Joining the Harlaxton Lions basketball team wasn’t exactly the first club I planned to join when I got to England, but it is already turning out to be one of my favorite decisions.

To begin with, I am one of only two girls that joined the team and I learned right away that as long as you put yourself out there and go to practice, you could get the chance to play. I had played a few pick up matches here and there since high school, but nothing compared to some of the players on the team.

Being a starter was not the reason I joined the team; obviously, it was more the chance to work out while still meeting people and the fact that the other players have big personalities. I laugh more during basketball games and practice than I do at any other point during the day.

Our first game wasn’t the perfectly played game that anyone would hope for and we lost, but it was easy to see that the team was going to get along great.

It was the second game where we really stood out as a team. The team we were playing was the number one seed in our tournament and we were even given a twenty-point cushion over them because apparently we were the worst ranked.

Surprisingly, even though there was a point in the game where the other team caught up, we managed to win in double digits and our crowd was completely enthralled.

The crowd was given a duty beforehand that they would not cheer during the game until we hit a certain amount of points based on the idea of “Silent Night” from Taylor University. The point cushion slightly screwed it up, but in the first quarter it was silent until someone gave the cue and the crowd erupted.

It was strange that we didn’t realize how truly silent it had been in that gym until everyone was cheering. After that, the crowd was into the game, being loud, and going crazy when we scored.

Even though I only played the last two minutes of the game, at the point we knew we were going to win, it was still cool to be a part of the team. It was like having a sideline pass, and I wouldn’t trade the humor of our players for anything.

Next Sunday we play our next game in the tournament and it should be a great match. I am proud to be wearing a Harlaxton Lions jersey on the basketball team and getting the chance to compete will definitely be a highlight during my time at the manor.