Sports

Physical activity, I love to walk, hike in nature, dance, garden, as a kid and teenager I loved gymnastics, running fast and doing the hurdles.

I remember running a 5 km race with my 2 sisters and my Dad, a family effort. I was the sprinter, quick to get started, but a 5k is definitely suited more for the tortoise and hare story, soon enough they past me and I was huffing and puffing behind them. We still won an ice cream maker and that was pretty cool.

I loved gymnastics, especially floor work and the uneven parallel bars, not so much the balance beam, that could hurt if you fell, but the other two it was almost like you were air borne. At one time in high school my gymnastic coach took the great big school bus just to take me to meets over an hour away, just her and I on that big bus. It seemed silly to me at the time, but I guess for insurance reasons that was the way to go. Nadia Comaneci was the gymnastic star of the time, from Romania. We watched her performance one there was one move that my coach said, “Yvette, I bet you could do that”, and so we tried, sure enough after some effort I could. My Uncle loved it when we went to visit. “Yvette, you just sit there in front of the TV and I am going to call my friend over, once he is here a bit just jump up and do that thing that you do, it will shock the heck out of him”. And it did, me the trick pony, oh well it was fun. The last time I tried to do a simple walk over, which always came so easily to me I was probably 28ish, I practically ripped my arms out! Ouch. Lost that flexibility and probably developed too much upper arm strength, carrying kids around.

Embarrassingly enough, I also recall camping at Waterton National park, my favorite National Park to date . This day we were picnicking near the tennis courts when someone hit a high one and the ball escaped the caged enclosure. No problem, I ran to get it and throw it back…opps, it landed behind me. Try again, only laughing so hard, I don’t know how I managed to get it the second time.

I was taken to a couple of hockey games when our towns team was doing really well. They have a puck throw to raise money, my beau at the time bought me a puck to throw, wow, I did so well, actually I think I was closest to the spot, but darn, no one wins unless you are right on the spot and the pot just continues to grow. Still I was pretty proud of myself.

The second time, at the next  home game he again bought me a puck, this time they called us to throw when he was off doing something. I threw the puck, and…..I don’t think it even got over the barrier, OMG!!! Now that is embarrassing, I think I actually quickly looked around like did anyone see that? Don’t think I said anything when he came back accept that no, I didn’t do as well as last time, LOL.

Also need to learn how to throw a frisbee with more control, but both throwing balls and frisbees I really don’t have much experience with. Have you ever played disc golf? I did once, I must admit, I may again, even though as you probably guessed, I need a LOT more practice. Oh well, I’m sure it’s the most tries that wins right?

It is always good to be able to laugh at yourself. In some sports like golf not counting the swings is much less stressful, and I am sure I play a better game that way. I’m just out there to have fun with friends.

Bit by bit I learn a little more about sports, how many periods, ends, matches, sets….what does “Love” mean, “A birdie” or “Eagle”, how about the “5 hole”? Actually I always thought the saying the whole 9 yards had to do with football, wrong, it has to do with determining the quality of a kilt, it should be made with 9 yards(meters) of material! That’s a lot of material.

How about you, any embarrassing sports stories to tell?