A long time ago, I tried to play tennis. Each day, I would lace up my “tens” shoes, put on a white skirt and step onto that green court. Immediately, I would be greeted by the sun’s merciless rays beating down on my back. However, with a half gallon container of water in hand, I would trudge on through practice. And boy did I hate it.

In fact, one day in particular, our coaches decided to hit every single tennis ball as far as they could… and we had to clean them up. They called it conditioning, but I called it a sadistic joke. After practice, I got into my mom’s car and she didn’t even finish asking me how practice was before I started bawling. I told her that I hated the team and that I wanted to quit. It was not fun and it was too hard.

My mom was extremely frustrated and as soon as we got home, she sat me down and gave me a long lecture about the importance of being on a team.

“But I’m the worst one on the court!” I protested.

“Tough luck,” she replied. “You committed to this team.”

We went back and forth like this for a while until my dad got home. And when he arrived, he gave me the same exact speech my mom gave me.

“You can quit after the season is over,” my parents said. “But you made a decision to join this team, and you are not allowed to quit mid season. That is poor sportsmanship and just plain rude.”

Being about seven, I didn’t quite understand what they were saying, and I cried and cried all night long. The next day, I refused to go to practice, but my parents dragged me kicking and screaming to the courts. Realizing defeat, I shut up and dealt with the hated sport.

A few weeks later, the season ended and I could not have been more elated.

At the time, I was so upset. I hated my parents. But looking back, I see the importance of the lesson they taught me. If you commit to something, whether it be a sport, a club or even a friend, you have to be dedicated to it. When the going gets tough, you can’t just quit. You need to follow through.

I bring this up in relation to basketball superstar and former Chicago Bull Derrick Rose. On Jan. 9, Derrick Rose, who now plays for the New York Knicks, was, as phrased by the New York Times, “inexplicably” absent from his game against the New Orleans Pelicans. In the days following, he said he was at home in Chicago visiting his mother, but the issue still stands — he bailed on his team.

Teams are so important and so sacred in the development of youth. I think every single person reading this column has been involved in a group project at some point in their life. Well, those who have grown up surrounded by a team are better-equipped to be successful in group settings because of the respect, collaboration and reliance taught in team sports.

Because team sports are so significant, the fact that Rose skipped a game so unprofessionally sends a bad message to his young fans across America. If your idol, a professional, isn’t committed to his sport, why should you be? And to make matters worse, the Knicks started Rose in his first game back! Yes, they fined him, but kids don’t get that. Kids just notice that their hero is “inexplicably” gone and then returns without a hitch.

And, hey, I challenge you to find any coach in Naperville who would allow that behavior. In fact, at my time at Central, I have played both soccer and basketball. In the preseason meeting for players, both sports told us that we were expected to attend EVERY practice, and if we didn’t there would be consequences (i.e. being benched and/or running sprints).

My point is, Rose’s behavior directly contradicts the lessons being taught to kids.  Shame on him for abusing his role as a hero.