Basketball Dreams

This is a photo of an abandoned basketball hoop sitting in the parking lot of my house, taken for my W1 assignment. The chains are broken and barely hanging on, and the backboard is rusted and covered in cobwebs. The poor condition of the hoop symbolizes the abandonment of a fun pastime (basketball), as nobody has used it in years. 

I chose this picture because basketball used to be one of my favorite hobbies as a child. We used to have a hoop on the street outside my house, where the neighborhood kids and I would spend hours playing basketball. As I grew older, I gradually stopped playing as often. The more I grew up, the less time I had to play basketball outside of my house. Eventually, once I reached high school, I stopped playing altogether. This photo deeply resonates with me, since it tells the story of the abandonment of my favorite childhood pastime. I’m sure that many other people would feel the same way about this photo, since it is a common thing to discontinue one’s favorite activities due to growing up. That's just part of life. The cobwebs being illuminated by the sun are those similar to old attics, or forgotten spaces, which creates an eerie feeling. The rusty, broken chains create a sense of sadness, as if someone stopped taking care of the hoop and left it out to “die.” While basketball is an example of just one hobby/sport, the feelings of abandonment portrayed through this photo can relate to anybody’s similar experience.

Something that I’ve been wondering for a while is why do we stop doing the things we love as we grow up? Is it because of a lack of time, disinterest, or fear of being judged? Or do we simply just grow out of certain phases in our lives? According to a study from Harvard, “the majority of those who had played sports when they were younger no longer did, with a significant drop-off coming after age 26” (The Harvard Gazette). In this study, they interviewed 2,056 adults. An analysis of this report from a website called Active for Life talks about how important factors in the drop-off rates include gender, tax-brackets, and overuse injuries (Active for Life). Based on this study, it seems as though there is not just one singular reason for people quitting the hobbies they enjoy, but rather many different, unrelated factors. While the amount of people who eventually get back into their sports or hobbies is not certain, C.R. Jenkin, in her book “Leisure Studies,” describes how “The main themes for re-engagement in sport at an older age included improving physical health; social opportunities, especially with family/friends; and having more leisure time” (Leisure Studies).

In conclusion, abandoning sports or hobbies as one grows up is a common occurrence, which is caused by many different factors. It is a cultural norm to stop engaging with childhood activities, as people get more preoccupied with their lives. However, with more leisure time, social opportunities, and better health, people can become re-aquanted with their childhood sports.