Just a scene I remember from a trip to Brazil…
Lying on a surfboard in a seemingly endless ocean, waiting for a wave, rain sprinkling on my nose.
Total peace.
Small waves carrying small fish towards the big coastline, droplets of rain making the water bounce.
Total peace.
A breath in, a breath out…. A wave!
No more peace. Only Excitement.
A pristine turf field. Completely peaceful. Until it’s not. Just two teams and two goals. Twenty people and twenty cleats. Many spirits, one hope. I love lacrosse.
First of all, I have never, in contrast to my parent’s beliefs, excelled at anything in sports. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not terrible I’m just not at the level the “true athletes” are. I’ve never been the fastest, I’ve never been the strongest; and sometimes it can get to you. But on the lacrosse field I can leave that all behind. There is a position for everybody. If you are big, defense might be good for you. If you are fast maybe a mid-fielder is the way to go. But it really all depends on the person. Combine that with a little hard work and you might just get called a “true athlete” yourself and come to love lacrosse like I do.
Secondly, I– well– I don’t really know how to explain it. Whenever I’m on the turf running suicides and passing drills, sweat dripping off my nose right along side my team, I feel– I feel alive. It may have something to do with the adrenaline or maybe the sense of tight-nittedness. Who can really tell. I know I can’t. But that sensation, that feeling, that mindset, is another reason I love lacrosse.
All in all, wether your big, small, fast, or sluggish I’m sure that we can find a place for you on a team. Maybe you’ll never be called a “true athlete” but I can almost guarantee you that if you put something into it you’ll get something out of it; you’ll feel alive. And maybe–just maybe– you’ll feel the same way about it I do.
Now tell me, do you have a sport that you really, really like? Tell me in the comments.
The single biggest competition ever to be held on this planet or any other. The embodiment of the hopes and dreams of runners and skiers and gymnasts and skaters and flyers and swimmers alike. It is, without question, one of the most important markers of human culture. And it is important. It is the Olympics.
In my not so humble opinion, one of the best things about the Olympics is that it unites us all into one beating heart, instead of a million scattered. At a personal level, every person is waiting for the Olympics to start and are wanting to talk about it with people who share the same Olympic interest as him or her, whether they be black or white or straight or gay or any other label the human race has come up with. It unites us. It settles down all of the political controversy and war aside for a few weeks and give all nations a common goal to strive towards.
Furthermore, it’s just exciting, plain and simple. It’s fun for your whole family to gather around the TV and watch the Olympians fulfill their life’s desire and get their chance to bring home the gold. They will all be standing on their tired feet saluting their flag. Whether they be Russian or Jamaican, Snowboarder or skier.
So that’s my two cents worth. These are the reasons I believe The Olympics are one of the many paramounts.