For the longest time, I could never get the hang of catching a football. Through most of elementary school, whenever we would play football at recess, everyone knew not to throw me the ball. I was always the running back, since I was fast and could deke, but I just couldn't catch worth beans. But I still remember how that all changed....
No one ever "picked teams" at recess. There were only two classes of 4th graders, it just naturally became one class against the other. Eventually, the teachers picked up on this, and they decided we would have a class football game. But the special treat was: the teachers were going to QB each team!
This was pretty sweet, but to accommodate it, we had to make special rules. No pass rushers, no running backs, only receivers and cornerbacks. The teachers wanted a friendly game and wanted to get everyone to play, but us kids wanted to WIN. Bragging rights on the playground were huge to us. So when I was inevitably thrown the ball, and I inevitably dropped it, I was mad. I came back to the huddle pretty upset, and told my teacher that if he could just HAND me the ball I could run with it. He told me we couldn't do that, but we would do a really short pass instead. So on the next play, I ran a REALLY short route, probably less than a yard, and my teacher threw it to me...but here's the kicker...I caught it! I turned and ran with it for a big gain, but I was more excited about catching the ball than getting the first down. That's as much as I can remember about that game, I don't remember catching any more passes, I don't even remember if we won or lost.
But ever since that play, I've been able to catch a football.
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6 comments:
This memory came back to me completely out-of-the blue as I was eating lunch today.
I have no idea why.
http://www.s-anand.net/calvinandhobbes.html#19950525
Have you always been athletic though? I think it's interesting you couldn't catch when you were young. You would think your natural athleticism would make you halfway decent.
Is it because you grew up on pretty much just soccer?
Yeah, I was always athletic. I was even good at football....everything but the catching. Once I had the ball in my hands, I was good to go.
Focus on soccer might be a reason why I couldn't catch. But it could also be the other way around...maybe since I couldn't catch I just gravitated to soccer?
Who knows?
Haha, I was hoping you would...
You would think I would....but no.
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