Before I came to Seminary: Let's Go Wreckers!

Greetings beloved friends! Welcome to my athletic post! I will just jump right in: I was an incredibly active and involved student in high school. I took academics very seriously and played every sport imaginable. I think it is important to note that despite my overwhelming love for athletics, academics always came first. It is true that I dedicated an incredible amount of time to sports, but I also made sure that everything was up to par in the classroom. The latter without the former was out of the question....before I came to seminary:


Sports. Eat, breath, sleep... sports! Okay, so not literally, but that's what it felt like on most days. All throughout high school, and really much of my younger life, I was full throttle active. I love doing things, and I do not like being bored. In a way very similar to how I am now, I always had to be occupied doing something. In high school, this something was usually sports. Volleyball and Basketball were my big things, but I also played other sports (including summer hockey ref. Ankle Breakin' Moves). Since I was involved in so many sports, I was in pretty good athletic condition. This conditioning along with skill practices and natural God-given talent made me a rather gifted athlete. I always did my best to be the best at any sport I played. At the same time, I also worked to be a good leader, a humble player, a great teammate, and calm under pressure. Sports were one of my most defining characteristics in high school: they dominated my schedule, they influenced who my closest friends were (and are), and they kept me occupied.

   Senior Year: 2006-2007

Open Gym. After five grueling days of practice during every week of the school year, what would a typical person do on weekends? Rest? Probably, but not me, oh no no no! Instead, I would go to "open gym." It is exactly what it sounds like--open gym. One of the basketball coaches would come every Saturday and Sunday and open the gym for anybody and everybody that wanted to use it. To this day I am convinced that this is the only reason I was ever any good at basketball--because a very busy adult would take time out of his weekend to come and unlock doors and turn on lights. Oh, the simple gestures in life that can mean the world to 14 year old me.


Rules and Leadership. As I talked about in my hockey post, I was always obsessed with knowing the rules to particular sports, especially the sports I play in. I am confident in my ability to play the game according to the rules, AND my ability to explain the rules to anyone--including referees. This "explaining of rules" sometimes got me in trouble with those brave humans who put on black and white striped shirts, but in my old age I have come to realize that reffing is a hard job (and I probably should have cut them all some slack in high school). Anyway, my knowing of the rules coupled with my athletic ability and naturally extroverted personality helped me step up and take many leadership roles on many sports teams. This was always something I took very seriously: I worked to build my teammates up--both in confidence and ability, I became a jedi master in constructive criticism, and trust me when I say that there was never anybody more excited and energized than me on any sports team I have ever played on... and excitement/energy is contagious! =)


Injury: Building Character. In all reality, this injury story I am about to share with you is way too long to fit into a single blog post, so if you have a burning interest to know the full story, talk to me in person. So, with athletics comes a risk of injury. Trust me when I say that I know this very well. I have had more injuries over the years than I can count... all of which I was able to handle, play with, or fix in a reasonable amount of time. My senior year injury was way different. During a pre-season scrimmage I tore my ACL (major ligament in the knee). After a series of attempted practices, a failed attempt at a game, and a orthopedic visit, it was determined that I needed some serious surgery to fix the problems, and that I would miss every single game of basketball (and eventually softball) of my senior year of high school. This injury ended up having farther-reaching implications than I had ever anticipated, but overall, it was a time of serious character building in my life. If you have ever been physically incapable of doing something, you probably know what I am talking about. Recovering from an injury is not the most pleasant process: surgery is a physically taxing process, PT is no walk in the park, and sitting on the sidelines saying, "Only if..." can take its toll on even the most mentally tough people out there. My prize for all of this?--a rather large scar on my knee. But this healed wound is more than a scar... it is a long list of lessons learned: a new found love and appreciation for the game, for my coach, for my teammates, and (most of all) for the capabilities of the human body. I learned to be humble, modest, and grateful. I became a better teacher, leader, and coach-like figure. My (reasonable) loss of trust in the stability of my knee transferred to an increased trust in others (I couldn't just do things myself--basketball or more practical chores--I had to learn to rely on others). Trust me when I say that injuries are no fun.

How this helps: leadership, team-building, dedication, perseverance, trust, and humility.

Next Post: Pink Sweatpants

Shalom. =)