Good Sports

[Keroin]

This past weekend, despite wind and snow (!), Lance and me played our first games of tennis since leaving Canada two-plus years ago. It felt so awesome to be back out on the court again, (even though I spent the first twenty minutes sending balls in every direction but the correct one, lol). I love tennis. That inspired me to talk about sports.

So what sports/physical activities do you play/participate in? Which sports do you love or hate? And why? Is there a sport you've always wanted to try?

Feel free to blabber

 

[midwestyankee]

I play golf and have, when my knees and feet allow, do some distance running.

Other sports that I have enjoyed as a participant from time time: baseball (broken nose, broken wrist, broken heart), basketball (ultimately too short to play beyond 5th grade), tennis, swimming, football (I played chickenback), mountain climbing, billiards (hey, it's on ESPN) and rough sex (see Tiger Woods).

 

[sb2009]

I surf....the internet. Ha ha, I kill myself.

I'm trying to walk, and starting to run a bit more. I would like to find an activity that I like to do that will help me get in shape. I'm coming out of the "can't get a way from my kid because they suck the life and time from me" years (they are a bit older now) so am thinking of looking at swimming.

 

[Keroin]

I play golf and have, when my knees and feet allow, do some distance running.

Other sports that I have enjoyed as a participant from time time: baseball (broken nose, broken wrist, broken heart), basketball (ultimately too short to play beyond 5th grade), tennis, swimming, football (I played chickenback), mountain climbing, billiards (hey, it's on ESPN) and rough sex (see Tiger Woods).

I love distance running. I love getting into that zone where your body switches to autopilot. I hope to get some long runs in this spring and summer.

Football I find slow and confusing. I'd sure like to here about that baseball broken heart incident

Oh, and I'm in constant training for rough sex. Practice, practice, practice...sigh.

I surf....the internet. Ha ha, I kill myself.

I'm trying to walk, and starting to run a bit more. I would like to find an activity that I like to do that will help me get in shape. I'm coming out of the "can't get a way from my kid because they suck the life and time from me" years (they are a bit older now) so am thinking of looking at swimming.

Har, har! Swimming is fantastic. It's easy on the joints, great for cardio, offers some resistance for muscles, and is just, plain fun. I really think that, when it comes to getting in shape, fun is a critical element. If you enjoy the activity, you're more likely to keep doing it.

Do your kids play any sports, SB? (Sorry I don't know their ages.)

 

[sb2009]

actually, my 12 year old is a long distance runner. She just did a 15K saturday. I was a "race marshal."

She also was on the wrestling team. She has played soccer and field hockey, but her niche is sports like running, etc where it's more of an independent thing. She tried out for her school track team and didnt' make it, she had a really off day on the tryout day and school teams are uber competitive here.

My 7 year old has played soccer a few times on teams, but doens't like it. She says she wants to try field hockey. I'm trying to find something for her that won't break the bank but will be fun and keep her moving. She's too much like me, likes to read and laze around.

 

[midwestyankee]

actually, my 12 year old is a long distance runner. She just did a 15K saturday. I was a "race marshal."

She also was on the wrestling team. She has played soccer and field hockey, but her niche is sports like running, etc where it's more of an independent thing. She tried out for her school track team and didnt' make it, she had a really off day on the tryout day and school teams are uber competitive here.

My 7 year old has played soccer a few times on teams, but doens't like it. She says she wants to try field hockey. I'm trying to find something for her that won't break the bank but will be fun and keep her moving. She's too much like me, likes to read and laze around.

SB, that's some serious distance running that your oldest is doing. 9 miles is a long race. Good for her.

 

[intothewoods]

There are a few team sports that I love, but the leagues around here don't fit my schedule. Sucks. Anyway, love running, love walking, love yoga. I really think I would do well at tennis, but I haven't had the time. The solitary stuff just works better for my schedule.

 

[ecstaticsub]

I swam competively in in high school and loved the long distance races. That feeling of being drained in the last few laps and then finding the power to surge forward was awesome.

Now I walk everyday. I do yoga. Whenever we go to the beach I spend the whole time jumping in the waves with the kids rather then reading a book in the sun.

I also played flag football in high school, but I admit that I only did it to be invited to the football parties.

 

[Netzach]

When the winter isn't as shit tastic as this one, don't laugh, I skate. I can haul my aged ass into the air in a waltz jump still.

And nordic.

I hate the summer generally for vigorous activity.

 

[BiBunny]

Horseback riding, obviously. I played softball in high school and still would if I hadn't destroyed my right shoulder, which just so happens to be my throwing arm, in a riding accident. I also played basketball when I was in the 7th grade because I was at least a full head taller than everyone else. Turned out I had no talent for it, though.

 

[JMohegan]

So what sports/physical activities do you play/participate in? Which sports do you love or hate? And why? Is there a sport you've always wanted to try?

These days, my preferences run something like this.

Favorite.....

cold weather sport = cross-country skiing

indoor sport = racquetball

pickup sport = backyard football

water sport = kayaking

riding sport = biking

weapon sport = archery


Even though I've never seriously played it, I consider lacrosse to be the greatest sport ever invented. Catch at high speed! Outstanding.

I'm usually bored by sports that involve a lot of down time, and for this reason find golf deadly dull. I harbor great disgust for activities involving non-consenting participants - i.e., hunting purely for "sport" (not dinner) of any kind.

I would really like to try hang gliding. Anyone here with experience?

 

[JMohegan]

When the winter isn't as shit tastic as this one, don't laugh, I skate. I can haul my aged ass into the air in a waltz jump still.

What's a waltz jump? I haven't watched much figure skating, but what little I've seen always leaves me thinking the moves all look the same. Like the announcer will say, "There's the triple lutz!" and I'm thinking, "She just did that, but last time you called it a kowtow" or something.

Skating in general is great. I don't have experience with the twirling kind, just some hockey back in the day.

 

[JMohegan]

There are a few team sports that I love, but the leagues around here don't fit my schedule. Sucks. Anyway, love running, love walking, love yoga. I really think I would do well at tennis, but I haven't had the time. The solitary stuff just works better for my schedule.

Don't forget, we decided you'd try kayaking this year.

 

[FurryFury]

I am not a sports person. I've enjoyed basketball, football, canoeing, wrestling and bungee cord jumping in the past.

I absolutely HATE watching sports unless it's something very beautiful such as ice skating or it if's someone I love playing.

 

[intothewoods]

Don't forget, we decided you'd try kayaking this year.

Try it again, you mean. I was a natural!

I'm with you on the waiting around shit. It's why softball is not my favorite.

****

Oh, field hockey is one I also used to love, but we didn't have a team in high school.

I have to say, although I never really quite felt at home in the jock world in the way I did in drama geek land, I have really fond memories of playing sports in high school. I just walked by a little league game tonight and thought, aw, I could be one of those moms in the bleachers soon!

 

[Soumis]

Swimming and ballet are my faves. I run when I'm feeling guilty or haven't any other choice. I like things that let me zone out. Unless of course we're talking social sports, but I'm not sure if it counts as a sport when I can spend half the time with a beer in my hand.

 

[unregistered]

 

[rida]

I grew up skiing every winter and in high-school was on the school team
My mom being good at tennis made us, sis and I, play tennis but I have a hard time with hand-eye coordination if it involves a ball rolleyes, however I like it. It has been however way too long since the last time I did either ski or tennis.

Another sport I loved but was never too good (too short plus the same eye-ball coordination hindrance) is volleyball.

When I was a teen, I did windsurf a couple of summers. And from college up to before kids I did Aikido.

I forgot! As any Italian kid, I played soccer in the streets

ETA: I also forgot that I did roller-skate for about 8 years and can ice skate (and do the waltz step and a half-jump).

 

[Bandit58]

I don't play sport but I love going to fitness classes at the gym. I do weights, bodycombat, boxing and sometimes Pilates.

It keeps me fit, toned and burns off stress

 

[MisterSir]

Lemme see. I did taekwondo for a few years (until I had to quit because of monetary reasons), play badminton every so often (read: when I can be arsed) and if I can ever get my arse into gear, I'm going to try to get back into hockey (field, not ice), I used to play in goal back in school and I loved that, so I'm going to give it a go again. I have always wanted to try the frozen version, but I can't skate for shit.

 

[sb2009]

so over in your land, field hockey isn't just for girls? That's how it is here. I have no idea why, it's pretty brutal, so it can't be to protect the delicate flowers.

 

[MisterSir]

Absolutely not. Rugby thickos think that, but they universally have heads made of untenderised meat. I'm a fucking goalie! My job is to watch for the hard little balls of stuff flying in my direction at great speed and, rather than give in to everybody's natural instinct, I have to get in the way of them! Girls' sport my pasty white arse.

P.S. It was also far more brutal before they gave me the pads, mostly because my natural skill does not lie in stickhandling or shooting. I ran around and pissed people off, basically.

 

[sb2009]

that's really interesting! Back when Katelyn played, the other moms and I called it the "last only girls sport." LOL I wonder why it's like that here?

I forgot that I ice skated growing up. We had a frozen pond feet away and the other kids and I would wait anxiously for one of the maintainance men to announce that the ice was deep enough for us to skate. I have no idea why we picked on that guy, it's not like it was his job or anything, but as soon as the pond froze over we drove him nuts every day asking if we could skate.

That's one thing I miss about being a kid, how physical activity was just fun...skaking, playing basketball, kickball, etc....we were staying in shape and didn't even know it, just having fun.

 

[Lizzie_Borden]

I played netball all the way up to my late teens, early twenties.

Enjoyed it immensely, until I started getting rather aggressive and playing like it was touch football. People thought it was white line fever. I knew it went a little deeper. I quite sport and took up bdsm.




Netball is definitely good fun. Hell on the ankles and knees.. and also the joints on the hand if you play an attacking position because the defenders get a bit tangled up with you at times.

 

[JMohegan]

Lizzie - what is netball?

Try it again, you mean. I was a natural!

I'm with you on the waiting around shit. It's why softball is not my favorite.

****

Oh, field hockey is one I also used to love, but we didn't have a team in high school.

I have to say, although I never really quite felt at home in the jock world in the way I did in drama geek land, I have really fond memories of playing sports in high school. I just walked by a little league game tonight and thought, aw, I could be one of those moms in the bleachers soon!

Try it again.... with the kidlet this time. It's never too early to get him hooked!

What does Mr. Man like?

No field hockey team? What did girls play in the fall?

Absolutely not. Rugby thickos think that, but they universally have heads made of untenderised meat. I'm a fucking goalie! My job is to watch for the hard little balls of stuff flying in my direction at great speed and, rather than give in to everybody's natural instinct, I have to get in the way of them! Girls' sport my pasty white arse.

P.S. It was also far more brutal before they gave me the pads, mostly because my natural skill does not lie in stickhandling or shooting. I ran around and pissed people off, basically.

Field hockey is a girls' thing in the States, though I've often suspected the goalies were male. Hard to tell under all those pads.

In any case, the rest of the team gets to wear cute flappy skirts. Well, at least they did back in the day.