Sarah B. - "Cardinal Award"

I was waiting anxiously for the coaches to call out my name. As they were going through all of the age groups, I could feel my heart beating out of my chest. This would be one of the biggest moments of my life. I was hoping to win the “Cardinal Award,” which was the overall highest award in the camp. One by one, few players went up to receive their awards, from Tara VanDerveer, which were given out. You could possibly get an award for defense, one-on-one, three-on-three, etc. Compared to a lot of other camps, Stanford basketball camp taught me to improve as a basketball player. I gave it all I had that whole week, which would hopefully put me up in the running to receiving the “Cardinal Award.” Throughout the whole camp, I had been trying to impress the coaches and head coaches, while meeting some great new friends along the way. I was hoping that all of my hard work that week would pay off in the end. Waiting quietly on the ground, I was trying to envision what it would be like to play basketball at Stanford on a full ride. I could feel my brain twirling in all directions, as I could feel the butterflies forming a nest in the pit of my stomach. All of the sudden, I heard Tara call out the words, “Cardinal Award,” which quickly pointed my attention towards the coach. It felt like pressure was building up in my body, as the heat turned on which quickly made me start to sweat. As I was waiting for the coach to call out someone’s name, I looked in all directions to see who was watching the player receive her award. I put my focus back on Tara when she excitedly called out my name which meant that I was the best basketball player in my age group! I jumped up with a shining smile upon my face, and joy gleaming out of my eyes. As I shook all of the coach’s hands, I could hear the crowd of people cheering for me which made me imagine what it would be like if I was a player at Stanford. Assistant Coach, Kate Paye, handed me my very own plaque which felt like a diamond shimmering in the palms of my hands. The one moment I had been waiting for had just arrived, which was actually shaking Tara VanDerveer’s hand. As I shook her hand, she told me congratulations on all the hard work I had done which really made me feel special. With that award still with my now, I feel like a changed person in every way. This was one of the greatest moments of my life (so far), which will be with me for years still to come.