I feel like I owe quite a bit of my current physical health to the soccer I played back in high school. While I wasn't the best player, I did learn sacrifice, competitiveness, and how to bear with things that just pretty much suck - skills that help me stick with the working out.
But something happened in my time away from soccer - although back in my high school and even into the college years (indoor) I played as a defender, I now have completely lost the feel for it. I find myself backing off loose balls instead of running through them, backing off the offensive player instead of forcing action, and generally just acting cowardly altogether.
As a defender my mindset had always been DESTROY!, a method that is a bit brutal, but generally works pretty well as long and you're not too wreckless. Nowadays my defending mindset seems to be Ooh! Poke your toe at the ball and flap your arms like a girl!, which I'm just hoping doesn't look like it does in my head.
How has this happened? I've got a few theories. The first would be that in my old age (I'm the oldest guy playing by 3 or 4 years, at least when John's not there), I've become frail, and afraid of injury. The second theory is that since this is pickup coed soccer, running around trying to break legs isn't the best idea. The third theory is that I'm a girl.
As a result of my poor defending, I'm playing a bit more up top these days. While I don't know really know anything about attacking, I'm am picking up how to make space from my premiership viewing. I'm also learning that when you can only go right (I'm the Derrik Zoolander of soccer), you're pretty easy to stop. So maybe I should work on that.
The other thing I've learned is how completely out of shape I am. The biking and running are all nice, but when it comes down to moving at a pace faster than you're comfortable at, that's when you see where your fitness really is.
And mine is somewhere back at the age of 18.
*title contains radiohead lyrics
5 comments:
oh dude, when i played soccer last season...after not playing for like a million years, I almost couldn't get out of bed the next day I was so sore. it was awesome. I too wasn't that smooth with the ball, but i just paid close attention to good players moves and started trying them. surprisingly it worked.
and as far as your theory of being a girl? i get SMOKED by girls playing soccer.
-spitz
hey we've got regular tuesday 5 pm pickup on the east side (56th st-ish) if you're interested.
you know where i can be reached.
yeah the girls are just as good as i am, but i think you can get what i'm getting at. and what i'm getting at is that i'm a sexist asshole.
well, that IS my day off. and i'm done playing that psuedo-pro league bullshit where i lose every last bit of dignity i was desperately holding onto. i'll consider it and let you know if it's doable. is it outdoor or in?
-spitz
outdoor - we're usually playing like 3 on 3 or 4 on 4 on maybe a quarter field.... it's not much but it's something.
Id like to play soccer with ya'll. I linked to your bloggy-blog by da way. Not that anyone is gonna click on it though.
I think your new layout is special.
& pretty neat.
JON
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