I wrote this some time ago while trying out another blog system. I believe in not wasting words, so I will reuse them all here.
I have played hoops for 49 years. Not steadily. I had to take some breaks along the way. I also had to mend some breaks along the way. I recently returned to the court after a 3 year break to mend a sore back. I guess it was a “back break”, ha ha.
Having played tonight and now cooling down with gatorade and advil, I am reminded of why I love to play pick-up basketball. Here are the reasons I can think of as the endorphins wash out of my system.
- I get aerobic exercise without thinking about how much longer I have to work out (think treadmill)
- The whole world shrinks to the size of a basketball court
- I don’t have to think about anything else when I am in that world
- Politics, religion, finance and relationships do not exist
- There are no mysteries
- I know all of the rules
- There is an obvious black line to remind me what is in-bounds and what is out-of bounds
- I know who the good guys are and who the bad guys are
- There are never more than 5 of each
- The good guys and the bad guys are usually friendly to each other
- The good guys and bad guys agree on the rules
- I know what is expected of me
- I know what is required to win
- I know for sure when I lose
- I am very happy when I do something good
- I get another chance when I do something bad
- I play my best when I am the worst in the world
It’s a simple world. When I am there, I play hard. When I am there, my body gets to work, my heart gets to play, my mind gets to rest and my soul gets to heal.
Why I Like to Play Hoops