The Book The Gift Of Perseverance By Elijah Turner

The Gift of Persistence #3 I have silenced all the doubters, but the strongest adversity is yet to come. Elijah Turner thought this as he walked into this familiar place, a second home, the place where his dreams came true. The basketball court. Elijah knew that the road to success was long, however, he knew that most this long road was unfair. Elijah reviewed about this past month which was a whirlwind, an emotional month in which he experienced the pain of reality. Earlier this month, he wanted to play for the Charlotte Warriors, the local AAU team. He desperately wanted to make the team, however, he wasn’t sure if he would qualify after the tryouts. He decided to try-out, for he had nothing to lose because of the†¦show more content†¦As he walks onto the court, he is feeling the eyes on him, the whole crowd wondering why some scrawny, short kid was playing basketball. Elijah was used to this, however, he usually ended up silencing the fans quickly by his performance. Now, he isn’t s o sure. This is a make or break game. The game is against a team from Georgia, Elijah can read from their jerseys the bright yellow and neon green words, the Atlanta Vipers. He starts off on the bench, waiting for his time and opportunity to come. Finally, his Coach comes up to Elijah. â€Å"Let’s go Elijah,† Coach says, â€Å"grab CJ.† During the first few minutes of his playing time, Elijah transitions into a more competitive and challenging environment, as the kids, who are mountains next to him, intimidate him. As he first felt the smooth, leather, basketball, he knew he was at home, no matter his size. He knows that he has to perform well to succeed, and his first few plays were everything but that. The first time he touched the ball, the defender stole it from him and made an easy lay-up. Subsequently, he passed the ball out of bounds. â€Å"Focus!† yells his coach, â€Å"Keep your head in the game!† Amid the adversity, he completely turns the game around. Elijah persists and begins to play effectively. He makes a beautiful pass to his teammate and best friend, Dwayne, who scores easily. Elijah plays extremely well throughout the game so his coach keeps him in