Jonathan J
LA Honors Period 2
2/27/08
Driving In
I can remember it like it was yesterday. I made the steal and took off sprinting down the floor. I noticed a teammate down the floor and quickly passed off the ball. As he caught the ball, an opponent rapidly picked him up. Seeing that he was guarded, I made a swift flash to the hoop, received the ball, and as I went up for the power lay-up I plowed through the opponent in my way. In other less descriptive words, I took the initiative and drove in to score two points in my basketball game. Although my team went on to lose the basketball game, I will never forget the compliments I received from my teammates and especially my coach.
The use of the phrase “driving in” has many meanings. Most commonly it is used in sports to describe when an athlete breaks through a group of opponents and scores; yet the term can also be used when someone takes the initiative and simply gets a job done. I believe that driving in not only applies to sports but also to important aspects in life.
Readers may wonder how driving in during a basketball game relates to life in any way. Often there are times in life when someone needs to take the initiative and, in essence, “drive in.” For example, there have been many times when my class has given presentations, and every time there always is the dull moment when nobody wants to go first. At this time, I can drive in and take the initiative to go first. The only way that great leaders have ever accomplished anything was by taking the initiative and driving in.
Even though there are times to drive in, there also are times when passing off is a more productive choice. For example, if someone is learning how to do something, and I know more about it than they do, and I try to help them, that is taking the initiative. But after I help them out a while and they can grasp the idea, then I pass off and let them drive in on their own. The productiveness of this choice is that the person can learn from doing their job on their own rather than me always helping them.
Cut and dry, driving in is a way of getting the job done. The simple saying not only applies to sports, but also to important aspects in life. Do not always drive in; there are times in which dishing off responsibly is the right choice, but there will definitely be a time in which driving in is the right thing to do.