Basketball...

Can we just talk for a minute about how much I love basketball? Like LOVE basketball. Lets start at the beginning.

I'm not athletic-Never have been. I always joke that my brothers got all the physical talents and I took all the brains (which is totally not true-cause not only are they more athletic then me-well most of them-they are also a whole heck of a lot smarter...they just don't work hard at applying it :P)

I remember vaguely playing t-ball and loving it. But my earliest memories of athleticism are from dance class. Where I had two left feet and was double the size of the other children (and I don't mean in weight). I was tall, gangly, and awkward.

In middle school I had a good friend who wanted to try out for the basketball team-so I went with her. The coach told me not to come back the next day...I was that bad. So then I tried out for cheerleading the next year. Made the team. (everyone did...) And acted as a cheerleader for most of the year. But it wasn't that athletic and I still felt like the chubby kid who didn't fit in with the rest.

In high school, I did academic work. I considered trying out for the dance team (FAIL), softball (practiced with the team a lot), and swim team (waterlogged). I just wasn't athletic.

In college, I started rock climbing. That was my first athletic activity that I loved (and still do). But really, rock climbing is about me and the wall. It doesn't really involve anyone else. And like most things, I love the challenge-but that challenge was only with myself. And I wanted to be able to be a part of a team and do something truly athletic-but that was a pipe dream (or so I thought).

But something amazing happened during pharmacy school-my best friend The Brow invited me to come play church ball. I went and knowing I wasn't good or athletic. I went cause she was my friend and I wanted to spend more time around her. While playing, I realized I loved it. And it only got better. We played games and I had fun. It wasn't about whether I made the basket or if I got a rebound. But it was running and just feeling the adrenalin. But then people started teaching me things. I learned how to post up, I learned how to rebound better, I learned how to box out, and I was having fun while doing it. Sure I had games where I would have to remove myself and sit on the bench cause I got to competitive or aggressive-but for the most part I loved the game.

And then I hurt my ankle. Ripped all the tendons. Got high off vicodin-awkward. Walked in a boot for a month. And then played again as soon as I could! We started playing with the boys (we were the only two girls that they really allowed-how Jessica convinced them to let me play, I'll never know!) and my game got better.

My game is still not great. I'll never be this amazing ball player. I'll never even be decent. But I love the sport. I love running, I love boxing out, I love playing in my sweet spot and making shots. I'm really quite ridiculous and I leave with quite a few 'ouchies'. (see pictures below) But I love it. It gives me something to throw my brain into and work out my thoughts. It helps me feel like a part of a team. And I still have girls trying to teach me to play better.

My friends (and especially my mom) say that I should quit-but I can't and I wont. Cause basketball for me is finally my athletic outlet. And even though I'm injured a lot, I barely make my shots, and I will never be a superstar-I love basketball.

Basketball injuries (in the last two weeks...)