ANDRE BEGIN

Even in our rural community, it only takes a quick glance at the community billboard at the grocery store to see a variety of opportunities to join organized sports teams. I applaud the initiative to help people connect with a fitness program that is fun for them.

Regrettably, team sports are not my thing and it’s not for a lack of trying.

There are a few reasons why participating in team sports was lost on me. It’s nobody’s fault. I think it’s more circumstantial than anything else.

When it came to sports, both of my parents enjoyed skiing in winter and bicycling in summer. Growing up as an only child, I didn’t have siblings expressing interest in joining sports teams. That being the case, I ended up following in my parents’ footsteps in what would be classified as individual sports.

Another regrettable (or was it unfortunate?) factor was the fact that I never really showed any natural talent when it came to team sports. Whether it was my lack of eye-hand coordination, my non-existent upper arm strength or the fact that I was often the shortest in the class, it should come as no surprise when I was picked last for teams, which only served to heighten my feeling like I was the runt of the litter.

In gym class, when we did engage in individual activities like gymnastics I still wasn’t showing any inclination. I couldn’t reach the rings, I couldn’t keep myself up on the parallel bars longer than a few seconds and I couldn’t get enough liftoff from the springboard, often resulting in me crashing into the apparatus that we were supposed to jump over.

Even though there were some positions on sports teams that were not dependent on height or brawn, I didn’t do too well there either with pucks, soccer balls and ringette rings whizzing by me to the eyeball rolling, tongue clicking and deep exasperation of my team mates.

Gym teachers seemed more inclined to spend whatever spare time they had with the more naturally gifted athletes of the class, rather than the hopeless like me. I honestly can’t complain because I was shown that courtesy and privilege when it came to languages, reading and math. And now, more than ever, I respect that when it comes to teaching, there are only so many hours in a day to help inspire an entire class.

Just the same though, I found it strange that we were taught the object and the rules of the games, but I have no recollection of anyone teaching the strategy of the games. Maybe if I was empowered with strategy, I could have benefited from a few wins and a boost in confidence.

It was when my parents sent me to a two-week sports camp over the summer (what were they thinking?) that there were glimmers of hope. With smaller groups, our counselors could actually take the time to show us good form, good technique, and tips on what to work on should we wish to improve in a given sport. It was like the glue that was missing from gym class.

My most impressive feat resulting from sports camp was from wrestling class. After being shown proper technique, I demonstrated it for my parents and actually flipped my dad in the middle of our living room. I don’t know who was more shocked, him or me.

But throughout my journey into sports, I can’t say I put myself in the path of enough confidence building opportunities to make up for the ones when I didn’t measure up. I didn’t need further signs that athletics were not in my wheelhouse.

Despite my attempts to “try, try again” I never really got good at it. At least not yet.

I came to accept that my ease with numbers and my keen interest in the written word were not a bad consolation prize.

But in my adult years, upon settling into a career that had me sitting at a desk most of the time, I needed to move. I started working out on my own, whether following exercise shows on TV, following exercise videos on VHS (and then DVD), or using my apartment building’s exercise room.

Also I got back into cycling when I moved closer to our city’s beautiful network of cycling paths. A few years later, I gave running a try, in which I started getting competitive with myself, extending my distances and shaving seconds off my personal best times.

In essence, I went full circle, back to my family’s penchant for individual sports, but on my terms.

For that reason, when it comes to fitness and exercise, I work (out) alone, and I like it that way. In doing so, I can be competitive with myself and the best part is that I will never get picked last for a team.

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Sincere thanks for reading!
Have a great day,
André