I have never had much of an affinity for sports, or any form of physically demanding activity for that matter. Sure, I run a little and occasionally dance hideously, but sports that involve balls are something I meticulously avoid. Years of disastrous Physical Education classes and class outings have taught me that balls do not like me. I have been blinded by squash balls, tripped by soccer balls and temporarily maimed by bowling balls.
But when my editor suggested that I learn a new sport and write an article about it, I immediately decided to learn streetball. After all, I have been accident-free for a while and I am older and wiser. It was time to put the past behind me and try something ball-related.
Happily, I approached my cousin, Yee Jian, for mentorship. Yee Jian is a point guard in Anderson Junior College’s basketball team (the runner-up team for 2012’s National A Division Boys’ Basketball Championship!) and an avid street basketball player. I have watched him play on the court for a few years but I never joined in. He was elated that I finally expressed interest in his favorite sport.
We made our way to a street court near our houses on a Saturday evening. Half the court was already taken up by two teenagers shooting hoops. Yee Jian spent 15 minutes explaining the basic rules of the game to me. Streetball is a variation of basketball and the two are very similar. The main difference is that fewer players are needed to form a team and the structure of the game is very informal.
Unlike the five players that are needed on a basketball team, streetball teams require as little as three players. Matches are normally held on outdoor courts and teams can be formed on an impromptu basis because whoever wants to play can play. Body contact is also a huge feature of the game, meaning that there are no strict rules about violations, and fouls can be called by players themselves. The sport is more player-oriented than basketball and more emphasis is laid on entertaining individual moves than on teamwork.
My feelings of anxiety worsened as he finished his explanation. This is mainly because I stand at a humble 160cm and will definitely fall pathetically if a male player shoves past me, elbows me or charges at me. The possibilities were endless. Keeping this article in mind, I pulled up my socks and made my way to the court anyway, ready to warm up and practice. To be honest, I wanted to call it quits after the warm-up session. There was a lot of stretching, throwing the basketball around, running, and the worst of them all, working on lay-ups.
A lay-up is a one-handed shot that is made under or beside the basket. It is also impossible! I managed to get zero successful shots and got hit in the head by my own bad throw. The heat made everything worse and I was exhausted after the warm-up. Yee Jian very kindly informed me that the half an hour we took was much shorter than his normal routine. In my defence, I have not exercised for a really, really long while and my talent in free throws makes up for my lack of stamina.
Yee Jian’s theory is that learning is best achieved with practice. As a result, we joined the guys sharing the court with us and played against them. Thankfully, in streetball fashion, the game was limited to half a court. The two strangers were nice and gentlemanly, keeping out of my way most of the time, probably out of pity. My coach fed me the ball constantly and I spent the whole session shooting at the goal, improving in accuracy despite my fatigued arms.
We did win because my cousin and I cannot stand losing (family trait) and I let him play solo at the end. I realized how fierce the game really was only when he took over. The three boys pushed and shoved and it was all very manly. After the game, I asked them if they preferred streetball over basketball. They all loved the former because of its lack of rules and fast-paced nature.
The match concluded the day’s training and I met Yee Jian a week later. I am embarrassed to admit that the body aches I experienced had only ceased that day. This time, he invited his friends to play as well, giving them specific instructions not to make it too easy for me. Of course, his friends were still too kind to be too aggressive towards a girl, so I escaped unscathed. They, however, blocked nearly every single one of my throws and I was forced to pass more and be faster.
Unfortunately, we lost this match and had to treat the winners to curry chicken rice. Experiencing how fast and difficult a real streetball match is, however, made sure that I was a non-sore loser. Practicing with such good players has helped me appreciate how fun and challenging streetball really is. In fact, despite the muscle aches that I am currently recovering from, I intend to continue playing it and improve my lackluster skills even after finishing this article.