Everyone in my family played sports when they were younger, and my school-aged cousins are still in sports. My grandpa played baseball, my grandma played softball, my mom did track and aunt did track, basketball, and volleyball, and my uncle did track and basketball. My cousins do basketball, baseball, football, and track. Then there is me, I was always sick, in the hospital, and I am asthmatic.
In P.E., I played games, sure, but even then, I had difficulties. One time, I played baseball and got so excited when I hit the ball, but being a slow runner, I was out before I could even let go of the bat. At one point, I had someone run for me when it came to kickball, because I was a strong kicker, but I failed when it came to running.
Now, when I go to family gatherings for Mother’s Day or other holidays, I feel really left out because I can’t relate to going to meets, winning a race, or beating the other team. I am accomplished in other ways, like getting my degree, but I still feel like I am not good enough. I try to get them excited about what I’ve been writing and anything creative, but they can’t seem to put themselves in seeing from a creative perspective rather than a competitive athletic one.
I think that athletics make it their personality, and anything outside that world is not as important, which leaves me not connecting with them. I think that is why people never talk about how they grew up not playing sports, because there is pressure in athletic families to also be athletic. It was hard being the last one chosen for a team rather than the one who scored all the goals. Or being the artist of the family, and not wanting to watch sports with them, but rather sit back and draw, and avoid the pressure of winning the game.
I think that the people who grew up being the non-athletic person, in a family full of athletics, should be a little more seen and little bit more heard, and appreciated.
