capabilities? Or was she referring to the old, original Claudia—The slightly overweight, not so great at anything Claudia? Were my opportunities restricted only five months ago, when my coach refused to see me as an important player, or were they set seventeen years ago, when genetics predicted I would never breach the height of 5’4’’? I’m not sure if it matters which message Katie was trying to convey to me. What does matter, though, is that for one reason or another, I was denied the opportunity to be a great basketball player. When it came to the thing I cared about most, I failed. Looking back now, the entire season seems like it never even happened. I remember losing my starting position to a freshman. I remember fracturing my ankle. I remember being benched for the majority of my senior season. Not much else is important anymore. There is no use in making anymore excuses about the terrible coaching, and there is no sense in making anyone else feel sorry for my losing season. All that really matters now is that it’s over. What I considered to be the biggest, most important part of my life ended after three miserable months. I cannot begin to express the confusion and hopelessness I felt as basketball came to an end for me. Up until the very last practice, I continued to work my hardest, and I somehow managed to stay positive about the fact that I still had my chance for greatness. Even when I did lose hope at times, I convinced myself to work even harder and prove that I was stronger than the people trying to hold me back. Nonetheless, no matter how much I try to glorify it now, no amount of mental toughness could have helped me endure the pain I felt after we lost our final game. On that drive home, I could no longer feel motivated to push myself and improve during the coming off season. There was no “next year” for me. Mason Basketball had broken me, and all I was left with was emptiness. This might sound a bit over-dramatized, but honestly, how would you feel if you had to give up your passion? Then again, maybe this pain is a feeling which everyone must experience in one way or another. Similar to my teen angst phase in tenth grade, maybe it is one of those things that has to happen while growing up. At some point, everyone has to let go of their childhood dreams and loves and move on to more practical, serious matters. I do, however, wish I could have gone out with more of a “bang.” I wanted to leave my mark on court, to make sure that my legacy would not be forgotten. I wanted basketball-loving fathers to say to their daughters, “Now watch how Claudia Daisley plays…Look where hard work got her!” But no one would ever say that, and all I could think to myself was, “Where did hard work get me? It was all a waste.” I officially considered myself a failure, not just in basketball, but in life. Who was I, if not a “baller”? I have now had over two months to sort through all of these helpless emotions. By far, the most important conclusion I have made is no, I am not a failure at life. My recent transformation in attitude has even helped me realize that, when it came to my basketball career, I also did not entirely fail. On the contrary, I overcame countless odds just by developing myself into the athlete who made the varsity team as a sophomore. I gained even more success as I improved my skills and felt more confident while playing with more advanced players. Finally, I surpassed the maturity level of my thirty-year-old coach by never quitting in spite of his manipulative actions. That is what defines me and my life. My life is not about lost trusts, missed opportunities, or heart breaking failures. It is about overcoming adversity. It is rising above natural obstacles and meeting what once seemed like unreachable goals. It is confronting those who refused to believe in me and being able to say, “I told you I could do it.” It is showing everyone that hard work can turn a goofy, chubby kid into a UVA bound, high school student-athlete. Now that I am finally reflecting on the positive aspects of my life, I see that the determined spirit I have possessed in high school is helping me not only in the present, but also in the future. Just recently, I had the chance to travel down to Charlottesville and meet Dean Blackburn, the University of Virginia’s Dean of Admissions. During our meeting, he explained that the Board of Admissions selected me to attend the University based on my classification as a “turn-around student.” He added that despite my struggling grades as a freshman, I was able to earn the board members’ respect by reflecting an extreme escalation of effort, starting my sophomore year. My ability to rebound from being an average student to earning above average grades scored me a victory in the college world. The lessons I had learned while training on the basketball court are what have now determined my foreseeable future. They helped me achieve my ultimate goal. In the long run, they are what led to me to success and happiness. I have finally been rewarded for my hard work. To this day, I am still struggling to cope with my life without basketball. Several of my friends have supported me through this awkward transition, and many suggested that I find a way to still play basketball for fun without allowing it to consume all of my life. So far, I just cannot accept this moderate alternative. I have explained to many persons that basketball is somewhat of an “all or nothing” thing for me. I can’t just do it half-way. Basketball is not a hobby, and it was never something I did in my free time for fun. The simple sport was so much more than that to me. As already emphasized, it was my passion. The more I put into basketball, the more it gave back. No matter how miserable I was running mile after mile at training, or how frustrated I felt after losing in a battle of one-on-one, when it was all over, I always felt better about myself. Every time I stepped onto a court or even touched a ball, I felt satisfied with myself. It gave value to my life. That feeling is what made all of the time and all of the effort worth it in the end. For me, basketball is not just a game. It never was, and it never will be. I do not know where I will be ten years from now, and I have no idea if the “game” of basketball will play any part in my life. Nevertheless, the legacy of my experience with the sport—the ups and downs, the sweat and the tears—will never die. It has shaped me into the person I am today, and it has prepared me for whatever life has to offer. -Coach Patrick Deegan, Westfield High School During the past eleven years I have had the pleasure of coaching Katie in high school and AAU basketball;, employing her as a counselor in my age group girl’s basketball camp, and referring current players to her for inclusion in Katie’s Gametimeskills instructional program. Katie, as a player, personified what every coach looks for; a commitment to excellence and the discipline to achieve it....As a coach and instructor (Gametimeskills) she has worked hard to create a program that enriches the young players who participate, not only as players but as people. The life skills being taught at Gametimeskills will stay with these players long after they are through playing basketball. In conclusion, it is an honor as well as my pleasure to recommend Katie Smrcka-Duffy, both as a basketball coach and as a person! If you have nay questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. |
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