I was never very good at sport but there was one sport that interested me - table tennis. When I started high school I went to table tennis practice for the first few weeks of the term, but sadly my school was only interested in those who were really good at sport, and they were very quick to select those they felt good enough to make the school team. After that there was no opportunity for those who weren't team standard to participate any more. At the time I just accepted that that was how things were done there, and it was only years later that I realised how unfair a system like that was.
When I was in high school, and in my area, girls didn't really play team sports. I was a majorette though, and got a letter. I also skated competitively. When my son was young, he started playing soccer (at 5 years old), then basketball (age 7) and then lacrosse (age 12). He dropped soccer when he started lacrosse, and played lacrosse all through high school. Since I had never played team sports, I wasn't really that big on them, but once he started, I realized how important they are. They teach kids so many lessons in addition to keeping them active and healthy. I just wish the option had been available to me when I was younger. I love watching girls today getting into these traditional "boys" sports and being competitive and learning team dynamics and responsibility. I love seeing them be strong and outgoing, and realizing that it's OK to assert yourself and "play to win".
Everyone at my high school was forced to play women's hockey and netball. We also had to learn outdoor athletics and swimming. Older girls had the option to play tennis and golf. Among my schoolmates there was a future professional golf player and a champion swimmer. We also had tennis players who a national trophy. Although I was always an active outdoor person, I never was any good at sports.
HI Michelle. Do you play table tennis now? I have very fond memories of play this in my cousin's basement (in my teen years).
Mal, so you skated competitively. I would love to know if traveled to various cities to compete. I have had several dreams of being able to skate. This was due to the fact that I have had weak ankles, and did not have the knack for skating. So pleased you could enjoy this sport.
Ruth, is netball the same thing as soccer or is it volleyball? I love to learn new words. Thanks for your feedback.
No, I didn't travel with my skating, it's was mostly on a local level - the guy who own the skating rink owned 3 of them and we would have competitions with each other. I was actually a lot more competitive with the baton twirling. I started it when I was about 7 or 8 and each summer (competition season) we would travel around the DC-Virginia-Maryland area. I actually went to State's when I was 12 and won one event. It was a lot of fun and I got to meet a lot of people.
It's not like soccer or volleyball . Netball is more like basketball but with a bigger team. The idea is to get the ball into the net, which is like a basketball hoop, while the opposing team tries to stop the ball getting close to the net.
Congratulations Mal on being a State Champion! You will always be able to say you have achieved in an extraordinary way! I am sure that fact has helped you in many ways to know you are a capable person.
Ruth, thank you for explaining this to me. This is a first for me as I thought I knew of most sports. So, once again, it is always possible to learn something new!
Unfortunately I haven't played table tennis for many years. We had a table at home for a while, but didn't have a suitable place to keep it indoors, so we kept it covered outside. Sadly the weather eventually destroyed it, leaving me nowhere to play. None of my friends played, so that was the end of my table tennis days. I forgot the one sport I did play competitively, though school had nothing to do with it. From a very young age my parents took me to play Putt Putt (miniature golf) and I was quite good at that. In my teens some of the courses used to have competitions and my parents and I all played in those for a while. It wasn't a very high level but we did get some pretty good scores and the occasional win. I eventually gave that up when I developed an interest in tenpin bowling, but I'm small and not very strong so I was never very good at that. I haven't participated in sport of any nature for a long time now.
This is something that I have struggled with since raising my son. My son was in a school system that had many sports opportunities as well as other clubs. There were many social activities that were after school and on the weekends. Where I went to high school there were no sports teams, no clubs at all. I have struggled with feeling like I was robbed of some of the most important experiences of growing up. We did not have the dances or mixers, there was no homecoming but there was a prom. In the little school we did have a big sports event once a year called the Olympics or something like that. It was all track and field stuff. I think if I had the chance I would have done a sport, I don't know which one. I would have also liked to have been in theater or at the least stage crew. I was in band and chorus in little school, the high school had band but no chorus. It is sort of funny but after high school I did continue with physical fitness, I still go to the gym often. These days it is lots of cardio and weight lifting. At the time when I was in school taking gym, I hated all the sit ups and stuff we did.
When I was in school there weren't any opportunities to earn a letter for females, though we had an extensive PE program. We could earn "Presidential Fitness Awards" that were patches to be sewn on our gym clothes. My husband ran track (cross country) and has several letters on his high school jacket.