The end of softball, the start of volleyball and disappearance of soccer

The September-October time frame is always an interesting one. If there have been no rain-outs over the last part of the summer, there is a two-week break before volleyball begins, but we know that never happens. Instead we are forced to play softball in the 6:00pm darkness of mid-October, in 40 degree misting rain and heavy winds, when we should be inside a gymnasium, sweating in shorts and t-shirts.

Only this year, the weather was absolutely perfect on this October evening. Thoughts of a long off-season awaited, as six months of Friday nights inside would take the place of the sweltering summer heat and endless beers in the back of the team pickup truck (though I rarely, if ever, partook in the post-game drinking, wanting to rather rehydrate with water instead). And it always happens the last week of the season, when league championships are already decided, and most teams are looking forward to the break, when there is nothing on the line, we have our best performances.

Mine came on both ends of the double-header. My defense at thirdbase was Gold Glover caliber, ranging far to my right and left, making stabbing grabs and throws on the run. For a life-long center fielder, games like this amaze me, and make me want to play at the hot corner again and again, only wishing that the season was just beginning. Alas, I will have to wait the cold months to see if my grace continues.

And we segue into the fall season of volleyball, of which there is little to speak of at the moment. Our team, together for a third year, winner of (I believe) eight of the last nine seasons in the highest level of co-ed volleyball in Lawrence, again are one week away from another championship. We currently sit at 33-0, though we have not played any better or worse than season past. The biggest difference is the level of play. Two teams have taken sabbaticals, and teams from lower levels were forced up into the 1st division. We have asked the league to make changes for next season, however this may be our swansong. We may leave on top.

And finally, for financial and time-constraint reasons, I was unable to play fall soccer this year in the adult league. This disappointed me greatly, as I had purchased new boots for the season, and looked forward to continuing on my offensive streak. I had played so well the past two seasons, my first in many years, that I had great expectations, as I was in somewhat better shape. It was not to be though, as my son was born in mid-July, which decidedly took up more time and resources than I could spare. Here's to looking toward spring, and a possible return to form on the pitch.

Equipment, defeat and the end of Spring Soccer

Yesterday saw the last action for the Lawrence Adult Soccer League, with rain-out games played for all teams. While the spring saw decent weather, yesterday previewed what is to come in the summer: 90 degrees and humid. That said, I will not be partaking in the summer, as another team member said: I will be useless running in this heat and humidity. Teams are smaller and so is the field during the summer session, and I will pick it up again in the fall.

The two topics I will mention today are defeat and equipment. The league I play in is perfect for my skill level, low for my competitive level. I wish I could say that I play in one of the higher leagues, and that I am successful in one of those leagues. Last fall, I scored six goals and eight assists in six games, yet this spring, I only scored once (maybe twice, I cannot remember now), and had five assists. This is part of the problem with competition and success: when you taste success, you want to maintain it. Our team overall played very well this spring, better than last fall. And yet I have a sense of loss, because I could not maintain my successful level of play. Certainly, a bounce here and there, and (let me count them...) I would have scored six more legitimate, maybe seven, goals, and I would be content. We play in a league that does not keep record of wins and losses, so it really is the team that matters. However, I judge my play on how well I perform. Whether that is an amazing pass (that leads to nothing), a great corner (that floats out of bounds), or a simple goal... I judge myself, as in any sport I play, on whether it lived up to my standards. And this season, after my past success, did not live up. Alas, I have fall to look forward to, and to prepare for.

However I will need a new pair of boots. The heal of my left boot has broken off, and after a season of games, my left foot is now hurting. All the more apparent after the game yesterday and into today, where a bruise has formed on my left heal. Thus the importance of wearing the correct equipment. I imagine that the majority of injuries comes from improper equipment, at least in soccer. But it can happen in many sports. Think of someone who just goes running daily. The must replace their shoes every few months. What happens is the sole of the shoe will wear unevenly, depending on your stride. After weeks of running on inadequate shoes, you run the risk of injury to your legs, because your body warps to the contour of the shoe. Me missing a cleat on the heal, put extra force on the outside of my foot, which is now bruised. A softball bat that is too heavy will strain the arm, a worn basketball shoe will slip. So it is important, before every season, and during the season, that we all take a look at our equipment, and make sure that we are not in danger of injury, which will prolong and allow us to enjoy sports for much longer.

- Tom.

Losing the edge

As the spring season of sports is coming to a close, I am in need of a short break. My body is rounding into shape nicely, after several months of little activity over the winter, the spring sessions always get me back into shape. But now, it is my mind that is in need of rest.

Some people participate in rec league athletics as a way to exercise, and as I have mentioned, others (like myself) do it to continue competing in some form. Recently I have been putting in the effort, but not seeing the results, which has driven me into a funk.

So far this season I have battled a dislocated shoulder, bruised ribs, strained muscles and bruises all over, which comes from the contact sports I play and my advancing age. Ever the athlete, I do not want to use these injuries as excuses for my poor-to-average play. In softball, normally the lead-off hitter and 3rd baseman, play a great first game, but have now had back-to-back weeks of two singles in about fourteen at-bats. Last week I made a phenomenal stop at third, and threw the ball five feet wide and eight feet over the first baseman's head. In volleyball, I had two great kills at the ten-foot line, then for the next hour and a half, couldn't get anything in on a serve or hit, had trouble passing, and wasn't in the correct spot for most games. Soccer is the only thing half-way going well, with two goals and two assists in the past two games, but even there I have missed some easy shots (a penalty shot last game that went three feet left).

I feel lackadaisical while playing. It feels that I'm trying with all my energy, but at half speed. My mind is wandering when I'm not in play. It's almost as if... I don't care. I've been trained to win for so long, that when I find myself drifting off, I pull back and curse myself for not having the 'killer instinct' I use to have. In softball, I'm trying to place my hits, and when it doesn't work, I go into a funk. In volleyball I try to hit harder, and the first time I hit it out or into the net, it gets into my head.

My poor play is getting into my head, and making me play worse, which makes me not want to play. So how do you transition from playing for fun, to playing to win? Our softball team has this problem. Everyone on the team likes to play and have a good time. When we are winning, everyone jokes around and has fun. When we start losing, people start getting on each other, and we start bickering. This is a perfect example of not being able to have it both ways. So how does an individual do it?

Alas, I have not found the answer. This current situation is not an indication that I am losing my athletic skills or due to injury, because I still show flashes of brilliance now and again, and I'm not hurt... it is simply not consistent. Which I attribute to a mental issue. So after this lengthy diatribe, I realize that other things in my life: my family, my relationships, my career, friends... these are the things that weigh on my mind, and direct my focus from being a great athlete, to a wandering mind. In short: I need a break, which is what I intend to do over the next week. All of the teams are on hiatus for a couple weeks, so I will take this time to heal my brain.

- Tom.

Importance of cross-training

After a couple weeks of taking things easy due to my shoulder and ribs, I'm back full-force in three sports: Friday softball, Sunday soccer and Tuesday volleyball. Certainly the morning after each I have felt the soreness, but none so much as this morning after volleyball. And I even jumped on the stationary bike Monday to work out the kinks from soccer.

Which brings me to the day's topic: cross training. There is a large amount of proof and data to show that children need to cross train. More and more we find that due to commercialization, parent pressure and coaches, that kids will begin to specialize in sports at a young age. This leads to a number of problems, mainly that kids get injured from repeatedly using the same muscle groups (and denying other muscle groups), kids lose interest in a single sport (because that is all they do), and parents become obsessed with their kids' performances (which takes the fun out of being a kid). The main thing though, is that kids are getting hurt because they only play one sport.

This is also an issue with adult recreational players. Each morning I have woken up with a new area of pain on my body. On Saturday (after softball), my shoulders and abdomen hurt (from swinging a bat, and throwing). On Monday, my quads and hamstrings hurt (from constant running), and my lungs were burning (from the cardiovascular routine). Then today, Wednesday, my shoulder, back and calf muscles hurt (from jumping, squatting and hitting). Each sport worked a different muscle group, therefore I stay balanced in my exercising, and do not over-emphasize a certain area.

I know several people who work out in between playing. Some volleyball people will go running or lift weights, some soccer people also play softball. But there are others who do nothing in between games. They will spend their evenings do whatever after work, but once a week, they will get out for some 'exercise' playing a sport. More often than not, these are the same people who are complaining the next day or the next week that they 'pulled something,' or they 'have some tightness' (I hear a blog on stretching coming up soon). Sometimes it is more extremely, in that a softball player will pull a muscle in their legs, or a soccer player will not have the stamina to play a whole game.

Cross-training allows each person to keep their bodies fit all around. And it is easy to do. On days off, take a long walk, or better yet, run around the block. Play basketball in your driveway or park. Walk up and down the stairs. Ride a bike, either outside or stationary. Not only will you be helping your ability to play and compete in rec leagues, but you'll be gaining better health as well. Do it alone, or drag your significant other along. Either way, do not just participate in one sport. Expand your horizons. And if you have kids, make sure they do as well, and do not force them to specialize in just one sport.

- Tom.

Who needs sleep? Think about soccer.

Sunday nights are generally the worst. I have trouble sleeping on most nights, but Sundays tend to be a little worse. I've relaxed all weekend, maybe stayed up a little longer than normal, and now I have to try to shutdown my brain for a couple hours of sleep, knowing that the alarm will be going off around 6:30am. Then Monday comes.

Last night I ended up drifting off to sleep after 1:06am (the last time I remember on the clock). I was catching up on a little reading for school (I'm in a Master's program), but found that once the light went out, all I could think about was the soccer game from earlier in the day. The game on Saturday did not keep me up Saturday night, but Sunday's game certainly played over and over in my mind.

On Saturday, I blew a wide open goal by deflecting a pass wide from about two feet away. I thought for certain that this would bother me through the evening, however it was virtually forgotten a few hours later. But it was the Sunday game that kept me awake. In a 3-2 loss, I scored a goal, made the assist on the other goal, and had another assist taken away when the goal was over-turned. About five minute into the game, I took a pass that the defender let slip, kicked once up-field with my right, brought it back to my left and found about five feet between a defender, the goalie and the post, and rifled a left-foot shot just past the goalie. My first goal of the season (scored six in eight games with five assists last season). In the second half, took a brilliant corner-kick, where I bent the kick out of bounds and brought it back over the top of the goal, but it just clipped the top of the crossbar. A teammate headed the ball in, but it was ruled out-of-bounds. Then as time expired, I sent another corner to the near post, and the waiting foot of a teammate for my assist.

And this is one of the reasons we still play sports as we get older: the thrill of scoring. After that assist, and as the incredibly respected ref blew the whistle, I congratulated the mate who scored, saying, "Small victories, small victories.' We lost the game, but in that one moment, we scored and celebrated. Some of us still play to win, and yes, in my mind last night I thought of twenty problems, or plays where we could have had a shot on goal, or made a pass, and I had visions of what I could have done with a few more shots... I want to win. But just getting a high-five, or a congratulations on a goal, or a good pass... to have the ref compliment you on your sportsmanship and solid play.... there is no pressure to perform, at least in this league. You miss a kick, you make fun of yourself and forget about it. And for a competitive person like myself, I was amazed at how easily this weekend went from 'I completely missed a wide open kick,' to 'Hey, I scored and got an assist.' A younger me would have thought forever on the first game, and probably would have affected my second game. But as an adult, now it's all about having a good time, and if you score... then you are just a little lucky.

- Tom.

White Sox 2010 - I'm gonna question Ozzie...

And probably pay for it later. He holds a grudge. And if he catches wind that I, a simply fan and 'never played baseball past high school' expert (fan), I'm sure he'll make a comment about me and leave it at that.

But as a fan, it is my right, nay, my duty, as a ticket holding and paying customer to question my manager. To that extent... I have to admit, that before spring training came, I was very happy with the state of the Sox, though I did question (and Kenny Williams will now hate me as well) the trade for Mark Teahen (I currently live in KC. My friends make fun of me for this trade). But picking up Juan Pierre, Andrew Jones, Jake Peavey, even Omar Vizquel, were great additions. But one thing has bothered me for two years now: Alexi Ramirez.

And yet every year, I draft him in my fantasy league. When he came up playing second base, I thought it was a good fit for him. I didn't like that Chris Getz was getting bumped, but Ramirez had raw talent. But I questioned his move to shortstop (and still do). Huge defensive liability. He has a good arm, I'll compliment that, but he plays out of position, and his arm, while strong, is wild. Two years ago I said they should use him as trade bait, which made even more sense when they decided to bring Gordan Beckham up as a third baseman. They raved on how good Beckham was, and he will be a much greater talent than Ramirez. So why move Beckham out of his natural position (short) and move Ramirez into a position that he rates barely average?

Alongside that, Ramirez has turned into an offensive liability. He's streaky, has never started a season well, and statistically is not getting better. There is still trade value, which could shore up some holes in the bullpen, or maybe a fifth starter. And finally, Beckham can go back to short. Great arm, Rookie of the Year candidate, 3rd base of the future... we'll see how you play at second, and we'll keep this streaky mediocre guy at short.

Case in point... Last night Sox play Toronto, lose 4-2. Ramirez was responsible for 3 of those 4 runs. Of course, he did not get an error, so they were all charged to Floyd, but here's what happens: Hit to the outfield, runner scores from second. On the relay throw, Ramirez, from deep in short/shallow left, was thirty feet off on the throw home which would have been close, but probably an out. That's one run. A couple innings later, no one out, runner on first. On the double play, Ramirez lobs a throw to first and does not complete the play. So with one out, runner on first there is a hit to Konerko, who throws to Ramirez at second, who again lobs a throw to Floyd and cannot complete the double play. That's two lobs to first that cannot complete and end the inning. Now with two outs, batter hits a triple and later scores. That's 3 runs that Ramirez directly caused, and in effect, lost the game for the Sox.

That's not to mention the .138 average (4-29) with zero home runs and zero runs batted in. He's played EVERY game this season. He's notorious for starting slow (everyone keeps saying, just wait until the end of May when the weather warms up). Seasons are not won and lost in April... but they are. Getting 5 games back early can be trouble. But what most irks me, was at the end of spring training, Ozzie complained to the media that Mark Teahen needed to start producing. He was struggling, trying too hard, but Ozzie went to the media to make a threat. There has been no such threat made to Alexi. He is struggling offensively (though I will go on the record as saying this is not just struggling, but will be a problem all season), he's not very good at shortstop, and he has cost you at least one game.

Am I saying I could do better? Probably not. I can't hit off-speed pitches (neither can Alexi), and have trouble holding back on the high fastball (so does Alexi). I however cannot field a grounder. I could throw just as hard as he did last night on the double play. If we were both outfielders, I could say that we are probably equal in defensive skills. But what I am saying, is that there are better options for this team. Alexi Ramirez is not the answer at shortstop and this one position and player could be the difference between making the post season.

- Tom.

Broken ribs... or abdominal strain?

This weekend has been quite painful, and the spring/summer rec leagues are just starting. Last Wednesday I played volleyball with the team in a scrimmage against a team just beginning to play in the league. I'll save my comments regarding the level of play, however Wednesday night, I felt no pain and did not injure myself. Thursday morning would say otherwise.

The act of sitting up in bed caused me to lose my breath and flop back into bed, which hurt more. I was awakened by stabbing sharp pains in my left chest, to the point where I could not straighten my body, or take a full breath. I've never had a heart attack or broken ribs, but imagined that this is what either felt like.

I stumbled through Thursday and Friday, much in the same condition, generally in a protective and slow motion. Sleeping was incredibly difficult, as sitting and lying have been the most painful of all positions. Friday evening, I (stupidly) decided to play softball, as this was the first game of the season. On the second pitch, my first swing, I must have been favoring that pain, because I swung very funkily at the pitch and consequently dislocated my left shoulder (that would be about #12 on that shoulder, another blog on that another time). Undeterred, I continued to play, going seven for ten hitting and playing left-center field.

As an aging athlete, I need to be more aware of my body and what it tells me. Is it heroic to play through a possibly broken rib (which on Friday I was believing I had)? It caused me to dislocate my shoulder (again), and yet I played for two complete games. No championship was on the line, no millions of dollars... so why did I force this?

Simply because I love the sports, I want to play, and I want to compete. Stupid Answer? Certainly. And I would probably play again under the same circumstances. And over the weekend, after playing, things had not gotten better, so this morning (Monday), I went to the doctor. The result is that there are no broken ribs, but there is definitely some bruising and strained/pulled abdominal muscles. No activity for the week (no volleyball Tuesday, no double-header softball on Friday), and back-to-back soccer on Saturday and Sunday is right now debatable as to whether or not I can play.

So in the back of my head, until the doctor says 'no,' then I can play, which is why I played on Friday, and why I didn't want to go to the doctor today. Because if I had not gone, and the pain subsided tomorrow morning, I would be playing volleyball tomorrow night. Now, as long as my shoulder does not hurt (which it does), I would deal with the rib pain. Not because the team needs me, or can't find a sub, but because I love to play sports, and feel that a piece of me isn't right if I don't play.

It's like what my wife said on Friday, 'Maybe it's time to stop playing.' My response, 'You wouldn't like me very much if I couldn't play sports.'

- Tom.

The aging athlete and food

After a rather interesting scrimmage of volleyball last night, the previously-retired-from-competition, now-possibly-coming-back-with-new-name volleyball team headed to Old Chicago for some post scrimmage libations. And as we ordered our pints of beer and nachos, one teammate wondered aloud about healthy choices to eat. I inquired about his health, as I had not known that he was a person who looked out for what he ate. Apparently he has one day per week that he allows himself to eat unhealthy, the other six are all good foods.

This got me to thinking overnight about the aging rec league athlete and what they eat and drink. Certainly the thirties and into the forties is when most people begin to lose their battle with the bulge, and most of the people I play any sports with fits that description. One of three things happen: One, you give up and indulge in food and drink, your athleticism (and health) be damned; Two, you change your lifestyle to better your health and continue at a high level of competition for a few more years; Three... well, is there a happy medium?

I've been struggling with number three. And I think this is the case with a lot of people I play with. Attempt to eat healthy for the most part, limit your alcohol intake and exercise, and you can stay in decent enough shape to stay competitive. Personally I can tell when I slip a little. Everyone has a weight they are currently at, and for the most part will fluctuate plus or minus about five pounds per day, depending on time and what you eat. A quick look in the mirror, and you will be able to tell if you are fit or not. Is it possible for you to lose weight? If so, why are you not? I notice that when I am five pounds heavier. My knees hurt a little more, I cannot jump as high or bend over as far. That's when I increase the exercising a little, and possibly skip that cinnamon roll the next morning.

But what really gets me is when people who are clearly out of shape, complain about their performances. I am not going to delve into the specifics of this, but the blame is on you. Diet is an increasingly important aspect of an aging athlete. For those who sit at a desk all day, you cannot expect to snack and drink soda throughout the day, and not gain weight. I know people who drink four or five diet sodas per day... that's not going to do it. If you want to stay in performance shape, three meals, small snacks, limit the alcohol, and... exercise!

Do I practice what I preach? Not exactly, maybe fifty-fifty. I do eat three meals, and they are for the most part healthy. I try not to snack, which experts say is not good, as you should eat HEALTHY snacks through the day. My problem is I have a weakness for pastries. I love pastries, and get into ruts where I eat them daily for a week. I also drink a lot: I'm a homebrewer, so I constantly have homemade beer in the fridge, and drink gin and tonic on the weekends. I drink enormous amounts of coffee, which is also not good. However, the biggest difference between me and most people: I do not drink soda. Practically ever. The tonic water with gin is about it. I drink copious amounts of water all day, which is the key. Where most people will go to the vending machine and get twenty ounce Cokes or Diet Cokes, (That's three servings you are drinking) and I'm drinking pints of water. When they get home for dinner, they're cracking open a soda, and I'm drinking orange juice.

Water and exercise are the keys. The exercise will help burn off those extra calories you eat during the day, and by simply replacing soda with water, you are staying hydrated and not over-indulging in empty calories, sugars and serving sizes. These are the two keys I have tried to maintain over the years, and it seems to be working all right. And for the aging athlete, hydration may be the most important piece. Alcohol will dehydrate, exercise dehydrates, playing your rec league sports dehydrate (double if you play softball then drink beers in the parking lot). So make the switch from soda to water. Force yourself to kick the soda habit, which I know is difficult. As I'm typing, I am craving a Cherry Coke and Hershey's with Almonds. So At this point, I'm going to post this message, and crack open a water, hoping the liquid in my stomach will make the hunger subside.

- Tom.

Outdoor Soccer 2010 begins!

Yesterday was the opening of the Lawrence Adult Soccer League outdoor season. I play on The Toadstools, a group of people just out to have a little fun playing in the recreation league. Last year was my first playing with this team, and the first I've played in seventeen years. I was surprisingly successful last season, playing eight games, scoring six goals with a handful of assists. So I am really looking forward to playing this year.

And for as excited and happy I am for the first game yesterday... today I am extremely sore. Not in pain, but overall sore. No other sport will scream at you, 'YOU ARE NOT IN SHAPE!' quite like soccer. Thirty minutes after the game and my lungs were still burning. But it wasn't until I awoke this morning that every muscle, every joint and every thought in my head hurt. Yes, I have a bruise on my forehead. Three beautiful scoring opportunities yesterday, the two headers hit crossbar and post (a third chip-shot kick hit crossbar as well). So yeah, my head hurts. It was a physical game as well. I was taken down twice by the goalie as he came charging and sliding out of the goal on break-aways during the game. Looks like I broke a blood vessel in my knee, but for as much contact, I figured to be in more pain.

So what does this tell me? As stated, I'm out of shape. My wife even said that she felt sorry for me, watching me try to run back and forth and play. She knows that I want to be at a competitive level, and if she realized that I was struggling, then I am struggling. So tonight, I jump back on the stationary bike, and ride. Have to work out the stiffness and soreness, so that maybe next Monday after game 2, I'm not as sore. And maybe, just maybe, I'll get a header or two to go in.

- Tom.

Curse of playing volleyball: broken blood vessels

Quick update: The knee held together all right last night, but after cooling down, hurt when I got home. Will ice and rest for a day and try it again. My playing was horrendous, but I think I was thinking about my knee too much.

However, I did leave the evening with a huge pain in the palm of my hand and on the outside of my right index finger. The result: broken blood vessels. There is not a night of volleyball that I do not encounter at least one. Certainly they look much worse than they feel, a huge dark purple bulge just under the skin. They hurt for a few minutes, and if you get hit there again, the pain comes back. But the morning after, they are just a mark without pain. Are my veins just weak? Maybe. I would like to think that I hit the ball incredibly hard, and my friends do the same. The broken vessels occur on one of two situations: a block or a hit.

The ones in the palm of my hand are usually the result of a block. Last night it was caused by a dig on a rather hard hit. I had enough time to drop my right arm to the ground, basically a reactionary dig, and not enough time to close my hand. The ball slapped directly into the middle, and instantly caused a huge purple spot. Three rallies later, and the pain was gone.

The index finger came on a slightly missed hit (which I had PLENTY last night). I had attempted to go line on a hit, and in order to get just a little more spin, hit the ball on the outside of my finger, which caused the explosion between the top and second knuckle. These are visually the worst: the top of the finger instantly turns purple and shoots pain down the hand. Kind of looks like you've really done damage to the finger... but a couple plays later you are fine.

It's something you get used to playing volleyball. And if that is the most I get hurt, then I'm all for breaking a couple blood vessels every now and again.

- Tom.

The Dreaded ACL: my nightmare

The idea behind this blog came to me just a few days back. Late last week I felt a sharp pain on the outside of my left knee any time that I put pressure on my leg. Walking hurt, standing hurt, laying on my side in bed hurt. The pain grew over the weekend, as did some swelling, despite bags of ice. I tried to think over the past week, of somewhere I might have banged the knee on something, hoping it was just bruised. I had played volleyball on Tuesday and Wednesday, and landed awkwardly one night, my arm getting bruised the next evening. It must have been Tuesday.

Ever since my high school days, I have feared knee injuries. I have a condition where the two large legs bones scrape the inside of my kneecap, so when I crouch down and come up, you hear cracking the whole way. My mom's knees would do this walking up stairs. The simple thought of this, creeps me to no end, and even right now typing this, I'm getting a little queasy. Then I saw a knee injury, the one where the patella tendon snaps, and the knee cap go sliding into the thigh... okay, I'm done with the descriptions. You might be shivering yourself now. Anyway, I fear the knee injury, and the most common is the ACL.

My senior year of high school I was told I had patella tendinitis, which made the tendon over the top of my knee sore. That makes it difficult to jump, but with some time and ice, things got better. Then in college, I strained my ACL and LCL, two of the four tendons that hold the knee together. For six weeks I was forced to wear a leg immobilizer, could not run, jump or walk on my left leg, for fear that any of the tendons would snap (which results in 10 to 12 months of rehab). This proved to be one of the reasons I ended my college career just a few short months later. I was prescribed 4 ibuprofen a day for the pain, for six weeks. It was a sharp localized pain on the inside of the knee from the cap to the back, every time I put pressure on the knee, and the more pressure applied, the more pain. The amount of force to propel a 150-pound object about six-and-a-half feet in the air, is enormous, and your knee takes all of that force.

That pain came back last week. Over the past few years I had general soreness in the knees, just as everyone does, but this was a pain I had not felt in about 15 years. Other pains and injuries I would shrug off... but knee pain, especially sharp pain, makes me stop.

After five days of ice and no activity, the sharp pain has subsided. I noticed a large bruise on my other knee, which has garnered my attention at this moment. So with that, I'm willing to test the knee tonight at volleyball. This week begins the long stretch of summer athletics, better to test it now and see how it responds.

- Tom.

Batting lead off, playing third...

Blame it on my undergraduate degree (creative writing). Blame it on my ability to ramble for hours on random thoughts (hence starting a blog). Blame it on nearly three decades of participation in athletics (I'm only 33). The combination of which has lead me to create a blog on athletics. Not specifically my random thoughts on a particular team, city or sport (though Chicago sports will most likely take precedence if I do), but more so of the thoughts of an aging athlete, trying to hold on to those last glory days of recreational sports leagues.

My background in athletics is long, with moderate success. My father was a high school coach (now small college recruiter and coach) in track and cross country. Incredibly successful as a coach, and as a collegiate swimmer. He coached middle school basketball. It 'runs' in the family. I enjoyed a very successful career as a high jumper: All-State in Illinois, competing for a short time in the Big Ten. And really, I can only think of one sport I have not been able to play with a great amount of success. I cannot swim. Of all the sports... to have a father go to college and swim, I cannot hold my breath underwater without holding my nose. Never could. It's never been said, but how big of a disappointment must that be, to be a great swimmer, and have a son who has the body of a swimmer, not be able to swim. I can certainly play water sports (skiing, wake board... I can back stroke well), but cannot go underwater.

Any other sport... with a little practice, I can play it well. However as I slowly exit from my prime years, I focus on just a few recreational leagues with people my age, no longer able to play at the speed of high school and college kids.

And this is what this blog is about. A semi-successful former athlete, nearing the age of retirement. Everyone who plays in some league here or there has or will reach the point in their lives where it takes a little more time to warm up, takes a few more bags of ice after the game, might be a step too late getting to third, or a few inches too short on the jump shot. And for anyone who has seen some level of success, it is hard to take.

And that's what I'm going to celebrate.

- Tom.