Description:
The idea of the brains plasticity stems from the suggestion that the brain is sculpted by our genes, although, also by our experiences. For instance, when someone experiences an injury or a certain illness, the brain has the ability to modify itself in order to try and keep the body protected from the same type of harm. Some people might argue that the brain is “wired” solely by the genetics that were passed down to a person, although, first hand I can say that this is not the case. Due to experiences I have had there is no question that the brain can also adapt and be modified by different experiences that you can encounter as life goes on.
My story:
Ever since I was a young boy I was a huge fan of watching and playing the game of basketball. I had a ball in my hand starting at the age of four and ever since then I never wanted to put the ball down. Unfortunately, I have had extremely bad luck with injuries throughout my career. With two broken ankles, a torn meniscus, a torn ACL, and four concussions, my playing style has changed, not due to my skill increasing or decreasing, but due to the fact that mentally my brain has adapted habits because of all of the injuries. Both parts of brain plasticity can possibly be applied to my situation, the genetics part, and the adaptation through experience. My father and grandfather both have had bad knee, ankle, and hip injuries/problems, and I believe that could have been passed down to me, maybe it could be due to weak bones. In the other aspect, I have seen myself change the way I play, being more cautious after each injury goes by. The way I jump off of two feet instead of one on layups now to try and have a sturdier base, or the way that I am extra alert when an opposing player is going to bump into me on a screen, it all happens because my brain is telling my body to protect itself from experiences that I had in the past.
How it all ties together:
Clearly as time has gone on our brains have advanced and they will only keep being able to function at a higher and higher level as time passes. The brains plasticity has had a major impact on my life, as it has most likely changed my basketball playing style and could definitely have protected me from having many more injuries. It is important to add though, just because my story is about tying in my injuries in basketball to brain plasticity, illnesses and certain events that you have been through can also be effected by the brains plasticity. This mechanism that is in all of our brains is why we can keep making advances and major breakthroughs, as it helps us adapt and advance using our own genetics and personal experiences.
