You Can Play Sports and Sew Aprons Too

Most people in my hometown played at least one sport as a kid, whether it be summer soccer or T-ball. A lot of the people I knew continued to play in high school and some even went on to play in college. I was no exception, minus playing in college part. My first memories of sports began with soccer and basketball, and it extended to softball (only for a year, I wasn't that good haha), track and field, volleyball, and later on tennis. Practices, open gyms, games and tournaments were an integral part of my family's life for so long. It's funny to think about me playing competitive sports and loving the adrenaline rush and hard work and sweat.

I miss it some days. Other days I cannot believe I put up with the intense commitment the athletic communities demand at such a young age. The thing was, I never really was that good at sports. I was quick, aggressive, and tall. But on the basketball court I was a little awkward with my height, and I never wanted to shoot the ball! I'd always pass it to someone else who was better than me. I think the sport I liked the most was volleyball. I played that all the way through high school. Even though I wasn't the best, I was a team player and loved to be active with my friends.

So the reason I gave you all that background on my athletic history is because I don't really like sports that much. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely appreciate what the athletic community taught me about cooperation, determination and hard work. I learned so much through those years about what my body is capable of doing. It's empowering. But I remember when I first started to realize there were other things I liked to do. I didn't mind being a "jock" who was super particular about what basketball shoes to buy or what headbands worked the best to keep hair out of the way during a game.

However, it wasn't always worth the time and energy it took to stay "in basketball shape" or to be able to make it to all the league tournaments in the summers. I thought it was normal to dread games more than actual practices. I felt like I never quite fit in, and a lot of the times I didn't feel good enough. But I stuck with it because it was the normal thing to do. Other activities brought me more joy and helped me discover myself. I just didn't know how to make that lifestyle change at the time. It took me almost all of my young adulthood to realize I like to do less "active" things. Haha. :) My personal interests lie more in creative outlets which require much less sweat: whether it be writing, drawing, cooking or sewing.

Because our school was small (it still is), there was a greater need for students to be involved in many different things. So although people played sports, almost all of my friends also did things like play an instrument. Our band teacher devoted herself to lifting up the band program and did an amazing job (and still does) involving kids from all different backgrounds. My freshman year of high school was the first time I started to question my interests. Other than band, there was not another outlet for expression. So I decided to audition for One Act. This was the start of my artistic evolution. The coach casted me as the co-lead role and the following three years my passion bloomed on the stage. On top of that, I played in the pit band for the musical two years, and then decided to audition for a role and acted/sang (HAHA, yeah I sang...funny how unafraid you can be when you are so *young*) in the next two musicals.

I remember how our schedules for One-Act, Musical, Forensics and band rehearsals would revolve around the athletic teams schedules. We would have rehearsals right after practices or sometimes even late at night. We just made do. But I recall rushing to some practice right after our musical dress rehearsal. We performed for the public and elementary students, and our director would want to run through the it one or two more times. But it was always so much pressure because we had only an hour or two before practices started for the athletes. And usually half the cast is part of a sports team so they are forced to split their time between two things. But sports always take precedence. So I never questioned it.

Or after our One-Act competitions when we were in full costume, students would have to rush back to school after a long day of traveling and performing to go to a two-and-a-half hour long practice. Where the coaches would be mad if you were late. And by late I mean you weren't there fifteen minutes before practice started like the other team members to warm up before the real practice started.

What I am trying to say is that I invested most of my young life to sports despite the late realization that I had other interests. My life revolved around it. And I hated it sometimes. It was so hard for me to realize at that age that it was okay to like other things. I never took an art class in high school because it wasn't really the cool thing to do. In middle school, one of teachers had people come into her classroom during lunch to knit once a week. I never went. Plus, who knitted in middle school in rural Wisconsin and was considered "cool"?

You might be thinking it's my fault for not exploring other things or not being open, but it's hard when the majority of your community values a basketball game over a Forensics competition. One year, a handful of students who made up the team, like six of us, went to state. I did really well, and I won fifth place at the state competition in my category. I think maybe one or two people outside of my family congratulated me or even talked about the competition. But if one of my teams played well or won an important game, I'd run into people anywhere in town and be likely to talk to someone about the game.

I don't mean to bash on athletes, coaches or sports teams. But I do have to say not everyone values art/creativity as much as they value sports. Maybe it had to do with where I lived and the limited opportunities and/or funds we had put into extracurriculars other than sports teams. It does take an investment in something to see any results. Our community invested in sports for most of the time I was in school; therefore, my family and I invested our time, energy and money into years worth of sports. Other areas of where I was more talented and passionate about took the backseat.

It makes me upset when I recall a few attempts to explore different things. I even created a club that centered around healthy food and lifestyle things with one of my teachers as the advisor. I created flyers and gave them out to my friends. I did yoga sessions in a classroom at SIX A.M. SOMETIMES. For our first introduction meeting I made these pumpkin muffins with no sugar or butter (they actually tasted pretty good), and I don't think many people ate them. It's just that nobody did anything outside of the norm at our school when I was there.

So now that I'm older, I realize the importance of investing in something that brings you joy. Something that excites you and also prepares you for the future. I can play pick up ball or intramural sports, but the things I learned about myself through public speaking and creative thinking are worth more to the person I am today. Basketball and volleyball gave me a community of people, but it was never enough for me. And I wish sometimes I would've stopped worrying so much about what other people thought and just did what made me happy.

I grew up as a jock, but yet my inner self leans more on the quirky, nerdy, artsy side. It's weird to identify with so many different crowds of people. I like to play competitive sports still. But I also can hand-sew an apron. In fact, it gives me more joy doing that than winning any basketball tournament I did as a child. That's not to say that everyone is like me. That's okay. As long as you enjoy what you are doing and other people respect and value other hobbies/passions too.