Sabotaged.net

Currently, I’m making the 15 mile one-way trek to Lyndon, KS to play Sunday nights. The guy who has introduced Phil and I to Old Man Ball plays (and lives) there, so it’s nice to join up with a buddy. Just the other day, I’ve found that my own one-horse town plays on Tuesday nights. I might add that to my routine.

Lyndon’s high school gym has a full college-size court that can be cut hamburger style to make two smaller courts (the entire place features six hoops total). We generally have enough people to play teams of 4-6 with two games running simultaneously on the smaller courts. We play from 7pm - 9pm, non-stop. The only breaks are between games when people run to grab some water.

The first two times I went were pretty embarrassing. It had been years since I’ve dribbled a ball down the court. My shots were terrible, my passes were so-so, and my dribbling was laughable.

Additionally, the majority of the guys are much larger than me, which throws in an intimidation factor - I’m scared of driving the ball in, getting smushed, and getting bricked. (Only one other girl has shown up, and she only came in once.) I’ve gotten hurt (seriously) twice so far. (1) A couple of us were scrapping for the ball when our legs got intertwined and I went down like a sack of rocks. Twisted my bad knee pretty good. Got up quickly, but nearly fell again when I tried to put weight on it. It has since healed and I’m trying to remember each Sunday to wear my knee brace. (I have yet to do it, though.) And (2) this past weekend, my own teammate stuck a finger in my eye while trying to rip the ball from my grip. Gave me a good scratch, which has made it painful to blink or wear contacts for the past couple of days.

All of the other injuries have consisted of only broken nails and bruised egos.

As I’ve been playing, I’ve gotten more swift, steadier, and more confident. Some of the guys there are “up there” in age and not as quick or agile as I. Some of them currently play high school and college basketball and are awesome at what they do. I’m falling somewhere in the middle, leaning toward the “old man” side of the spectrum. Trying to work my way up to be a better player.

Two hours a week of floor time has done me a great deal of good thus far. I’ve been adamant about stretching and drinking tons of water before, during, and after playing. I only woke up sore the next morning the first two times I’ve played. The running, jumping, and arm waving has given me noticeable improvement. I feel like I can run a marathon when I’m done playing. And then next morning, I wake up somewhat resembling what I imagine bright-eyed and bushy-tailed to be.

Additionally, I’m trying to re-acquaint myself with the team skills necessary for game winning. The first couple of games, I was getting the ball and shooting automatically, instead of passing to someone who might have a better shot. I’m making a huge effort in being more aware of my teammates, where they are, what “plays” they excel at, and what my chances are at actually moving or making a basket.