Bar Mitzvah Magazine 2014

Finding success after failure - Basketball
Comment on the lessons
you learn from the stories at
By: Jake Shalom
Yeshivah of Flatbush
My main goal right now is to be a good
basketball player. I’m pretty good at basketball,
but I can work at many things to
make myself that much better. I was once
in a basketball league and we went to the
finals. We were down by 1 point and it was
our ball. I took the ball and took the last
shot. I wasn’t even close. My teammates
were very angry at the shot I took and I
got very embarrassed. When I got home,
I thought I was the worst basketball player
and I never wanted to play the game
again. That is the wrong attitude in life.
Just because you missed one shot does
not mean you have to quit. Especially at
something that you love and that you are
very dedicated to. The correct attitude in
this situation is to keep working hard and
not to let that one shot bother you. In the
future, you will be faced with many situations
like that, but this time maybe you
will actually hit that shot and be a hero.
TorahContest.com
There is no elevator
to success, you need
to take the stairs
By: Joe Zakaria
Hillel Yeshiva
Five seconds left in the basketball game,
they’re down by one. And he got the ball.
The pressure was all on him. But, he drove
to the basket and he missed the easy lay
up. He was devastated. His teammates
were mad at him. He left the court with
disappointment. His parents gave him
a pat on the back and said, “You’ll get it
next time.” But, he was very upset. He was
thinking about quitting the team. The next
game, his teammates passed him the ball
and he shot it and scored. His teammates
gave him a pat on the back. He started to
feel confident again. Later, there was ten
seconds left in the game and they were
down by one. Again he got the ball. He
was nervous at first but then he said, “I
can do it.” After nine seconds, he scored.
He was so happy. His teammates all said
to him, “Good job! You did it!” After that
moment, he never gave up again.
By: Lizzy Nasar
Hillel Yeshiva
There was a girl named Esther. She loved
to play basketball. In fact, after homework
every day, she would play. One day
in school, there was an announcement.
“Girls, basketball tryouts are next week in
the gym.” Esther thought that she should
try out. She asked her friends Rachel and
Laya if they were trying out. Rachel and
Laya told Esther, “Yes, we’re so excited!
Are you trying out?” Esther said, “Yes,
I’m excited too!” Esther went home that
day and told her mom, “I’m going to try
out for the basketball team next week.”
Esther’s mom said, “Wow that’s great.
You should practice.” Esther went to practice.
It was next week, and Esther went
to try out with her friends. When they
announced who was on the team, they
didn’t say Esther’s name. She was so sad.
Next year, Esther tried again and she got
in. This shows that if you fail, practice and
practice. You will definitely succeed.
By: Aura Pinhas
Barkai Yeshivah
There is a boy named Abie. He wanted
to be on the school’s football team. He
was practicing with his friends and with
a crowd watching. He missed a final
goal by far. His friends told him, “You’ll
never make the team. You can’t even
do something as simple as kick a field
goal.” After that, Abie walked home
thinking to himself, “I can never make
it. But, as much effort as it takes, I will
never stop trying, no matter how many
times I fail. I am not giving up.” The next
day, he was even worse. He was playing
with an even bigger crowd watching
him. But, in the mid run, he dropped the
ball right near the end zone.
To read the rest of Aura’s story,
Log on to TorahContest.com
Search: Aura Pinhas
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