From The Atlantic: "Letters: ‘The P.E. I Was Exposed to Was Not Evil, Just Sad’" (2019)
Image by Corbis (Getty)
Image by Corbis (Getty)
For this challenge, your goal is to describe a physical activity you have engaged in and enjoyed even though you were not especially good at it. Have ever been reluctant to engage in that physical activity because you know you weren’t especially good at it? Do you still enjoy that activity and practice it with any regularity? If not, what holds you back?
I am not very good at volleyball, but I still enjoy it because I am with friends when we play. There are a few in our group that are more competitive than others, so I still sometimes am reluctant to play because I don't meet their level of hardcore. Despite that, I still enjoy playing volleyball for fun every Monday night.
ReplyDeleteI suck at basketball and don't play it very much if it can be helped. I suck at running and throwing and everything involved in basketball. from 6th grade to freshman year, I played basketball at my school because I had to do something. I sucked at it until my freshman year where I started almost every game and I started to enjoy it not because I got much better at it but because I said, "I suck, and this is fine." I stopped taking it so seriously and moved more towards being a supporter in trying to open paths for others who were actually good at the game and being there to take the ball for a second. That year my team had a perfect record of straight losses and we had all of 7 people on the team though there was always someone missing from a game. I don't play much anymore because I suck at it and have other things, I prefer to do but it was interesting how when the stakes were so low, I got a little better and started to enjoy it a bit more.
ReplyDeleteI had a very similar experience as this, except mine was football. I have loved football ever since I started playing in seventh grade, however I was never the best player on the field. In high school I was pretty much benched my junior and senior year and I didn't get a lot of playing time, but I still loved playing the game and I found that being the hype guy on the sidelines is just as much fun as playing. I really enjoy playing a casual football game because it's just more fun when everyone isn't super competitive.
DeleteI have recently picked up playing tennis...and I am absolutely awful at it. However, I enjoy playing it. I enjoy going out there with my friends and having a fun time even if 90% of the time I have no idea what direction the tennis ball I hit is going to go.
ReplyDeleteI learned how to play golf during the spring of 2020 when covid shut down the schools. It took a lot of practice to learn how to hold and swing the clubs properly, but I enjoyed learning a new sport. I am by no means the next Tiger Woods, but I do enjoy going out to the golf course and playing with my dad. I was a little reluctant to join the golf team just because I had only learned how to play golf 10 months before. After some convincing from my friend, I joined the golf team and did not regret it at all, I got to talk to so many people and go play on golf courses that I would never be able to play on. I still love to practice golf and play whenever I can with my dad.
ReplyDeleteUp until 8th grade, I played softball during my free time. I enjoyed this so much, and I became pretty decent at it since I played for about eight years of my childhood. The reason I do not play anymore is just because of the coach I had, and that was the only reason I was ever reluctant to keep playing. I did obviously end up quitting, but I have began going to the gym in place of that. Exercising in the gym is something I always enjoy doing now, and it is a good way to get your mind off of things and relieve stress.
ReplyDeleteOne type of physical activity that I have learned to enjoy is running. I used to hate it because I was never very fast. Over time I learned that you don't always have to be fast, you just have to do it. Until a few years ago, I didn't want to participate in any activities that required running but now it is one of my favorite things to do. I run quite a bit now but still am not very comfortable running with other people around because I still run at a slower pace than most people.
ReplyDeleteThis summer, I had decided to pursue weight lifting at the wellness center. I was extremely nervous at the beginning of this process, since I had no clue what I was doing whatsoever. There were days where I did not want to go just because I wasn’t sure of the correct form to use or what sets I should be performing. I still am not 100% certain on what all I can do however, I am a lot more confident now in my workout split than I was before! I now genuinely enjoy going to the gym and look forward to the days I can go. I think that with more research and practice, I can become even more fulfilled with my workout split.
ReplyDeleteI am not very good at tennis, however, I loved playing! It was always a sport I played in the spring in order to stay active and healthy during that season. I was always the only player who didn’t take private lessons or didn’t commit to tennis during the other seasons. At times it was difficult to fully engage in the sport knowing there were girls who took it more seriously and were more advanced in their skills. I still really enjoy playing tennis for fun. It was always a sport that I never felt too much pressure in and that I could competitively have fun with. I don’t play as regularly mostly because I don’t have as much time on my hands to. If I did, I would love to spend more time playing for fun!
ReplyDeleteI have recently taken up golf. I am not very good at it at all, but I really enjoy playing it. It can make me so mad sometimes but then at other times be so rewarding. I love physical activity so I am always willing and excited to try new things. I love to practice anything and always enjoy learning new stuff.
ReplyDeleteI would say the physical activity that I enjoy but am not the best at would be running. I don't necessarily enjoy it very much in the moment, but I do like the feeling I get afterwards. I feel accomplished after a run, like I should be proud I did something today that is healthy for my body. Although it is not extremely often that I find the willpower or time to do so, I do enjoy the resulting feeling it gives me.
ReplyDelete-Charlie