before I was a lady...
Growing up I was an athlete. With two older brothers, I hated all things girly and basically just wanted to roll in mud and play with the boys all day long. It was at the age of 4 when my athletic potential was realized. My dad was coaching my brothers' soccer team and I was playing on the sideline. Not only was I not afraid of the ball or the other players, but I basically dove in. And I was oddly coordinated while doing so.
From that day forward, I was put on every team imaginable and spent every weekend of my childhood running around some sort of field. I was 7 when I was the only girl on travel soccer team. When my Irish-Catholic mother learned that I was being mistaken as a boy, she quickly created a girls team. I was 9 and the girls were 12. You get the idea.
I played soccer, basketball, and lacrosse all the way thru high school.
I got accolades and recognition: all-state, player of the year, all-american...yadda yadda yadda
I also somehow had a life. I wasn't one of the 'popular girls' but they were acquaintances. I was one of the do-gooder sporty girls. I was in student council, got good grades, played sports, and had a part-time job.
I had crushes here and there and made out a few times - but never had a HS boyfriend. I went to parties, tried to smoke without coughing, and went to dances with my group of friends. I had my insecurities like any other teenager, but overall was pretty happy and healthy.
The college search came and went - and ultimately I chose a private, liberal arts school in the Northeast where I would play both soccer and lacrosse at the Division 1 level.
I did what I could to balance a crazy workload, two teams, and a social life..and soon the Freshman 15 came (and stuck). I assumed that training for two Div1 teams would keep me healthy and thin - but the copious amounts of beer, the humbling freshmen year riding the bench, the second and third helpings of cereal and fro-yo in the dining hall, and the late night pizza - added up.
Not to mention a male-designed weight lifting program - it's no wonder that my body eventually....for lack of a better word... snapped. Towards the end of my freshman year lacrosse season, I tore my ACL, MCL, Meniscus..you name it... in my right knee.
Surgery and rehab-ing the knee meant no soccer sophomore year, but I played lacrosse in the spring.
Junior Year - I went abroad to Australia. I was only supposed to go for the fall semester so I would come back and play lacrosse in the Spring. I was in Australia for about 3 weeks and already knew that I was staying the whole year (and yes, it was because of a boy)
Needless to say, a year in Australia - away from sports for the first time in my life - was a learning experience. I found out who I was when I wasn't on a team. I fell in love for the first time and had my heart broken for the first time. I put myself first. School and sports came second. This was new and different for me. But when I put myself first, I was looking for fun new experiences.. carefree. My health, oddly, was not considered when making myself a priority. So first there was the Freshman 15...then there was the Australia 20.
I came back senior year and managed to fend off any further weight gain and had a pretty successful lacrosse season. But the australia weight lingered and really made itself known, when during our conference championship game - I blew out my other knee. ACL, MCL, the works. Again.
College was nearly over. My athletic career was definitely over. and my body was a wreck.
And now I had to start my life as an adult in the real world?!? gross.
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