One benefit of being a physically fit person, by virtue of my running-cycling-whatever, is that it grants me, as an "old(?)" teacher-type, to accept physical challenges from impudent pups who think they can talk trash. Yesterday, I, once again, took the opportunity to accept and follow-through on one of these opportunities by playing one of my seventh graders in a game of one-on-one basketball. (This, of course, is why I've been "cross-training" on the courts for the last week!) Now before you scream "FOUL!" at my (a 37 year-old male) playing a game of basketball against a seventh grader, let me offer some background... The thirteen-year old student who had thrown down the gauntlet, who we'll call "Fred," is nearly 6' tall and plays ball ten months a year. By all accounts, he is an excellent athlete and am amiable chap whom I have taken the chance to watch play a number of times. Fred had actually challenged me in the fall, but I had been putting off playing him, mostly because I like to see these things to their conclusion more toward the end of the school year. At the last game of the the school's basketball season, Fred's mother even asked me when I was going to play her son.
So that's just what went down yesterday morning at the town YMCA at 11:00 a.m. Fred and his brother (also a student of mine) met me outside at just before eleven. I do not have a membership at their fancy suburban Y, so I snuck in behind them and met a third student of mine inside; he had arrived earlier to hold a court for us.I was nervous at first, and had downplayed the probability of my doing well against Fred. The only shot I really possess is a "fall away jump shot," which was surprisingly effective against Fred. By driving into the basket, backing him down to just below the rim, I found that I could (with relative ease) simply step out, turn and shoot. I did this almost immediately and took a 6-0 lead. (We were playing a game of "21," with loser taking the ball out--a recommendation on the part of my third party "fan" who thought he was looking out for me.)
After a few scoring bursts on both of our parts, the quickly played game, lasting only 20 minutes, ended in a 21-13 victory for the old-timer! I felt kind of bad for Fred, but not too bad after his brother had shared wit me that Fred had planned on producing posters depicting his victory over me, to be hung throughout the school upon our return from Spring Break.
Before making my exit from the court, I told Fred that, in the future, it would be better to let his actions do his "talking," rather than his mouth... and that I wouldn't say anything bout this "beat down" and that it was between he and I.
Breathe in, breathe out... YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!
2 comments:
After reading that you were victorious I thought "Yes!! Way to go!". Then I realized that Fred is technically a kid. I then felt a bit embarrassed that I was absolutely rooting for you. But the competitive nature in me still gives you kudos for pulling it off. Take that abnormally tall 7th grader! :)
P.S. It's especially funny you labeled it as a "beat down"! hahaha.
technically he was the one who first referred to it as a "beat down," and further said that i "owned" him... uh... okay... i sometimes feel conflicted about these types of competition and occassioanlly think of throwing the events in order to preserve the kids spirit, but usually i can't let myself do it especially when it is in the long run a matter of R-E-S-P-E-C-T... fyi--this kid's already talking rematch in class... i dont think so, at least not until the last day of school (now i have a behavorial motivation for him!)...
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