At the International YMCA Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts, James Naismith, a Canadian physical education instructor, was tasked with creating a new indoor sports activity in less than 2 weeks. Soon enough he invented the game of basketball in late 1891.

Eventually, Naismith wrote 13 simple rules for the game, and nailed up two peach baskets for hoops. Of the 13 rules, nine have been slightly, modified and kept in the modern game of basketball, the rest have been disregarded.

In fact the most recognizable characteristic of basketball, bouncing the ball, was prohibited or not included in the original game.

My name is Matthew Geng and I’m 15 years old. I was born in Vancouver and moved to Victoria before pre-school. Currently, I consider myself to be a student-athlete in which I strive for academic achievement with athletics.

Being a part of demanding commitments it's difficult to have a balanced life. To illustrate, I’m part of Team BC for not only, basketball, but also, chess. Likewise, I have hobbies, such as video editing, programming, etc. Furthermore, I can’t settle for anything less than my best, potential, or what I know I can achieve. As a result, things that may seem simple to most people are often complex and time consuming for me.

A lot of basketball players let alone atheletes in general, including me, can sometimes struggle with having the right mentality. This would include, being confident, believing in yourself, having fun, not worrying about mistakes, and countless other mental aspects. As a result, the lack of being "mentally there" often stops people from achieving their goals. Interestingly, this problem is often overlooked. Many who struggle with this think “I just need to work harder”. Though practicing and practicing hard is one of the best ways to improve confidence, for most people it’s often a deeper problem. I believe that you have to work on your mental games as much as your physical. Additionally, a lot of mental problems boil down to the constant worry of people judging you. Consequently, simply, going out of your comfort zone and doing things you wouldn’t normally do on a day to day basis on the fact that you are afraid of messing up is mental training. This can include, going to dances or group events if you tend to be more reserved, or talking in public/debating if you’re generally quite.