By today's standards, I found basketball relatively late in life. While most kids today are groomed for sports by the age of five, I was 12 before I stepped on to the court. And it wasn't my parents researching leagues or scouting teams. I played for my school. Remember those days? When kids could have no experience and still make a school team?
But I digress.
Basketball. I cannot begin to describe how it feels to stand on the court and shoot. The visualization, the focus, the sound of the ball sailing through the net. I love every second. In fact, I could stand and practice shooting for hours. For so many years, it was my go-to when I needed a little zen. In recent years, I joined a woman's league hoping to find a little of the joy I used to feel on the court. I realized two things. Firstly, I am an over the top competitive person who is unable to tone it down to play in a rec league with people older than I. I tried. I truly did. But then I got annoyed that the person dribbling in front of me was so casually bouncing the ball and I put a stop to it. And may have bumped her a bit in the process. There was a lot of apologizing. Which I knew was the right thing to do but somehow felt fundamentally wrong. Secondly, I am an over the top competitive person who is unable to tone it down to play in a rec league. I couldn't let a rebound go by. I couldn't not take the shot (although truthfully I did try very hard to pass the ball even when I had an open lane to drive right to the basket) when it was there. I couldn't ease up on defence. And that lead to a distinct burning pain in my shoulder; one that wouldn't go away with ice, advil, or massage.
Sadly I have not played a game of basketball in two years but luckily one of my DDs has decided to play and if I play my cards right (i.e., keep my mouth shut and remember that it is her game to play, not mine) I will be able to spend many years watching her on the court.
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