Tonight I had the pleasure of playing in the UNCA coed basketball championship game. I actually ended up on a team this year after a crazy string of events. The season was short but I had so much fun and definitely made me wish i still played regularly.
I am not the best player but I can still hit my shots and make some passes and hold my own. I have been playing basketball every since I could walk. My dad was pretty much a 5 ft. 5 super start in high school. I was never an all-star but I was constant, extremely competitive (still am) and I actually had a LOT of fun playing. The one thing about me playing basketball is that I tend to always walk away from a game with a multitude of bruises and scrapes. To me, that means it was a good game. If I didn't walk away with something hurting I knew I hadn't played hard enough. I think my knees are permanently purple from diving out of bounds and trying to scrape up a jump ball or four. My size has always worked against me so I have had to learn how to play smartly. One of the things about being short is that you are always at elbow height or being smashed into a pick if your team isn't watching out for you. Posting up isn't really an option. I swear to you that I lost a contact lens every game. I would have to pick it up off the deliciously clean court and put it in my mouth to 'wash it off' and pop it back into my eye so that play could continue. It is amazing that I don't have a disgusting eye disease.
I have always loved the after a game feeling of being exhausted and feeling a little beaten up. Tonight I got my money's worth in minor injuries. I walked away from the game with a bloody lip and knee, a bruised elbow, two slightly jammed fingers, court burned knees BUT with a championship t-shirt. Please hold your applause, this is big time stuff..
It has been so good to be back on the court again and almost makes me regret giving up basketball. But just almost. It has been so great to be able to play for fun. Hopefully I will continue to do so.
Oh, I forgot one small detail. I can get pretty fired up on the court. In high school I learned to channel it into playing harder. But sometimes an alternate me just kind of slips out and heated exchanges can happen. Especially when playing with guys. Tonight, my fiery side came exploding out after being intentionally elbowed by a guy on the other team after we were both going for a ball. In response I may or may not have just intentionally fouled him. To me, that is just lazy basketball on my part but sometimes you have to let them know that you refuse to let them walk all over you. In the end we made up and I apologized for everything and we walked away smiling.
heh heh heh. You thought I forgot the frozen peas. Nope! Right now, I am no attempting to ice my lip and elbow at the same time. Ice cube for the lip and frozen peas for the elbow. Peas are the best. It is a special scene really. My roommate asked me if I had been at a boxing match. Kind of feels like that but definitely worth every bit of icing.
So there is my random blog about intramural basketball and my weird injuries.
I am not fragile, I just play hard.
Oh, and you will be pleased to know that I received my first shirt with the outline of North Carolina on it. For our win, we received shirts that say Intramural Champion. Underneath the lettering is a small outline of NC with a star for Asheville. If my camera wasn't broken I would have posted a beautiful picture of me in my shirt. I will spare you this one time
I know, it was big time. I am proud (of the shirt)..
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