Team Spirit {Part I}

As a kid, I played one season of T-Ball and that was quite enough for me. In middle school P.E. class, I was that girl, who faked having to go to the bathroom when my turn inevitably came to serve in volleyball and turned bright red when the teacher inevitably yelled “Out!” after three strikes at bat in softball. I ran track in high school with limited glory (precisely one medal, from a 4×4 relay, over four years), but, at least I tried hard.

My fitness endeavors have always been more of a solo pursuit. Sprinting. Cycling. Weight lifting. Racing to the imaginary finish line on the elliptical. I loathe the idea and cave under the (mostly, self-imposed) pressure of team sports.

So, a few weeks ago, when I found myself clicking the “submit” button on my registration page for ZogSports’ NYC spring bowling league, no one was more surprised than me. Having come to the decision that I wanted to be social in new ways and more “out there,” team sports seemed like the obvious (though somewhat anxiety-inducing) answer.

We met up on Wednesday nights at Frames in the Port Authority, dressed in kelly green tees, jeans and not-so-stylish bowling shoes. We won some, we lost a few more. Even so, I have to say–it was REALLY fun. Really.

What I lack in skill, I made up for in spirit, high fives and styling (see custom sweatbands with our name, “Livin’ on a Spare,” below). And, my teammates are super successful, seriously cool…and, very understanding–more so than I ever expected. (Thanks, guys.)