Jeff Hajny

    This is the first basketball season since the early 90's where I haven't played. It's so odd.
     When I started playing the game, I wondered what I would feel like when it was over. Now that it's over, here I am, a news reporter with a screwed up right foot, a couple of messed up ankles, the beat-up back of a 60-year old and a smile on my face.
     The game of basketball helped me develop a large portion of my character. It gave me confidence, a social life and gave me an outlet where I could be myself.
     I started playing ball when I was six or seven. At the time, it was just another thing to do. I didn't really start loving the game until the end of my eighth grade year.
     At that time, I went with the high school varsity team to a camp and it opened my eyes. It taught me I needed to work hard if I wanted to keep up with this.
     From then on, basketball was all I wanted to do. I was out in the driveway or at the Recreation Center playing ball or shooting hoops all day.
     Basketball was the first thing I really developed a passion for. In high school I played on some pretty good teams. My sophomore year we had a solid team and during both my junior and senior years, we went to state.
     My new goal became to play college ball. I didn't want to be a superstar, I just wanted to play basketball in college. I spent so many years hearing how I couldn't do it and how no one in our school was good enough to play college sports, I just wanted to shut everyone up.
     I ended up playing college ball at Hastings and York College. Some of the best friends I ever had came from those times. No matter what would happen, I knew I could trust these guys with my life.
     I played my last basketball game in March 2007. Graduation from college came and went and now here I am, preparing to take pictures of and cover the upcoming basketball seasons instead of getting ready to play. It's weird looking back and thinking that something which has been a part of your life for so long is all of a sudden gone.
     Basketball gave me so much more than just a sport to play. It gave me an opportunity to shine. Before every game, I would get so excited that I would feel sick to my stomach until the opening tip-off.
     Nothing would stop me from playing. At a team camp, I remember getting fouled hard and spraining my ankle and breaking two of my fingers. All I could say to the trainer was, "tape 'em up." and I got right back out there. Another game in college, a guy elbowed me so hard that it broke a bone in my face and caused my bite to misalign. I stayed on the court, despite how mad it made my coach. Nothing would stop me. I didn't regret it until the next morning when the adrenaline wore off.
     It's funny because nowadays, every time I stub my toe, I let out a girlish yelp. I don't know how I took all that back in the day.
     I have some great friends from my time on the court. I still stay in touch with the majority of the guys I played with and even with some of the guys I played against.
     I learned so much from the game. I learned how to work hard, to walk with my head up everywhere I went and to just be myself.
     Now that it's over, I look back on those times with a big smile on my face. It's strange that I don't play anymore and to tell you the truth, I don't really want to play anymore. I did everything I set out to do and now it's time to try some new stuff in the world.
     It's funny when I take pictures of high school games to see these young players with so much hope in their eyes. It brings a smile to my face to know that a few years ago, I was the same exact way.
     So for all the current athletes out there reading this, I offer you this advice: enjoy it while you got it, but at the same time, when it's over, be able to let it go knowing you gave it your all.