1. If you don't know already, we play at WIMPE(CRC-E) Gym on Saturday nights. And when you have 200 sweaty guys in a room with no a/c, it can get really hot and smelly. (You can recreate the smell by putting your nose in someone's armpit on a hot summer day.) So how can you remedy this problem? Well, I guess you can always just go to the water fountain and get a drink. But that wouldn't be fun. Try and be more creative. For example, when you go to small group that week (if you're wondering what small group is, visit www.cfchome.org to find out more), just talk about how you love Summer League but sometimes it can get dangerous cause you need gatorade(or just pick your favorite sports drink) while you play or else you'll lose the electrolytes in your body and then who knows what might happen. Come that Saturday, you'll be playing basketball and suddenly out of the corner of your eye, you'll see your small group members coming in the gym showing how much they care for you with a bottle of your favorite sports drink. Alright, that might be a little deceitful. So instead, just go with your team and buy drinks together before you come to play. That way in between the games you can fight dehydration as a team. My motto is, "The team that stinks together, might as well drink together(gatorade or course)."

2. Repeat this helpful motto as you get ready to play, "I AIN'T GONNA WIN THE CHAMPIONSHIP, I'M NOT GONNA BE THE MVP, AND I WON'T EVEN HAVE MY NAME ON THE WEBPAGE" (unless you write an article). I'm not saying that you should have a negative attitude, but please, stop dreaming about exalting yourself through basketball. Come with no expectations, when it comes to winning that is. Your Summer League experience should not be measured by victories or points scored. Unless suddenly Luther Head decides to sign up and is placed on your team, I wouldn't focus to much on trying to win. And if you don't even know who Luther Head is, well, I won't hold it against you. Don't miss the opportunities to get to know other people and have some fun with your team. A good tip I have is to try to form a personality as a team. A couple of summers ago, I saw a team wear headbands together as they played. Did they look cool? No, it was actually goofy looking. But I must say that they were unique and seemed to be having fun.

Basically what I'm trying to say is that I've come to realize through the years that this might be just a basketball league, but if you look carefully, it's so much more than that. If you come just to play and win and try and make some stats(which we're not going to keep this year), you're gonna miss out on so many of the other things - the new relationships built, the fun and fellowship, and the commraderie. So whether you've never played at all or play everyday, this league is for you - because it's all about the fellowship. I may have never won a championship, but it would have been a bigger loss if I missed out on the memories I've had with my teammates. No title can beat that. Don't miss out.

James Lee, who's never won a championship, is the senior writer for CFC Summer League Basketball.

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