The fall of my sophomore year I attempted what was, for me, almost unthinkable. My daunting task: trying out for the school basketball team. This may not seem like a big deal to most, but for me, just filling out the paperwork was an agonizing decision that I put a lot of thought into. I recognized long ago that one of my greatest fears is failure, and as a fairly uncoordinated and inexperienced nerd, that seemed the most likely outcome. I also have a crippling aversion to public embarrassment, to the point that a twisted sense of logic often prevents me from participating in events as simple as a party. Why take an unnecessary risk? However, after careful consideration, my desire to branch out and potentially do something I enjoy combined