Basketball

I haven't shared this story yet, but playing basketball reminded me.  Maybe it was better that I had forgotten.

When I was in Young Womens (years and years ago), I loved to play basketball.  I couldn't wait until I could play!  When I was a Beehive, our ward was so large there were three teams.  Was I any good?  NO!  But I had a blast playing.  I couldn't score and I couldn't do defense and I couldn't really dribble up and down the court without concentrating - but I had a ball.  Well, I'm sure I wasn't as bad as I remember, but I can tell you I wasn't a good player.  It was fun for me.

We moved from AF to PG when I was a Mia Maid - to a ward full of athletic girls who would play to win and not have fun.  But me and my sister were still stupid enough to want to join the team - and since they can't tell you no, we were players =)

We didn't realize at first how competitive they were.  Holy Cow!  We'd play (or attempt to play) but we didn't make baskets and we sure didn't keep the other team from making baskets.  And since our ward (probably all wards were the same) was very, very competitive we quickly lost the desire to play.  But we loved to watch.  We were their cheerleaders.  Cheerleaders they had to put in for a couple of minutes.  I'm sure they cringed when we had to go in.  The last games we played (in fact, I think it was the last year they had regionals - because I remember playing in AF for the last few games), my sis and I would try to get out of going in.  We'd tell them it was okay, we didn't want to play - we've even wave our hands telling them no way.  We did NOT want to lose the game for them.

Our ward won whatever it was called.  Regionals?  Who knows.  Who cares.

In Young Womens on the next Sunday, the "coach" had the entire team stand up and then tossed candy bars at the girls thanking them for playing and blah blah blah.  She made me and my sister stand up until the very last.  Then she made fun of us.  Really.  She made such a big joke about the fact that we didn't want to go in.  I can remember to this day the expression on her face when she'd make fun of us telling her we didn't want to play.  I can remember her arm movements making fun of us.  It was HUMILIATING.

I have not played basketball since.  Seriously.  I managed to get out of it in school.  I didn't play again.  I think that is why I won't do anything that may cause me embarrassment - I never want to be teased like that again.

So last Thursday was a pretty big deal to me.  I was so embarrassed to be playing in slippers and pants that I had to keep tugging up (I'd tug my pants up, pull my shirt down, and attempt to pull the tight jersey down).  I'm still shocked that I played.  But I do have to admit I did KIND OF have a LITTLE BIT of fun.  For a couple of minutes, I really wanted to try to go after the ball.  My feet slipping out from under me and me landing on my hands and knees and (I'm sure) flashing a heck of alot of undies to those behind me pretty much cured me of wanting to go after another loose ball.  (Embarrassing!)

But I won't be answering my door or phone tomorrow night - it is Women's Basketball night!