Basketball Poems / Basketball Poetry : Basketball Poems Competition 2003

Basketball Poems

Basketball Poems Competition 2003

"Basketball - Poetry in Motion"

Celebrating the game of basketball in poems

A site by Garo Salibian

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Basketball Poems 2003 Competition

Contains the three winners and all other participating basketball poems

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Winners "Competition 2003":

First Prize: David David Hennings: "Flick of the Wrist"

Second prize: Rachel Furey: "B-Ball"

Third Prize: Joe Hines: (Untitled)

Other contestants "Competition 2003":

Jonathan David Hennugs: "Shooting in the Shadows"

Jonathan David Hennings: "The Burning"

Joe Hines: "The Pros"

Tommy Pallisco: "Ballin (for the true ballers)"

Kelli Pennington: "Lady Ballers"

Candice L. Sundgren: "The Little Team That Could"

Maquita J. Thomas: "Lady Hoopster"

Mfon Valencia Umoren: "Ode to the Game"

Basketball Poems 2003 Competition Winners

First Prize

Flick of the Wrist

By Jonathan David Hennings

Not your ordinary young gunner

Have to confess she kept me out late

Boy shouldn't be in love at eight

She had the focus of my eye

Just her and I and the night sky

Seek her even in through the shadows

Something about her I could not resist

Determined to make to the top of her list

Gave her all my devotion

Just for the motion

Found love on a dead end street

You never kicked me to the curb

Cant talk about the neighbors we disturb

Such sweet sound I insist

Made with the flick of the wrist

Jonathan David Hennings, now 28, had the privilege of growing up and watching Magic Johnson, Larry Bird,

and Michael Jordan. He loved basketball from the very first time his father took him to the park to play.

It became a life long passion and burning desire for him. The above mentioned 3 stars inspired him

to practice every waking hour he could get. Basketball was his life and he wanted nothing more than

to become a great pro player. Well that did not pan out, so here are three of his poems about his life experience

growing up with basketball.

E-mail: chuckhennings@hotmail.com

Second Prize

B-Ball

By Rachel Fury

I live for that sacred sound of the swish,

The rolling shots that spin in like a fish,

The through the defenders dish,

And the hanging half-court shot - I wish.

I make this blacktop land my home,

Like I’m a callous court gnome,

I don’t need a multi-million dome,

I take my ball where I roam.

Putting up shot after shot,

Five on five games hard fought,

Some super star - I’m not,

Talent’s not a gift to be bought.

I work hard - pushing every day,

Running to keep weakness at bay,

Leavin’ it all on the floor when I play,

I take the swish of the net as my pay.

The sweat running strong,

Strides stretched out long,

The ball bouncing in like ping pong,

My heart singing the sweet song.

Getting myself all in the flow,

Liftin’ ain’t such a blow,

Workouts lined up in a row,

I take my ball in tow.

Full court games all alone,

Zig zaggin’ through the zone,

Workin’ ‘til it hurts to the bone,

And there’s nothin’ left to loan.

Playin’ for kids that never had the chance,

People never given the deed to dance,

In the gym I’m holding my stance,

Heads spinnin’ to take their glance.

‘Cause pumpin’ in every vein

Is the love of this game,

Life without it - spare me the pain-

It’d never be the same.

Rachel Fury is a 19-year old Sophomore at SUNY Brockport. She loves to write and she loves to play basketball.

E-mail: rfur0629@brockport.edu

Third Prize

(Untitled)

By Joe Hines

Basketball brings a feeling I can't describe.

If you are a player, all you can see is the basket

And eyes filled with doubt or determination.

You can smell the odor of jerseys drenched in sweat

You can taste nothing but dryness of the mouth

All you can hear are bleachers

Filled with the roaring half-crazed fans

And thunder of twenty feet going up and down the floor

You can feel the rough, but gentle leather of the ball.

To live is to experience basketball.

Joe Hines is a college basketball player from Michigan. He is a senior and co-captain in Denison University basketball. He s 21.

He is going to Dental school next year. Actually he hasn't written poems for a long time now, but has kept what he had wrote

when he was younger (1996) and thought that he could play in the NBA.

E-mail: kjoehines@hotmail.com

Basketball Poems 2003 Competition

Other Participants

In alphabetical order of participant

(All original submissions are copyright of the writers)

Shooting in the Shadows

By Jonathan David Hennings

Sometimes I could only see the backboard from the shining moonlight

Thought shooting among the shadows might get me in the spotlight

The mere purpose was my own delight

Even if I might get frostbite

Even if my goal was on the edge of the street

All I needed was the outline to shoot that arching sphere

Seeing my breath made me clear

I could hear them cheer

I used to alternate the leather balls

In the midst of the winter snowfalls

My aspiration lasted longer than their inflation

The cold nights enhanced my concentration

Learned to time my leap just right

Because the curb was out of my night sight

The crack in the street was my three point line

Eight feet closer was my free-throw line

Loved shooting in the shadows

Like I was the part of the night desperados

Sometimes seeing a falling star

I wished I would become a basketball star

The Burning

By Jonathan David Hennings

Was I born with the burn

Did the burn find me?

No the burn was passed on to me

By the two who gave it to me

The burn was given freely

To capture my desires

The burning struck me like a fire ball

I was not yet fully tall

The burning was to play ball

The burning was meant to spread through it all

However his burning was possessed to play basketball

Even when the burning was in his hands from freezing them all

He could not take himself from playing ball

When a tad taller a scholar told him he would never be a pro baller

As much as seeing a snow baller in Hawaii

This did not make him falter

So I burned all my hours playing ball

Seeing the orange ball arrive in the morning

Would usually watch it dive for the evening

The neighborhood knew of my burning desire

Most balked at my desire

Because I probably made some tired

It did not matter where most of all

The desire burned the same on the asphalt

As it did on the glistening hardwood

One fall day in study hall

The burning came to a stall

The coach said that would be all

The burning left my chambers

Because I had given it my all

There was nothing else on his mind at all

The burning had made me forget the chance of a big fall

Jonathan David Hennings, now 28, had the privilege of growing up and watching Magic Johnson, Larry Bird,

and Michael Jordan. He loved basketball from the very first time his father took him to the park to play.

It became a life long passion and burning desire for him. The above mentioned 3 stars inspired him

to practice every waking hour he could get. Basketball was his life and he wanted nothing more than

to become a great pro player. Well that did not pan out, so here are three of his poems about his life experience

growing up with basketball.

E-mail: chuckhennings@hotmail.com

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The Pros

By Joe Hines

I know the pros like Nike knows clothes,

I wish I could be interviewed in pre-game shows.

I wish it were me out there with the team,

Winnin' a couple titles like Jordan or Hakeem.

If I was injured I'd sport Armani suits,

A Rolex watch, with some Timberland boots.

I'd lead the league in points, boards, and assists,

I'd be on fire, you'd have to ice down my wrists!

I'd be hangin' with the Penny's, the Pippen's and the Shaq's,

Signing my name on million dollars contracts,

Leaving experienced defenders on their backs,

Exposing the scrubs and all the hacks!

Threes! Dunks! I'd do it all!

I'd be Superman if he played any ball

This dream might be just a little off the wall,

But when MJ retires, they know who to call.

(July 1996)

Joe Hines is a college basketball player from Michigan. He is a senior and co-captain in Denison University basketball. He s 21.

He is going to Dental school next year. Actually he hasn't written poems for a long time now, but has kept what he had wrote

when he was younger (1996) and thought that he could play in the NBA.

E-mail: kjoehines@hotmail.com

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Ballin

(for the true ballers)

By Tommy Pallisco

Ballin in da hood is how we do it

We make it look like there aint nuthin to it

But when I dribble down tha court and make ya spin around

I'll make it feel like you floatin right upside-down

Whoa, i crossed you, please don't be upset

I make everybody pay in full their debts

And suddenly, i explode when you aint lookin

I jump high into the air like a bandit bookin

I throw it down so hard with nuthin to spare

The game is finally over, take a breath of fresh air

Look at you now, you're on the ground cryin

I just dunked on you man, now I aint lyin

This may be true, or just a dream

Or may be part of my evil lil' scheme

But sooner or later, you will find out

What my game is all about

Tommy Pallisco is a 14-year old basketball player. This is his best and most favorite poem from quite a few he has written.

He says: "Just wrote it in one day when I was bored". He adds: "PS: This is only for the serious players!"

E-mail: krazykrissy@copper.net

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Lady Ballers

By Kelli Pennington

There once were these girls that could ball,

They were from a town that was small

They had lotsa talent to boot,

And guards that could shoot

But they came to a rut in mid-season,

And found themselves searching for a reason

For the answer lie hidden behind anxious doors,

and when the girls found the one to open they knew they would soar

So they missed the Championship game,

Doesn't mean they soon won't make all chant their name

Because everyone knew they were the best,

And the team knew they just wouldn't rest

So they won third place,

They did it by cramming the ball in the opponents' face

No, third place isn't bad,

But they couldn't help but be sad

So they picked up the slack,

And found a way to fight back

For the answer lie there behind the heaviest door,

But the team used each other to pull it open where it would stay forever more

So they finished out their season with a bang,

And had four banners at the end of the season to hang

I told you these girls had game,

And everyone did forever chant their name.

Kelli Annette Pennington is an 18 year old senior from Osborn Missouri. She wrote this poem

for her talented basketball team, but had to overcome strange adversity in a mid-season

3-game losing streak but finished with a bang.

Kelli loves basketball and has played it "since I could walk".

E-mail: penningtonkel.ohs@gaggle.net

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The Little Team That Could

By Candice L. Sundgren

They were little, tiny as can be
Twelve little girls below five foot three
Entering the season, no one thought they could
But bigger hearts were they who knew they would.

Devastating losses washed away their big start
Their hopes and desires soon fell apart
They could have easily quit, left without a trace
But good runners are those who finish the race

Other teams kept laughing, waiting for their turn
This little team was left just waiting to burn
But Basketball was more than just a game to these girls
It was their life, their first love, and their revolving world.

And as we all know you can't easily give up your life,
So quitting was something they didn't think about twice
Mid-season was near and the crowd was becoming bare
Who wanted to see a bad game that looked like a nightmare?

In the peak of this bad dream, their conscience kicked in,
Your talent may be low but confidence can win!
With a burst of confidence, this little team quickly grew strong
And they set out on the court to prove everyone wrong.

Now anyone can follow this story and see where it would go
But the ending you'll find is one not everyone knows
They learned sacrifice and for the team gave up -self-
But more importantly they learned to believe in themselves.

Their big challenge wasn't their talent on the court
But the real challenge came from within their hearts
So reassuringly this little team stepped on the floor,
With a different attitude but the same mission as before.

The outcome, by surprise, was one proud as can be
But how could that be when this little team lost indeed
They lost by a shocking five, but proudly walked away
Their opponents stared in the most unusual way.

Other teams had come just as close as the little team came
Those teams may have lost, but this little team gained
So let this be a lesson to all who ever thought they couldn't win,

You can only go as far as your self-confidence will send.

Candice L. Sundgren is a 16-year old junior varsity player from China, Texas. She wrote this poem in order to tell all basketball players out there that

no matter what size or shape, it is a self-confidence and heart that can win. She is a young writer and has just begun to get others read her work

This piece a true story of her basketball team. They were the shortest team in their district, "and by looks you would think we would be least

talented of them all," she says. But they had too much heart and and love for the game they they never quitted. And thus the poem.

E-mail: Csprincess884@aol.com

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Lady Hoopster

By Maquita J. Thomas

She has a lot of grace but please don't sit back and judge her by her gender.
That jumper is going straight up and it's about to be in your face, she's ready to make

all who step up to her surrender.
Lady hoopster is a hardworking basketball player that expects equal respect.

It's not a time to relax!
She's dribbling around her waist, between her legs, from left to right with speed because

as she is crossing over players with anticipation, her goal is to dominate and take the lead.
There is no need for you to point fingers in an attempt to explain, it's easy to understand

yes indeed she got game.
Females playing basketball has become some type of fashion, however the true lovers of the sport

such as her are not thinking about all of that, it's simply about passion.

As she lays in bed thinking about basketball, she finally closes her eyes to get some good rest.
However, I must confess the truth will be told that some other player is in another location

working hard in an attempt to be one of the best.
The game of basketball is a combination of extreme reality and faith.
If you have dreams don't stop believing, hustle on and off the wood and blacktop because nothing

can stop you from achieving but yourself.
Well, balla the next player will not spare you but just remember to square up to the basket and

shoot for the hoop

I know you are competitive and in the sport as well as life everyone can't win, however before

you get upset and you're about to scream, remember that just as a mess is created it can be cleaned.
You are a strong player with a great amount of potential like an endless stream.
Girl, tie your sneakers tight because once you're on that basketball court, you're something spectacular

that won't give up without a fight.

Maquita J. Thomas, 22, writes poetry as a hobby. She holds a Bachelor's degree and is continuing her graduate studies

at Johnson University. Her hobbies include writing poetry, playing basketball, watching movies, reading.

She already has another poem published on the net.

E-mail: LovelyMaquitat@aol.com

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Ode to the Game

By Mfon Valencia Umoren

i feel it in my blood my adrenaline pumps like a flood im addicted to the game without it, life aint the same the smell of the leather the rush of the speed feel as light as a feather when i jump in the air... the ball is mine when im on the court when im off the court the thrill of the feel of being part of a team part of a game hands constantly twitching feet forever moving

it's an ode to the game a tribute to basketball cos without it

my life just aint the same

Mfon Valencia Umoren is a 14-year-old basketball player who just loves the game.

E-mail: valumoren16@hotmail.com

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Why This Basketball Poems Site:

The game of basketball, much loved and practiced around the world, has been celebrated many times

in poems written mostly by amateur writers, young and old, and at times even by known poets indeed.

This is hardly surprising as the game of basketball has high esthetic value inherent in the game,

a game that has always aspired to the higher and better to be almost a "poetry in motion"

Our directory site "International Basketball Directory" was, and still is a successful basketball

reference site frequently referred to by many basketball players, officials and fans.

However the page entitled Basketball Poetry where I compiled a collection of poems and stories

published on the web proved from its first day of launch to be one of the most, if not the most popular

of the sections that we featured on our directory. It was almost like magic, as from the first week that

I launched the page, I started receiving a great number of communications thanking me for these

specific pages and asking for more.

The California poet laureate Quincy Troupe has testimony about the power of basketball on audiences.

He has various tours where he reads a selection of his poems to his audiences. He also makes a point of

visiting different high schools. When he is confronted with younger audiences, he can't resist but recite

one of his poems entitled "Poem for Magic" and dedicated to the basketball player Magic Johnson.

Troupe admits that as soon as he gets to this particular piece, he knows that he has captured their attention

and fascination. He says that kids usually think that poetry is going to be about almost anything but basketball.

So when he gets to that basketball poem, their eyes suddenly light up, whatever their origin, he says.

Thus the raison-d'etre of our "Basketball Poems" site.

In this free space, we will publish your basketball poems, giving you the opportunity to showcase

your talents and to allow everybody to enjoy this great game in beautiful verse.

-Garo Salibian

"Basketball Poems" is part of the website

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