Boys of Summer

I think spending a good chunk of my summer down here in Sierra Vista will actually end up better than I expected. For all the friends that are staying down here and just kind of messing up, I have a good group that I really do like down here doing well for themselves. It may not be the kind of doing well that I would necessarily envision for myself but it works for them and I guess that is all that matters.

So I got the opportunity tonight to get myself involved in a little bit of athletic competition. I have come to realize that I feel so much more average as an athlete now than I did when I was younger. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't an exceptional athlete growing up, but it is funny the wisdom you gain as you grow up and just how much that humbles you.

I played softball on my dad's team tonight which is comprised mostly of police officers. In the field I didn't actually play that bad, though I was pretty nervous to start it off. They put me in left, which is softball is where most people with any power hit the ball. The first ball that came I had very little chance of getting too, but was able to make a pretty decent throw to hold the runner to a double.

The next ball, though, was a pop fly right at me. Did catching a fly ball seem this difficult when I was younger. The ball seemed to dance in the air as I akwardly tried to place myself underneath its downward trajectory. With much relief I caught it, though I am sure I made it seem much more difficult than it needed to be. After that I settled down and actually made every play that came my way.

While I made good progress in the field, the batter's box was my most comedic of performances. I don't think I wait on the ball enough and all of my power lurches forward. The result tonight? A weak pop-up to the catcher followed by a lazy fly ball to the left fielder. We got crushed something like 17-0.

It reitterated to me, though, just how much fun sports are. So many of us spend a day in an office or at school, but then for a couple hours you get to lace up the cleats and you feel like a player, even if the image you project to the crowd illustrates otherwise.