Sports are more than just two teams or a group of individuals competing against one another. Sports are more than the score at the final buzzer. Sports are more than just a show to turn on in passing while flipping channels. Sports are a way of life, a way to define oneself, a way to learn valuable life lessons that can only be found on the hardwood and gridiron, and an escape from the monotony of everyday life.
Just about every kid dreamed of being a sports star at some point in their life. Whether it was draining a buzzer beating 3-pointer to win the championship or hitting a walk-off grand-slam in the bottom of the 9th, every child wanted to be a super star. The fact of the matter is that very few will ever get to experience that pure jubilation of nailing the game-winner and the rest must be content to watch it happen.
I was no exception. I grew up playing sports from the moment I could swing a bat or shoot a ball. I was 3 years old when my dad first handed me a rolled up newspaper to hit a wiffle ball. A year later I was on my first peewee tee-ball team alongside my cousin. Not long after that I picked up basketball, which was soon followed by soccer.
My parents are both Physical Education teachers, one of my grandfathers was also P.E. teacher. Like my grandfather, my dad was a coach and player throughout his life and their passion for all things sports was instilled in me from a young age and I have loved every minute of it. My dad introduced me to his two sports: basketball and baseball. My mother gave me her love for soccer. My dad coached my basketball and baseball teams through my 8th grade season, at which point I then transferred to a new school district where I played my last season for any organized team in basketball and baseball. Since then I've been content to play both sports in pick-up games where ever I can find the time. Just having graduated from the University of Washington, I spend most of my day job hunting and playing pick-up basketball for 3 or 4 hours a day down at the IMA. I played organized soccer in a rec league until I turned 19 as well as indoor soccer alongside my mom for well over a year straight. Every weekend my mom and I would head to the Bremerton Indoor Center where we would take play alongside several other parent/child combos.
Sports have given me so many tools that I have used in both the academic and "professional" setting. Skills like team management, time management, teamwork, communication, and persistence are the first few that jump to mind. There comes a killer instinct from playing sports, a drive to excel in all scenarios, that is hard to achieve without some sort of sporting background.
I was never an amazing athlete. Not a slouch, but I was hardly ever the star. It was never my true dream to pursue a career as a sports athlete. My cards lay in academia and that's what I have successfully achieved. I just graduated with a 3.4 GPA and a Bachelor of Science in Physics. Every year myself and my friends would sign up for a variety of intramural sports that included Flag Football, Co-Ed and Men's Basketball, Men's Softball, and Co-Ed Ultimate Frisbee. Like myself, my friends have grown up with sports playing a big role in their lives. Just because I couldn't compete at the highest level didn't mean I had to halt my "career" as an athlete. I still strive to be the best I can be, to play the hardest I can every game, and to leave everything on the court.
Despite my relatively short endeavor in organized play, I still live vicariously through my Alma-mater's various sports teams, namely the Men's Basketball team. I don't regret this for a moment, even when we suffer a tough or humiliating loss. There are times I wonder if it would be easier not to care so much about a group of guys I don't even know. Sometimes I wonder if all the emotional strain, the countless hours, and words typed out before me is worth anything at all. That's when I remember how amazing it feels to cheer a team on through insurmountable odds to a crazy win. I don't think any sports fan can deny just how ridiculous a huge win can feel; it always makes my day/week/month/year/life that much better.
I can remember nearly every detail leading up to I.T.'s game winning, buzzer beater against Arizona in overtime for the Pac-10 championship. I can remember feeling on top of the world when we got up early. I can remember feeling depressed as we went down 4 with under 40 seconds to go. I also remember feeling pure ecstasy as I.T., Terrence Ross, and C.J. Wilcox all nailed consecutive 3-pointers to tie the game in regulation. The tension during the final seconds was indescribable. It was myself and about 10 other friends in my little "apartment style" dorm living room surrounding a 40 inch T.V., sitting/kneeling/pacing as Thomas dribbled up the court. As he sized up Jones, everyone went tense. One of my friends said "Nope..." as I.T. let loose his shot. It seemed as though the game went into slo-mo and as the ball fell through the net and the backboard lit up. Then...chaos erupted in my apartment. Everyone began to jump and yell, hugging everyone in sight, falling off their chairs, and collapsing to the floor. It was so loud we were heard in another building across the road from us and I'm sure the people above us could make out every word we said without a problem. I wouldn't trade that feeling for anything. I still get goosebumps to this day when I think of that moment.
Sports are a way of life. I can think of very few people who do not refer to their teams as "We" or "Us." Whenever a game is completed I always talk about how "we" won and what "we" did well or terrible. never "they." Following a sports team means being a part of the team and I firmly believe that not a single coach or player would fail to acknowledge that their fan base is an integral part of their team. Without the fans there are no paychecks.
Sports are who I am, who I was, and who I will be until the day I die.
Go Dawgs!
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