Chapter 8: Women's Basketball Tryout Part I
After a week of basketball practices with Marcus and Orion, the day of Aria's basketball tryout arrives. Nerves flutter in her stomach as she laces up her sneakers on her seat, surrounded by other hopefuls vying for a spot on the team.
Her eyes scan the court, catching sight of her friends Orion, Emily, and Marcus.
Aria takes a deep breath, feeling the anticipation build as she waits for the tryout to begin.
Marcus leans in, offering words of encouragement, "Ready kana, Aria?"
Aria nods, her hands sweating but determination can be seen in her eyes "Of course naman, Marcus."
"Goodluck rin sa tryout sa basketball toms Marcus," Aria continued with a smile as she fists bumps Marcus.
As Aria fist bumps Marcus, Emily steps closer, a supportive smile on her face. "Kaya mo 'to, Aria. Kami ni Marcus cheerleaders mo dito sa gidli,"
"May pang cloutchase ka rin dito," Marcus said as he gestured to his phone that was ready to take video of Aria's highlights.
Aria laughs at Marcus's remark, her nerves loosening.
"Talaga, pang-cloutchase?" she jokes, her smile widening. Glancing at Marcus's phone, she teases, "iPhone ba 'yan?"
Marcus grins proudly. "Oo, iPhone 15 Pro, fully paid pa!" he replies, a hint of amusement in his voice.
Aria chuckles at Marcus's response, impressed but maintaining her reserved demeanor, "I'm looking forward to seeing the videos sa laro ko," she adds calmly, a hint of anticipation in her voice.
Orion approaches with a smile, acknowledging Emily and Marcus before turning his attention to Aria.
" Aria, you got this," he says, his voice filled with confidence. "Remember to stay focused at dapat magtiwala sa skills mo. Don't let anything distract you, okay?" He gives her a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
Aria nods appreciatively, repeating Orions advice in her mind over and over again, "Sige kuya Orion," she says softly.
Orion leans in a bit closer, his gaze earnest. "And if kailangan mo ng tulong sa tryouts or advices pa, lapit ka lang sa akin dito sa bench. Goodluck and break a leg Aria!" he exclaimed, before stepping back to let her prepare for her tryout.
a boyish coach named Bermie strides onto the court.
"Alright, mga aspiring players, gather 'round," coach Bermie calls out, her voice carrying across the court.
Aria joins the other players as Bermie outlines the structure of the tryout.
"For our tryouts, we'll be going through three parts today: dribbling drills, shooting, and a practice game," Bermie explains, her tone firm but encouraging.
Bermie continued, "We'll start with dribbling drills to assess your ball-handling skills and agility. Then, we'll move on to shooting exercises to gauge your accuracy and technique. Finally, we'll conclude with a practice game to see how you perform under pressure and as part of a team."
Aria listens intently, mentally preparing herself for the challenges ahead.
As the tryout begins, Aria quickly finds herself in sync with the rhythm of the drills. Her ball-handling skills shine as she weaves effortlessly through cones and defenders, showcasing her agility and control.
Amidst the hustle and bustle of the tryout, Aria notices another player who seems to share her passion for the game. Her name is Yuan, and she's also making waves with her impressive shooting skills from deep ranges. Impressed by Yuan's sharpshooting, Aria feels a sense of admiration for her fellow player.
During a brief break, Yuan approaches Aria with a friendly smile. "Great ball-handling skills you have there," she says, her tone genuine.
Aria blushes, humbled by the compliment. "Thanks, pero your shooting is also impressive too," she replies, returning the compliment.
Yuan grins. After taking a sip from her water bottle, she continued, "I'm Yuan, wha's your name?"
"Nice to meet you Yuan, ako nga pala si Aria," Aria replied while wiping the sweat from her forehead.
"1st year diba? So ano course mo?" she asks, curious to learn more about Aria.
Aria's eyes light up. "I'm studying architecture," she responds and continued, "How about you?"
"No way, architecture student rin ako," Yuan said, pleasantly surprised.
"Woww," Aria exclaimed, feeling a surge of excitement at discovering another architecture student.
"Different section siguro tayo, di kita nakikita eh," Aria continued, "Archi 1B nga pala ako,"
"Archi 1F ako, kaya pala," Yuan stated, confirming Aria's suspicion.
As the break came to an end, Aria and Yuan returned to the tryouts.
"We'll now move on to the practice game," Coach Bermie announces, her voice commanding attention. "I will divide everyone into four teams, and each team will have a chance to showcase their skills on the court."
As the teams were revealed, Aria's eyes lit up as she realized that she and Yuan were teammates.
Aria approached her teammates for this tryout.
"Teammate tayo, ayos!" Yuan exclaimed as she saw aria.
Aria smiled and nodded as a reply.
Together with their teammates, they introduced themselves, exchanging brief pleasantries before stepping onto the court.
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