Well, it looks like another great day is upon. The sun is belting out some crazy heat and people are already piling their families into the car, ready to make the most of this rare but oh-so-welcome phenomena. I swear, sometimes you can forget there actually is a great big yellow ball in the sky, hidden behind those dark, brooding clouds, most of the year. All well and good, right? Well, no. I feel rough. In fact, more so today and pigging out on some more greasy takeaways and drink last night. Ever felt like the beauty of your surroundings is dampened by the way you feel about yourself? That just about sums me up this morning. But hey, sitting around and moping about it ain't gonna get us nowhere, right? So, my plan for this afternoon is snatch up a mate of mine who lives locally and go play some sports. Most of them do but I'm the only who doesn't... anymore. Because I used to be an avid watcher as well as participator in competitive physical events. Not only is it great fun but also good for burning off those extra calories. Therefore, keeping the momentum going of this new spark of enthusiasm today, I thought I'd share with you my top three sports and see if you guys can relate to any of them.
3. Snooker:
Alright, alright, I know I'm started off with one of the most sedentary games I could have chosen, but a favourite of mine it firmly is. And quite a workout for the mind as you are constantly thinking of ways in which to outwit your opponent and improve your own game. In fact, the perfect complement to any physical sport is something like this! After all, the mind "and" body, need to be put through their paces to remain strong and honed.
I remember us having our own snooker table in the spare room. Wish I had photos of it as it'd make for a great keepsake of the old days. I was around 14 and used to practice every day with my friends. I must admit, I got rather good at it after a while and would regular beat my mates. All except this one guy, who also kept boasting how he had met the legendary Steve Davis and beaten him on a few occasions. Bullshit of the highest order, of course, but we all used to laugh at ow he never backed down from that argument and always stuck to his guns. I gotta give him credit for that, at the very least! But I digress. I have a fond love of the game and haven't played in years now. I think it's well overdue for myself to pop down to my local sports store, purchase a good cue, gather some of the boys around and enjoying some of that "green baize" action again.
2. Badmington:
This one is not only infinite amounts of fun to play, but also great as part of an exercise program. I love this game and wish they would incorporate it more into British sporting culture. Again, my memories harken but to my teens. A time when I couldn't sit still for more than a few minutes at a time (the complete opposite to now) and had a much larger social circle in general. Again, this one friend of mine, come to mind. An absolute connoisseur of the sport, this guy was one step away from the professional circuit. In fact, myself and another friend would challenge this guy to a two-on-one match up. I'm not even joke. We'd be lucky to get a single point throughout. He was that damn good. I'm still good buddies with the both of them to this very day.
But yes, the enjoyment of the most physical of sports, is off the charts. What I love is you work out quite a sweat whilst having so much fun. And we're still talking about badminton, by the way, lol! I believe so many people begin a gym routine but then give up soon after because of a declining lack of motivation. Getting fit should be enjoyable and not a chore for the body and mind. Therefore, badminton seems the perfect answer to that. I can't tell you how much I love this game. We have two huge sports centers near to where we live. And I'm signed up to none of them. But hopefully after today, all that is about to change. I know for a fact they cater for several full-sized courts and nothing would make me happier than rekindle my activities towards this sport once more. Nothing except for...
1. Tennis:
Ah, my first "love". No pun intended. This sport is almost a passion for me. We were lucky enough to have some tennis courts near us and to make matters even better, they were free! Summers growing up in my hometown, could not be complete without many a day spent playing tennis with my friend, who also had an acute fondness for the game. I just calling it like it is so please don't think I'm boasting, but I was unbeatable within our group. Serving was what it was all about. Well, blasting the ball as hard as I could towards my opponent. There are so many stories I could tell you about some of the madness that ensued involving us and this most excellent of games, but I'll save that for another time.
As you can imagine, with the hundreds of hours of practice we had, all of us got quite good. I'm sure I could have made it to the amateur leagues circuit, at least. The power and precision were truly on point and could very well have been capitalized on. But that's by the wayside now. I love this game like no other and this sport firmly takes the number one spot. Every year, I "make" time to watch Wimbledon at home, much to the annoyance of my wife. This is another game I haven't played in years and now, whilst typing this post, a newfound resurgence of incentive and determination, is dawning. Hell, I've even got my old racket that's been collecting dust all this time. My "winning" racket, lol"! Yes, this awesome sport lies comfortably at the number spot and by a country mile.
Right, that was a cool trip down memory lane for me. I feel great thinking about those times and even greater when I'm finally back in the game. I mean, the weather is absolutely screaming for it to happen! So, with that, I'd love to know what sports you guys love and whether you still play them or not. Let the good times roll, y'all!
Enjoy!
