Matt De La Pena's Life Lessons On And Off The Court

Matt de la Pena’s Story’s Life Lessons on and off the Court. Everyone learns a life lesson at some point in their life. One of the many life lessons people realize at a young age is being aware of their own surroundings. This simple lesson can save many possessions from being broken. It’s all fun and games until someone’s $300 glasses break. Often authors share these experiences through literature to teach younger generations. In Matt de la Penas story, “How to Transform an Everday, Ordinary Hoop Court into a Place of Higher Learning and You at the Podium,” he shares some life lessons that he experienced. Overall, life lessons are essential for young people because they shape who they are as a person, and prepare them for the world ahead.

The first life lesson is shown in the story when the narrator can’t join a single game. “The first day you won’t get into a single game. Not one.” (de la Pena 5). This shows the narrator struggling to get into a game even after talking with fellow gym members. The lesson the narrator learns here is that an outsider's words aren’t enough to gain respect. The narrator isn’t allowed into a single game because his words hold no respect, and not one person believes him. This lesson is important because it demonstrates the difficulty of gaining respect by only using words. The next life lesson is shortly after when the narrator finds benefit from sitting on the bleachers “At some point, your focus will have shifted from wanting to play to breaking down their various skill sets” (de la Pena 7). The narrator learns that observing others can reveal valuable information he can use to improve himself. The narrator then goes on to learn more about the gym members, and each member's style when playing basketball. Lastly, the final lesson is shown near the climax of the story. This is when the narrator finally proves himself, and gets to play in a game. Dante tells the narrator “You wanna get in games, you don’t just sit there like a punk, right? You stand up and challenge the baddest dude in the gym. Someone like me. Then you do your thing, Understand?” (de la Pena 8). The lesson is that a person needs to prove themselves better

The first lesson is very early on in the story. It is shown when the narrator begins waking up for Muni Gym. The narrator tells himself to reach into his own skull and smack the lazy part of his brain. If he lets this part of his brain win, it will hold him back from every dream he will ever have (de la Pena 3). The life lesson he demonstrates is being persistent to achieve his goals. Next, the life lesson is learned when the narrator comes to the realization that even though his father rarely spoke; he was always there to support him. As told by the narrator “Maybe words aren’t what’s important. Maybe words would just steal away your freedom to think for yourself” (de la Pena 10). The narrator learns the life lesson of the importance to think for oneself. The final life lesson is shortly after when the narrator is writing his essay on what he learned over the summer. “What I learned is that when a man who stays mostly quiet offers advice, you take it” (de la Pena 11). The life lesson the narrator describes is one demonstrated throughout the entire story. The advice taken from someone who rarely speaks is thought through and meaningful. The life lessons learned off the court in de la Pena’s story are essential, and the author wants the reader to know them through his