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Wednesday, June 04, 2008

Racquetball

Every once in a while Reid gets on a racquetball kick. He's a pretty dedicated racquetball player, but only sporatically.

So throughout our married life, Andrew has joined Reid in playing racquetball. They'll go quite regularly for a few weeks and then things will get busy and they won't go anymore. Often these kicks are spurred on by a visit from the Claypools.

Since they recently moved back to Orem for the summer it seems as though raquetball season has picked up again. This time I was invited along. It's the first time I've ever been invited.

I've been wanting to learn how to play because Andrew really likes playing and I was happy to have the opportunity to learn. Until I hit a few balls, that is.

The scrawny little stick I call my arm is so sore.

I played badminton in middle school and a bit in high school. I wasn't bad, either--I have a silver medal from a regional tournament. And badminton isn't wimpy for all of you snickering out there. It is an olympic sport, after all. Racquetball is not.

However, I dfound racquetball a little more physically challenging. Perhaps scary is the word I'm looking for. That ball just wizzes around and bounces off the ceiling, the walls, the racquets. I couldn't keep track of who was supposed to hit it when. And I spent a lot of time cowering in a corner trying to escape it. When I did hit the ball it never went as far as I wanted it to go, or even in the direction I was hoping for.

My arm just doesn't pack a lot of punch.

Badminton is much more my style. It's a little more graceful. I can leap in the air and barely tap the birdie and it will go soaring over onto my opponents side of the court. Very simple.

Who decided that you should share the court with your opponent? Obviously Mr. Sobek, but really was it that good of an idea? He based raquetball off of handball, squash, and tennis. And that's all well and fine, but did he ever wonder why tennis players are separated by a net?

Usually when you give someone a blunt object to hit things with you give them some space. It makes sense to have two people armed and dangerous if they're on the same side, working together, coreographing their every move. But to place enemies on the same side of a court with a metal racquet...I just don't see the logic. Perhaps that's why they encourage safety goggles.

I still plan to play again, though. I have to get good enough to be challenging for Andrew. We played two matches against each other. The scores were 15:2 and 15:1. He totally skunked me.

My only consolation is that it was my first time playing. And that he played against Casey and totally lost.

I'm not sure I'll ever get very good though. I'm not sure I was built for this sport. As Brother Elder said,

"What are you? 93 pounds, 6.5 foot frame?"

That's about right. I'm very aerodynamic. I can swim. I can run. I can dance. I can play badminton. Anything else is a little out of my legue. We'll see if racquetball and I will get along.

4 comments:

  1. Auntie Arlene and I used to play rqcquetball. In those days, they didn't encourage safety goggles. I got socked in the eye (I was wearing contacts) and could not see for at least an hour. I am happy to say my vision DID come back; I am also happy to say that I did not come back to the racqetball court. I think you described it pretty accurately; not quite my cup of tea, either.

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  2. I always knew there was a reason I never played racquetball with Shaille. I hate having things fly at my head, I have really bad hand-eye coordination, and I make a big target since I'm not built as aerodynamically as you are Nancy! (there are reasons I don't play softball, tennis, or anything else requiring a ball...)

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  3. That was a perfect description of me playing racquetball. Except I have played a handful of times now. I'm still not any good. Luckily I play with Matt and my brother, Scott. They are accommodating and just let me do my thing no matter how bad it is. I always jump up and down cheering when I score a point or even make a good hit. I continue playing every once in a while although sometimes I am quite terrified while doing so. Still, it's fun.

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  4. Racquetball. I have NEVER tried it. I can't play anything that involved hitting balls with things, if the ball has to get a certain place or go over a net or anything like that. I'm surprised I can manage badminton most of the time! I think it's because the shuttle goes so slowly. and volleyball? The first time I ever played, I had no idea what I was supposed to do. I had never played before and I was 14 or 15. I accidentally caught the ball. Yeah, THAT went over well with my team... you know that song "there's a hole in my bucket?" Well, substitute "racquet" or "bat" or "net" for "bucket," and you've pretty much got me and any sport like that!

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