Point guard in trouble, senior Rohit Yalla calls for the ball, standing in the corner behind the three-point line. The ball flies towards him as he sets his feet for the perfect three-point shot. Catching the ball, the realization that this would be his first three-pointer in a Varsity game came over him. The shot goes up. It swishes as his teammates jump out of their seats to cheer him on.

The thrill of watching the shot go up and that satisfying swish never left his mind. After all, it was through watching high school kids run up and down the outdoor courts at parks and just scrimmaging after school that had inspired Rohit to start playing basketball. Screeching shoes, swishing nets, and a hyped-up bench were all Rohit looked forward to from the months of November through March every year of high school. 

“My favorite part about basketball is the closer bond I get to build with my teammates since we share a court for two hours nearly every day for months every year,” Rohit said. “Long bus rides to away games are my favorite parts because my teammates and I just blast music in the bus and talk about the most random stuff like which one of us would most likely make it to the NBA. It’s cool to see how a sport can bring so many different personalities together.” 

Though Rohit now finds great joy in basketball, his journey has been marked with perseverance and a consistent desire to improve. From struggles in his technique to needing to learning skills off the court, over the years, Rohit has invested significant time towards bettering his game.

“For three years, I just couldn’t develop a proper shooting form because I would always revert back to old habits,” Rohit said. “Since I practice every day, I have developed a form I am proud of, and it came from a lot of hard work because changing the way your arms are positioned for every single shot is not easy. Outside of basketball, it’s also easy to revert back to old habits, which is something I’ve had to overcome and am still learning not to do.”

Being his close friend since elementary school and former basketball teammate, senior Tej Aswani has gotten to know Rohit both on and off the court. Tej notices how Rohit’s approach to challenges evolved throughout the nearly ten years he has known him. 

“I think Rohit used to think shortcuts were the way to go about life, but now he thinks more about the bigger picture and takes a more conscious approach to how his actions might affect certain things he cares about in the long term,” Tej said.

Senior Advay Monga, close friend and long-time basketball teammate, appreciates Rohit’s maturity in his approach toward his relationships and expands on Rohit’s growth throughout high school.

“Rohit has become more mature and you can really tell that he tries to keep everyone’s best interests in mind,” Advay said. “Whether that’s just being an honest friend with advice or being a supportive teammate.” 

Rohit’s maturity from basketball allowed him to reverse bad habits off the court as well. His altered mindset also carries over into his personal life, where he started learning to accept help from his loved ones. 

“Before playing basketball, I used to think that I needed to do everything myself and I would never want to let anyone in to help me,” Rohit said. “Basketball taught me that you can’t win by yourself, but you need teammates, friends and people you trust to help you.”

That understanding has shaped his role in the classroom as well. English teacher Lizzy Schimenti appreciates Rohit’s consistent upbeat energy and cherishes the unique dynamic he created as a student in both her English 3 class as well as her Short Fiction class.

“Rohit has always been a very personable and fun student, and I’ve realized how essential he is to building a fun class dynamic,” Schimenti said. “In the future, I would encourage him not to lose his spark as life gets more difficult.”

Rohit’s team-oriented mindset also translates to other aspects of his life. His willingness to open up that he developed throughout high school has impacted his approach toward not only future endeavors, but also his present ones.

“I used to be very secluded and not very social or trusting of people, but all that did was make me feel alone, so in high school, I decided to open up and let people into my life,” Rohit said. “When I finally let people in, I felt a lot more whole and happy in my life, which really impacted me because now I have people I trust, like my teammates, to help me whenever I need support, and I realized how I would do the same for them, too.”