Ever felt like everything you had to do from work, school, outside activities just caving in on you to the point of suffocation. I decided to blog today because that was me just yesterday. If you don’t know I am a junior at Radford University studying marketing and on the Executive Board for Diversity Awareness Programming as the Webmaster but also available to help where ever I am needed. I tend to take on a lot in organizational roles sometimes because I don’t like waiting until the last minute to get something done for an event or just my job with updating the websites and events calendar. With all of that I am taking 4 classes with Mondays & Wednesdays being my heaviest days with 3 classes and a meeting shortly after my last class for the day. When I become too overwhelmed, this is where basketball tends to calm me down or relax me for a little bit. After my meeting yesterday, I needed some relief before finishing my homework and eating something which I will get to later but I walked to the gym I was super excited because I was going to be able to at least spend 45min to a hour on the court shooting around so I thought. I was able to check out a basketball but 2/3 courts were occupied due to intermural sports and the third court was filled with guys playing full court and I didn’t want to intrude on their forever on -going game, so I decided wait. Frustration begins to build up in me because I just wanted some time to myself on the court, selfish yes but I was so stressed from everything else at this point that their was nothing else to calm me down. Part of my frustration also came from me not eating all day, which I should have stopped to do before getting super busy but I had 2 back to back classes, so not complaining but I didn’t have anytime to stop and eat and not worry about the next assignment I had to complete. I ended up leaving the gym without having the opportunity to shoot around got subway and was able to watch the LosAngeles Clippers & Dallas Mavericks game on NBA TV. I got my relief 🙂 whether I am on the court or in front of the TV basketball is my unwind technique. It helps me to refocus my mind before I have to finish the rest of the tasks I have. Even though I had a lot to take care of yesterday for those 2 hours the game was on I was able to forget everything that was on my mind. I was able to relax, I was able to enjoy. Stress often for me comes from taking on too much but I do it because I feel like if I don’t take care of it, the task at hand may not get completed on time. In a leadership role, I’ve learned it’s better to be early than to be late. I rather have 3 or 4 events fully ready to go instead of last minute racing against the clock. In my head I treat everything like it’s the 4th quarter, you go hard until the clock hits 0. You never want to put off something more than 2-3 days because then it creeps back up on you hard and then you are scrambling to get everything perfect. I don’t mind the stress but I do recommend taking at least a hour or 2 to do nothing or something you love. 🙂 Hopefully sometime this week I can get my hour or 2 stress relief on the court!. Hope you enjoy this blog!

Growing up, I always found myself around the game of basketball whether it was watching on tv or playing outside I was always near it. The first time I really knew basketball was going to be apart of my life was during middle school. I tried out for the team and made it! my excitement was overwhelming being that I am a very shy person, this was going to be my outlet so I thought. Practice after Practice I found myself getting better from making free throws to shooting jump shots to running sprints. I felt prepared and ready to showcase everything that I was learning with my team on the court. My coach on the other hand didn’t feel the same as I. I mostly sat on the bench and would probably play at most 10 minutes. Our team wasn’t very good and it was frustrating for me that I was being set back and not being able to showcase my talent. This ultimately hindered my decision of trying out for the freshmen team in high school. Even though I chose not move forward with a playing career, I found other ways to really get intrigued by this phenomenal sport. For one, basketball is very fast paced, engaging, fun and it will always keep you guessing. Watching games on TV was one of the ways I stayed engaged in the sport, from high school to the NBA, I really enjoy all levels of this sport. One memory that pops in my head was my senior year in high school our girl’s basketball team was losing to a division rival at home and with the rally and support from our star guard and the fans were able to win and head to the state championships. One of the reasons basketball is so important in my life is because at this time it brought an entire school together as one. It felt like we were all family in that moment. Basketball also helped me fit in during my high school years as well. It was a easy talking point for me and a connector for my peers. People often express their love for things by a person or inspiration and I do have those when it comes down to it but being in school and trying to be accepted, basketball helped a lot. From knowing stats about players or just knowing simple facts about players it helped me to express myself more. I wasn’t always everyone go to person but when it came time for a game I was always there and my peers understood that. Basketball for me is a lifestyle and in some shape or form it has played a key role in decision making, to also thinking of better ways to possibly brand a team. I hope you enjoy this blog as you will get to know more about me through the eyes of this sport and teams as well as people who are in the sports industry who made my love for the game that much greater and special. Welcome to my blog. my world.my life.

Mariah B.