The Bowling Stones

(Click the Photo for the Photo Credit).

Tonight was my first night of my bowling league. I decided to join the bowling league for three reasons:

1. My love of my dodgeball league.
2. My lame Friday nights (all my girls are in serious relationships or super-duper-crazy-busy. Most aren’t around for a Friday night get together – unless I plan it weeks in advance).
3. To meet more single people.

Also, the bowling league is through my dodgeball league, and the league boasted, “Bowling is the perfect social league, and easiest way to meet new people. It doesn’t matter if you get more gutters than pins either, since we use handicap scoring to even out all the players”.

So I thought, sure, why not?

I left my apartment tonight a little nervous about going by myself, but excited to meet new people and have some fun. I arrived at the bowling alley and picked up my league shirt and got my shoes. I met my team – “The Bowling Stones” – they were all super nice.

Then, I noticed something.

A lot of the people around me had their own bowling balls. And their own bowling shoes.

Oh no.

Wait. Are they really good at bowling? Good enough to buy their own ball? Their own shoes? What happened to throwing gutters?

Oh no.

So I went to the straight to the bar and bought a beer. Take the edge of my increasing anxiety.

Then we started with some practice shots.

I didn’t hit one pin.

“Oh, don’t worry” I told my team, “I just haven’t played in a long time”. (Which was true).

Then the game started.

I didn’t hit many pins.

My team on the other hand, was throwing strikes and spares. Each time I went, and I usually didn’t hit one pin; I became more and more concerned.

My kind team members all started giving me tips and suggestions – “Pull your arm back straight”, “Watch your follow through”. I nodded, flashed a big smile, and told them, “Thanks so much! Good advice! Yes, I did not know that!”

My team is also BIG on high-fives and fist-bumps. After each person threw, we all high-fived. Even when I didn’t hit any pins – we high fived. Lots of high-fives. Lots.

Over the night I missed more pins than I hit. I somehow randomly got one strike and one spare. My team realized I did better when they were not coaching me.

After two games my score – my total score – was a whopping 70. The other girl on my team scored well over 100.

Of course, this experience flashed me back to my days of failed sports – swimming, soccer, cross-country, and track. In each sport, my team was kind at first, trying to help, teach and inspire me. By the end of the season, they were happy if I was injured or missed a game. Although I had great team spirit, my (lack of) performance brought their score down.

So, overall? The night kinda blew. I am hopeful that I do meet some cool people and make more friends.

The good news? I came home to this:

In her youth, Tahn thought she was a bowling ball and children were bowling pins. It was not good.

And I made this:

Hello, Sweet Potato Fries

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R.I.C.E

Playing dodgeball tonight, I got injured.

Me.

The woman who HATES any physical pain. HATES physical pain.

I threw a ball at someone (it didn’t hit them…) and I was running backward (a strategy as super- duper dodgeballers do) and I stepped on a ball and rolled my foot.

And then preceded to fall on top of my rolled foot before entirely hitting the ground.

It hurt. A lot.

It seriously was so painful I wanted to cry. Previously at this point in my life, when I’ve played sports, I would automatically sit out. (I would be secretly relieved and be happy to watch).

But I really wanted to stay in, and so I decided played through the pain.

Me.

The woman who HATES physical pain.

I must say, I am proud of myself. I stayed in and put my best foot forward (literally). I actually almost made a half-court shot.

I am home now R.I.C.Eing my foot. (I may or may not have had to call my father to tell me what the acronym was…)

So, here I am with a Tahn snuggling on my lap (she is healing me, she’s a healer), Resting, Elevating, and Icing my foot. (Ok, I am not taking Ibuprofen. I’m drinking red wine and eating 2 brownies instead).

Here’s to changing for the better!! (Even if my foot is purple and swollen).

Half Court Shot

I have never been good at sports. Ever.

Starting back as far as I can remember, I had no talent in athletics. In elementary school, at recess, everyone would play four-square or wall ball, and I too, would play. Whenever it was my turn, I did my absolute best, tried my absolute hardest, but never stayed in more than a round or two.

Wanting to be like my friends, I signed up for Swimming, Soccer and Tennis. My two older siblings excelled in these sports, and I thought I would too. After many years and countless lessons, I was still one of the weakest players on my team, and never made a goal, or won a tennis match. I never got an “A” swim time on my recreational swim team.

While time passed, and I continued to do poorly at sports, I excelled in dancing. I loved ballet, and I wanted to be a prima ballerina. But, as I advanced as a ballerina, the ballet world soon became unwelcoming and highly competitive, and not being a competitive person, I decided to quit.

My uncompetitive nature is another reason I did not excel in sports. Although I like winning, I am not willing risk seriously hurting myself to win. In addition, in a lot of the sports I played, there was a continuous risk of injury, and I have never liked to be in any type of physical pain.

Overtime, I continued to try sports. For many reasons, playing a sport in high school was a good idea. I needed to get in shape and meet new friends. In my junior year of high school I joined the Cross Country Team. During the next two years, I was in the best shape of my life, met a lifelong friend, and had a lot of fun. However, I was the slowest person on my team- even slower than the Freshman. I soon became the only Senior on JV. Although this was disappointing and somewhat embarrassing, I still was proud of myself and the goals I set for myself as a runner.

When I started college, there was a lot of hype over inter mural sports. EVERYONE played at least one inter mural sport and it was by far the best way to meet people. Knowing my past and (painful) experience with all sports, I decided not to play. I did not want my first introduction to people to be me. I did not want to be known as this terrible teammate that they have to compensate for.

Post college and into the working world, sports and athletics have lost their glamour. Most seem to go religiously to the gym for exercise and to bars to socialize. I was happy with this stage of life where everyone worked and didn’t play sports. Finally, I could move past athletics as a way to socialize and I could meet people in different arenas.

This all changed when a rather new friend of mine asked me to play a charity dodgeball tournament. I quickly responded something along the lines of “Thanks, but I really suck at sports and you do not want me on your team. I will totally hurt your chances at winning.” She was persistent, and did not accept no for an answer. She convinced me that it was all in fun, and that she wanted me on the team and it did not matter if I sucked.

I believed that she was sincere, but I felt that she was going to be in for a surprise when she learned just as bad as I was.

Soon, the charity dodgeball tournament was right around the corner. My friend organized a practice so our team could meet and we could practice our dodgeball skills. I went, so nervous, because they were going to see just how bad I was. The practice went better than I expected, but it became clear that I was very bad at throwing the ball at other people (which is essential for dodgeball). So, I decided that the next day (at the tournament) I would focus all my energy on dodging the ball.

Well, it turned out that we were in for more than we bargained for. The teams we played against at the tournament were part of a league, and they played dodgeball all the time and had a bunch of strategies and were very good. We didn’t do very well, but I did succeed at not getting hit that often- and jumping out of the way. I was happy that I wasn’t that bad and that I stayed in to be last more times than not.

Afterward, upon reflecting on the tournament I concluded a few things:

1. Dodgeball was a hell of a work out- I was dripping in sweat.
2. There were a lot of single guys playing.
3. I was O.K. at dodging the ball – probably since I had been dodging balls in sports my whole life.

So, I decided to join a dodgeball league. There is a sport and social league in my city that offers a variety of sports in a casual atmosphere. Within in a few weeks, the league started, and immediately we started playing games. I was having a ton of fun- meeting new people, strengthening my current friendships, and ahem- playing a sport.

Since I am terrible at throwing the ball at people, I am not a huge target, and I usually stay in the game until the end. Also, as my friend told me, I am “squirrelly” and usually the other team can’t hit me. If you are the last player on your team you get to try to make a half court basketball shot onto the other team’s basket (the dodgeball game is played on a basketball court). If the last player on the team makes the half court basketball shot, all of your team members get to come back in the game (if you are the last player, then all of your team members have been hit and are out of the game).

Many times I have been the last player. And many times I attempted the half court shot. And many times I did not make the shot. But, that was okay with me. In the weeks I was playing, no one ever made the half court shot.

One game, in the middle of the season, I was the last player on my team. It was me versus about 7 other people. Fortunately, I had all of the 6 balls on my side of the court. Not worried about getting hit, I could take my time at attempting the half court shot. Since my arm strength is non-existent, I throw the ball through my legs, old lady style.

I focused all of my energy on this shot and let it go – then I watched it fly through the air and swoosh! Go right through the basket. Nothing but net. I was sincerely shocked. I could not believe that I made the basket. I stood there for a few seconds, starring while my cheering, happy team rushed on the court, picking up the balls, and chucking the balls at the other team. It took me a moment to realize I had to pay attention and not get out. With in seconds, my team destroyed the other team and we won that match.

As we prepared for the next match to start, my team celebrated my basket with me, giving me high fives and telling me I did a great job. I had to hold back my tears of joy.

On the way home, I called each of my parents and gave them the news. Both times, my parents cried with me rejoicing the event.

I celebrated for a few days, telling everyone about my half court shot. I was so happy to have done it, and knew it was a fluke, once in a lifetime thing.

Until a few weeks later.

At my dodgeball game two weeks ago, I made another half court basketball shot. Another one! I really, truly couldn’t believe it.

So, here I am, two days away from my last game of the season. And, I couldn’t be sadder that it’s over. Of course I am signing up for the next league (that starts in November), but still, I’ve never cared this much about a sport before, and I hate to see it end. It’s been such a wonderful, emotional experience; I can’t believe that it’s gone by so fast.

I may not be the best athlete in the world, but I am certainly not the worst. And, at age 25, I guess you can find a sport you are actually good at and really love.