I’ve started playing soccer once a week with a co-ed team. I haven’t played soccer since junior year of college when I was 20 years old and I don’t know what happened in 7 years – maybe all the ass-sitting, computer-staring, cream cheese-eating going on, but my body hurts a deep hurt in the hips, the ankles, the raspberry on my shoulder where I skidded across the turf, the welt on my knee where I challenged some sweaty douche bag with blue shoes and bones collided, the raspberry on my other knee when I tripped over the ball and not to mention the old injury – the pulled LCL braced with robotic hinges and velcro that leaves scratch marks on my other thigh when I run. You’d think I had 10 knees.
But there’s the run, the sprint, the energy that kicks in no other time in my life than playing soccer. When the old man on the sidelines yells “little girl, you have tons of energy” and I proceed to eat shit over my own feet. There’s the body I used to know when nothing hurt and limbs breezed and molded against other limbs without consequence. I’ve always been proud of battle wounds, praying the bruise would fill out and spread so I could show everyone what I was really made of.
You bet your ass I got back up
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6 responses to “You bet your ass I got back up”
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You go, Girl! Gorgeous writing, as always. You took me back to my days out on the field, too. Sports with balls – hockey, soccer, netball, softball, tennis and even shot-put; the latter’s ball rather too heavy for comfort and shoulders then and not a weight I’d want to have to carry around in my tog bag these days! Soccer’s the best of the lot, though. I always thought it more a dance than a sport. L, C x
(not a) PS. Happy to know Irene left you reasonably unscathed, Rach. Hope your clothes didn’t pick up the basement’s goldy-orange stain.-
Claire,
Pat and I were watching obscure sports on ESPN the other day and a sport called “Netball” was on and we’d never seen it before! It was the women’s championship game and New Zealand and I can’t remember the other country were playing and it made me think of you – not that I knew you played Netball before, but I wondered if it was big over there. We only have basketball, so it seemed a funny sport to us, but hey, so is curling. =)
I was never into track and field stuff – the idea of running just to run kills me, but I’ll run to death playing a sport – I did basketball, softball, soccer, tried Lacrosse (which was actually pretty fun), played powder puff (which is where the girls play each other in football for one or two games). But soccer was the only one that kept me coming back. I played goalie, so my ball skills aren’t that great – hence me tripping over myself all night last night – but I’m pretty quick which I hope makes up for it.
Thanks for you thoughts about Irene. We were very unscathed when it comes down to it. The plumber came yesterday with that crazy snake thing he wrangled through the pipes. 100 + year old plumbing + a hurricane + a few parties is bad news!
xoxo-
I’m with you on the ‘running for running sake’ thing, Rach! I cannot understand folk you do that for fun or fitness. But drop a ball into the mix and suddenly there’s a reason for it all! Netball is big in NZ, yes – although I was a girl of about six or seven and living in South Africa when I played my first game – on tarmac (tar seal?) of all surfaces! I can still feel the rasp, thud and ache of falling onto that; the torn knees, bloody shins and having to pick the bits of grit out of the wound. Oooh. Didn’t stop us, though! The fact you’ve gone back to soccer after a 6 year break is inspiring. Netball is played indoors now, on sprung wooden floors, but my older body might go into shock or meltdown if I were to attempt a game again. Cycling is my new temptation! (And I know you have a bike!). There are wonderful three/four day cycling trails here that it would be fun to do with a bunch of friends. . . better we do them sooner rather than later (best before our joints seize up?!). There’s something about an achey post-game body that I love, though, don’t you? Esp. when a shower or baths is waiting for us afterwards! xo
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oooh, is right! I can feel the skinned knees for you!
I’ve never understood the whole “artists/creative-types can’t play sports” and “you can’t do both.” They’ve always been another great outlet – I can’t be stuck in my head all the time and with soccer you don’t have to think too much and just let your body work.
I’ve been on the brink of a few meltdowns the past couple weeks. The first week running straight for 40 minutes back and forth – I thought I might puke. Last night was better. I always like the bruises – war wounds – I make everyone I know look at them. =)
The cycling sounds amazing!! My mom and step-dad once biked across the United States for their honeymoon! They had pretty sore bums and killer legs AND yes, I’m realizing now that I need to keep active as I get “older” or else I’m in trouble! xo
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The bruises are definitely to be shown, Rach! Sore bums and killer legs sounds like a fine way to start a relationship, don’t you reckon? You seem to have the whole brain/bod balancing act sorted ; ) xo
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It’s worked so far! Two sore bums in a pod.
It seems to be balanced so far – as long as I can work out enough to keep drinking good beer high in calories!
Hope you are well in your winter. I feel Fall coming, does that mean you feel spring? xo
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