Totally Awkward Tuesday: Nice Shot!

It's Tuesday again, folks! Time for another installment of Tova's Totally Awkward Tuesdays.

I'm keeping with the sports theme this week. I honestly don't think there is a sport I have tried that I haven't failed at. This week's sport: Basketball.

Let me take you back to the summer around 4th grade when I was a proud member of the pink team. Let me first say that the #1 reason I am terrible at all sports involving a ball is I'm terrified of getting hit. #2 reason: I don't understand the rules.

So I decided to try basketball. In practice I was an OK dribbler and an OK free thrower, but if someone tried to pass me the ball I screamed and ran the other way. I mean, come on. I wasn't a great catch, so the odds of breaking a nail or getting hit in the face were way too high.

I spent the entire "season" just running up and down the court during games, and if it ever looked like someone was about to pass me the ball I looked away.

Sidenote: I think this is when I started developing my acting skills. I sure looked like I was involved in the game, but there was not a whole lot going on upstairs except, "Don't get hit with the ball, don't get hit with the ball."

So I managed to make it through every game without ever touching the ball. Impressive, huh? Until the last game, that is.

So there I was on the court, following the crowd back and forth as usual, when all of a sudden... the ball was in my hands.

OMG, OMG, OMG.... What do I do with it?

Remember reason #2 I suck at sports? I don't understand the rules. I honestly had no idea what I was supposed to do with it. I looked up. There was a basket. I was good at free throws.... I could do this! I saw Angela, the coach's daughter and the big shot star of the team, waiving her arms frantically and shouting, "Christine! Pass it to me! Pass it to me!"

Huh! Big shot. You get enough baskets. This one is mine.

I threw the ball at the basket. It hit the rim (in those days if you hit the rim you got one point). The world went slow-motion as I jumped up and down, screaming. It was my moment! The Chariots of Fire theme song played in the background as the crowd erupted and I took my dramatic bows of thanks. The coach pulled me out of the game and I sat on the bench with ants in my pants. I looked up in the stands and my mom gave me a meek wave as I beamed.

After the game I was on cloud nine. "Mom, did you see it?!? Did you see that shot?!? I scored a point, Mom! I scored a point!"

"Yes, honey. Too bad it was for the other team."

(Thanks, Mom, for that important detail.)