Been thinking

So I've been thinking about what to write all day. Should I write about one of the characters I have floating around in my head? But which one to choose? Should I write about work? I spend enough time at work that I don't really want to add it to my blog.

But I was at a Concordia volleyball game tonight (which was an outstanding game between two pretty equally matched teams that went five and Concordia won), and I decided to write about something else. How I am not an athlete.

It's true. I am about as far from being an athlete as you can get and still see the word athlete. I was never one who, with the game on the line, wanted the ball, as they say. I probably would have fumbled it out of bounds and lost the game for my team. I was much better sitting on the bench and cheering for my teammates or sitting up in the stands and keeping stats and cheering for my teammates.

I went out for basketball and track when I was in high school, so I do know that side of sports. I know the work that goes into being good. I know how helpful talent is to being good. I know I wasn't talented, nor was I willing to put in the long hours some of my teammates did. So I wasn't good. And believe it or not, I was OK with that. I liked being part of the team but without the pressure of being the go-to player. I liked playing JV basketball because the outcome didn't matter. I think my career high was 10 points in a game. Wooo!

Distance was my thing on the track team for two reasons. One, the team needed distance runners and no one else wanted to do it. Two, I didn't care if I finished last, which I usually did. I knew I wasn't fast, so sprinting was definitely out. I wasn't really coordinated enough to do any jumps or the hurdles, and I didn't have the upper body strength to compete in the throws. That left the mile and two-mile. The way I saw it, if me finishing last kept someone else from being lectured by a coach or a parent for finishing last, then good for me. Especially since I really didn't care. I don't think my parents were concerned about my placings - as long as I was having fun. Which I was.

Today, I cover sports. I take my camera to games/meets and take lots and lots of pictures in the hope that a handful will be usable. I talk to coaches each week and write game summaries for the paper. I honestly love what I do. And I like to think that my experiences on the bench and in last place on the track give me some sympathy for the athletes.

And when I watch athletes who are exceptional at what they do, I can appreciate the hard work and dedication they've put in to get where they are.