Team Sport Kind of Guy

Some of my earliest memories are around football, when I was too young to play but wanted to play anyway.  I was in the 4th grade when I started playing.  I was on a team filled with big ol' 8th graders. 

What were my parents thinking?  (They were thinking that if this was something that I really wanted to do, then they would support met.)  I'm sure I never got to play in a real game that first year but I do remember practicing on the outfield of the old baseball field downtown. 

I have come to the conclusion that there are two types of athletes:  Team sport athletes and individual sport athletes. 

Except for a few years when I lived and breathed tennis, I've always been a team sports kind of guy.  

Even in those tennis days, I always preferred doubles tennis, which is definitely like being on a team.

Football and basketball have always been my sports.  Growing up, it was all about football.  I got most of my growth early so it looked like I was going to be rather large.  Alas, I quit growing when I was a sophomore in high school so those much-desired college football opportunities never materialized.

I was probably better suited for basketball anyway but when my high school football coach suggested I focus on football because I might have a future there, well basketball got abandoned.

Later on, in college, I became one of those gym rats who always had a basketball in their hands. I played regularly until I was 59.  I can still hit the three or take it to the hole (although much more slowly and awkwardly than I used to).  I may have missed my best sport.

Even the cycling that I do now is more of a team sport.  I rarely ride by myself, much preferring the company of a group ride. 

You may have seen us out there.  Unless we're strung out on a hill, you will find us in a tightly compacted pack, ebbing and flowing much like a flock of birds that you see flying across the sky that seem almost like a single unit.  I find great beauty in that.

That's part of the appeal to me--that teamwork mentality where you are part of a group.  In a group ride, you've got to trust those around you.  That trust builds friendships.  I've often said that most of the best friends I have are found on the back of a bicycle.

The same thing is true for a football team, a basketball team, any kind of team.   To be successful, you've got to trust your teammates.  You've got to invest in their success.To truly be a good team member, you've got to give up a lot of yourself.  You've got to give up your personal ambitions. 

But I truly believe that the shared joy of being on a team amplifies the happiness you can get from sports participation.  And if it is shared with people who also happen to be your friends, it is all the sweeter.

I've seen it many times on many different teams:  Kids that have grown up together, have been friends for years, celebrating a victory together.  Their joy is magnified by being part of something bigger than themselves.

For a team sport kind of guy, it doesn't get any better than that.