I have never been a sports fan. I certainly do not enjoy the humiliation of trying to play a sport – I’m afraid I inherited my dear mother’s lack of athleticism. And, I suppose since I can’t play, I’m just not drawn into watching others play. My husband is the same way. It is safe to say we will never subscribe to ESPN.
Yet… there is one sport I do enjoy watching: basketball. I’m not sure why my non-sports mind has embraced it, but there it is. I think it is because I pretty much understand it – the teams try to get the ball in their basket, the other team tries to keep them from doing so. There are fouls which I will someday have to look up on YouTube, because I just do not often understand why someone gets a free throw. And then someone else get two chances at a free throw. Still, it is a lot easier to understand than this business of first downs, and safeties, and flags being thrown. And it is definitely more exciting than watching a ball get kicked back and forth across a field with no one managing to get the dang thing in the goal. After hours of sitting, the audience has to be satisfied with a winning score of “1”.
So, my JOY these past few weeks has been going to Augustana University basketball games. I love watching (college, not pro) basketball so much that I decided to buy season tickets to the games. By doing so, I became a member of the “Augustana A-Club”, means I am now, for the first time in my life, an athletics booster! I received a sticker in the mail that says “Augustana-A Club Member”, which I promptly stuck to the back window of my car. People can now think I am part of this culture that is obsessed with sports. It is a ruse of course, because I don’t care a bit about sports, except basketball.
We’ve watched our team play in a huge new stadium, with polished floors, monstrous score boards, and seats with backs on them, a pure JOY in itself. Now, if the team’s very low losing score is any indication, the playing was not stellar, but the experience was fun. I am in awe of these athletes’ ability to dribble (with either hand!), pass the ball under their leg, pass to another player across the court, and get that ball into the basket. I am in awe of their ability to move with such grace and speed. It gave me great JOY to cheer! It gave me great JOY to have very friendly people sitting next to us. It gave me great JOY to see that Augustana does double-headers. The women play, then the men play. Or vice-versa. Equal time and equal audiences for both men and women.
So, much to my surprise, a sport has given me much JOY this week.
See you in the stands.
May your holidays be blessed with peace and kindness and JOY. I so appreciate your support and friendship.