I used to be shy at school. I hated being called in class because I didn’t let others ______ me. And if I was told to have a seat by the teacher, I always chose to sit at the back of the classroom.

All this changed after I joined a sports team. It began _______ a teacher suggested I join the basketball team. At first I thought it was a crazy idea because I didn’t have a good sense of balance (平衡感). I didn’t think I have the ability to keep up with _______ in the team and they would laugh at me, _______ because the teacher kept insisting on (坚持) my “going for it”, I decided to give a try.

Getting up the courage to try was only the half of it! When I first started _______ the practice courses, I didn’t even know the rules of the game. Sometimes I’d get confused (迷惑的) and take a shot at the wrong direction — which really made me feel bad. _______, I wasn’t the only one “new” at the game, so I decided to learn the game, tried _______ best at each practice course, and not be too hard on myself for the things I didn’t know.

I practiced and practiced. Soon I knew the rules and the “moves”. Being part of a team was not so difficult. Very soon the _______ part for me was WINNING though I didn’t have confidence (信心) enough. With time, I learned how I _______ play and made friends with others. I never had so much fun!

With more self-confidence coming from more praise of teachers and classmates, ever since then, I have changed from “hiding” at the back of the classroom and not wanting any attention to myself, to raising (举起) my hand — even when I sometimes wasn’t sure I had the right answer. Now I have more self-confidence in ________.