Everyone Can Be An Athlete

When I was a girl and teenager in the 1970’s-80’s I was brainwashed to believe I was not athletic. I was often the last kid picked for sports teams in gym class. Not because I was a social pariah or extremely overweight or in anyway handicapped. No reason except I just couldn’t play–anything. No one showed me how to throw a softball, bounce a basketball, spike a volleyball. I never really learned how to kick, hit or catch any kind of ball. So I shied from a ball coming at me and gym teachers didn’t bother with kids like me. They were happy to let us sit out. That was my experience anyway.

I played my first basketball game a few months ago with some other adults enrolled in a YMCA “Fitness Challenge”.  I really was bad because I had no ball skills or confidence to dribble or make a shot. I warned my teammates not to pass to me. But they did anyway and it was kind of humiliating. I guess because I am tall they thought I might be a good basketball player.

In March this year I bought a basketball after I saw my son struggling to play basketball with some boys at school. He gets picked on sometimes and he’s not interested in sports nor has he had anyone coach him in most sports. Watching him I decided to help  him out. I might not be good, I thought, but I would learn.

One afternoon I took the basketball and just shot baskets by myself for over an hour. I couldn’t believe how much strength that took. I chased the ball a lot. I went the next time with my husband, he’s a very good athlete but he wasn’t so great in basketball. We were almost even.  For once — in any kind of sport –he wasn’t making me look like a fool!

Today I played a half court basketball game at the YMCA with a group of other adults after our trainer workout. I made a couple baskets during the game. Not only that, I felt confident, in a zone, feeling a natural flow in the game.

This was incredible to me. And a bit emotional once I was alone. I can play basketball and I never knew.

Confidence was the key and just courage to try something I hadn’t really given a try before. These are the biggest changes I have made in fitness with myself in the past 6 years.

I might have been convinced I was unathletic in the past but since then some of the stuff I have done:

• run dozens of 5Ks, 10Ks, half marathons, 25Ks, marathons and an ultra marathon.
• Began riding a mountain bike
• Jumped into a pick up soccer game with other adults – I also found I was not bad at that.
• Kayaked solo
• Done high ropes and zip lining
• Completed half a dozen fitness challenges
• Hiked or run almost every nearby nature reserve trail
• Practiced Archery
• Practiced 6 years of martial arts
• Hired a coach (last summer) to work on my swimming technique

So much for being unathletic. I am bragging maybe a bit but MOSTLY I just want people to take a chance and learn new good things about themselves like I have. I am not a super star athlete, Oh God, far from it. I just get it done. I do my best and sometimes like in today’s basketball game, I find out I am not half bad!

Don’t you want to find out something like that? 🙂 I hope you do.