Learning by Doing What I Do Least

Sports have never been a central part of my life. I have always only been slightly above-average at them. I played them in elementary school because they were fun and I wanted to. I played them in junior high because I had to (they were required as part of P.E.). However, the one time in high school I chose to play basketball was absolutely one of the best times of my life.

Nobody ever expected me to join basketball (because I was the reclusive artist who hid in the corner and avoided people). It was very unlike me- not just because I wasn't that athletic, but because I barely put any thought into it and did it upon impulse. The only pre-emptive thought I had was based on suggestions that the exercise and camraderie was suggested to help me deal with depression and sleep deprivation issues I had been having. Plus, I was curious as to what the experience was like. (In my tiny little town, all anyone cares about is sports, which was like a giant mystery to me.)
 
I was never used to having friends that were girls, and also was never used to having a large group of friends to hang out with at once. Practicing and going to pre-game dinners with the team were fun times and I grew to enjoy them greatly.

The highlight of the season, for me, was being promoted from junior varsity to varsity. I had always hoped I would be moved up, but never expected it because I knew how unaggressive I was. Even though I was the worst player on varsity, I didn’t really care, because it was still considered an improvement.

The first time I ever made points in a game was when I screwed up a play that was specifically designed so that I could shoot and make points. (I was apparently a beloved member of the team and people hoped I could eventually do so.) When I did shoot a basket, our crowd went insane. I can imagine the other team’s crowd wondering what the big deal was over this random player, who played for like three minutes, making two points.

At the end of the season, during a school award ceremony, my coach gave a fairly lengthy speech about me and gave me my “Most Improved” award. That was kind of embarrassing but it was one of the only times in my life that proved that you actually earn things by working hard.

Being one of the worst players ever is great because you get to worry about having fun rather than winning (mostly because the coach doesn't put you in play unless you're killing the other team by a million points).

 

Image is copyright Julie Drohan (me)