JOR 221 | Project 5
URI Student Still Passionate for the Game He Loves
URI Student's Passion Triumphs a Past Injury
KINGSTON, R.I. – Twenty-year-old Alex House, a sophomore at the University of Rhode Island, knows a little something about the cost of pushing one’s body to the limit, and beyond, in order to earn his spot on the court.
House started playing basketball at the young age of 7 in his elementary school recreation league. It was the excitement of those basketball games that lead him to realize, by the time he was 10 years old, that he really loved the sport, and that he shared the same passion for the sport with his dad.
“I played a lot of driveway games with my dad as a kid, and that is partly what drew us together,” House said.
Those same driveway pick-up games are also what sparked his competitive edge. His dad never let him win, so if he ever wanted to beat him, it was going to have to be earned.
“When you’re playing on your own it’s not the same, I needed the thrill of competition,” House said.
Little did House know that even before his freshman season at Saint Joseph High School would begin, it would be over in a flash.
The first day of school tryouts went well for him, and he was invited back for another day to determine whether or not he would make the team. On the second day he was feeling confident, but halfway through he sprained his knee, which forced him to take a rest. Determined to make the team, against what his body was telling him, he got back on the court.
“I didn’t want to sit out!” House exclaimed. “I knew I needed to get back out there, and earn my spot on the team,” he said.
This proved to be very costly. While in the midst of 3 on 3 drills after coming down with a rebound, Alex blew out his kneecap. The injury he sustained earlier certainly played a role in this unfortunate event by weakening it enough to make the knee unstable. The prognosis was a dislocated kneecap that would keep him out for the rest of the season.
From playing pickup basketball in the driveway, to watching college basketball on TV, his dream remained consistent, to get the chance to play basketball at a serious level, and maybe even make an appearance in the March Madness tournament.
Ever since he began playing, he knew he was not going to be the most talented player on the court. But what he lacked in some areas, he knew he made up for with his love to hustle and provide aggressive defense on the other end of the court. He took great pride in working extremely hard, and giving all he had every time he got the chance to touch the court. It is something he learned from playing those games in the driveway with his dad.
This injury proved to be devastating, and he was never really the same player again. It was hard for him to get back into the swing of things after missing an entire year due to the severity of his injury. But despite the physical aspect of the game being taken away from him, nothing could break his love for the game.
House decided that if he were not going to be able to play his favorite sport at a serious competitive level then he would stay close to it by writing about it, thus leading to his decision of becoming a journalism major at URI.
Even after a heartbreaking, early end to his basketball career, his heart, and passion for the game he has known his whole life never once came into question as he continues to live his dream by sharing the game he loves through writing instead.