Lessons for life learned on the court and elsewhere

time Matthew McConaughey: “Just keep livin.’ ”

Granted, this also comes from a guy who said the “man who invented the cheeseburger was a GENIUS,” but that’s beside the point.

South San Class of 2020, I have been told to write this speech to give you inspiration and hope on the journey that lies ahead, but I’m going to be honest. I’m not the best person to be giving you advice on your future. You’re going to get advice from someone who thought there was no gravity in space, who once answered a math problem by confidently shouting it was false, and someone who once misspelled the word C-clamps (sea clamps).

Nevertheless, I have been given this chance to give you all advice for your new beginning. Now I don’t know what the future holds. I don’t have a crystal ball, a bag of fortune cookies or a DeLorean that can drive 88 mph into the future. But what I do have are three lessons, a challenge and a promise.

First, the three lessons. I have learned these three lessons during the last four years. I didn’t learn these lessons in a classroom or a science lab. Instead, these life lessons were learned on a basketball court — a court I had the pleasure of being on for four years with one of the most respected basketball programs in Texas. It was on this court where I learned new ways to approach life and how to make it the best I possibly can.

Lesson No. 1: In life, you have to be able to react and adapt to your environment. On the basketball court, teams can guard you in many different ways and can change their defense at any moment. If you’re not able to react and adapt, things can get ugly pretty quickly. Same thing happens in life. Life almost never goes according to plan. It is up to you to react and adapt to your new situations and do the best you can with it.

Lesson No. 2: In life, you have to be able to make sacrifices. In basketball, you have to sacrifice yourself by taking charges and diving on the ground to get the loose ball. Same applies to life. We can’t always just binge watch “The Office” all day or play video games until 3 in the morning. Well, maybe on the weekends.

But you have to be willing to sacrifice the things you enjoy in order to do what is best for yourself or your family. It might hurt to give it up, but in the end, it will be worth it.

Lesson No. 3: In life, make sure to appreciate the things you have. These last four years of being in the basketball program have been the best. We were a group of guys all focused on achieving one goal. I have made memories on and off the court that will last my entire life. I even learned how to properly fold a pair of socks! Since the season ended, I have missed being a part of the program. I have realized that we don’t know how important things are until we don’t have them anymore. So, as your life goes on, make sure to fully appreciate the people, moments and memories you have.

Now Class of 2020, life is scary. Life is hard. But that’s life.

I challenge you all, in the words of John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, to do this: “Do all the good you can. By all the means you can. In all the ways you can. In all the places you can. At all the times you can. To all the people you can. As long as ever you can.”

If at times you feel you cannot accomplish this or feel all hope is lost, I promise you this. None of you will fail at life as long as you are with the ones you love. It is impossible to fail at life if you have and love your family and friends. They will always be there for you just as you will be for them.

And most importantly, when times get tough, always remember those famous and inspiring words from good ol’ Matthew McConaughey: The “man who invented the cheeseburger was a GENIUS.”

Congratulations to the Class of 2020 and just keep livin’!

Courtesy photo Donovan David Ricondo: “Life is scary. Life is hard. But that’s life.”