Rise and try, and rise again

The source code of my resilience, discipline and, might I add, rampant enthusiasm for spontaneity and living on the go lies in the playful spaces of school. The football and basketball court, the track and field complex, the random free spots big enough to play badminton for two, and the table tennis court were all part of its promissory determination to make my life a beautifully messy, eclectic film.

Adrenaline rush?

Before play and sports formally hitched its wagon in my brain, I always knew I loved movement. I was always running, dancing, singing and hanging off walls (yup, and have even startled some neighbours). In primary school, I never backed down from running races and lemon & spoons because they were just so thrilling to me. I was no prodigy, only a proper noob at both but I didn’t care about that. I loved the competitive spirit, the feeling of rush, and kept participating.

In upper primary or middle school, I started to realise this subject called ‘sports’. It was also during this time that I had a “Physical Training” (also called Physical Education or PE) period formally along with all the other subjects. It was a time exclusively for play (although sometimes teachers stole it to finish portions on time, you may relate). What this meant for me was television becoming reality. I would run properly, hold a racquet properly, and even play football. Soon enough, PT period became something to excitingly look forward to in school.

Welcome to my playground

First, it was badminton. Quite possibly a canon event for every student interested in sports, isn’t that right? I can still hear the squeaking and shuffling of the feet as the entire class feral ran into the sports room to avoid getting broken nylon and broken feathers. A good racquet and shuttlecock were as godly as that one Lin Dan poster that sat on the wall.

I conversed with badminton during PT period throughout the bulk of my middle school. Leisurely badminton taught me consistency can be therapeutic like a slow Sunday morning. If I had played serious or competitive badminton, maybe it would’ve felt different. In my case, I wasn’t making much progress but I loved consistently picking up the racquet to play with my friends. It was mundane but badminton was also the first time I focused on watching the way my opponent (my friends) played and how external factors like wind and a startling noise could break your flow. I was learning how to actually read the room.

Tone of mistakes

It was with an enhanced focus that I tried out football (keyword “tried”). Football was a bit of a tough nut to crack and I had realised that I could only get better at controlling the ball, if I religiously practiced. That, I didn’t. I was sloppy and I don’t even remember if I ever scored a goal (I like to believe I did). It was all fun until our school once organised a mini house-based football match. The girls had split into two teams and I was the goalkeeper. Everything started out clean and I was feeling a little too proud, not knowing the next few seconds would give me the worst and highest level of embarrassment I’ve felt in my life. A self goal by my own hands, born out of my carelessness. For the first time, though I won (my team won), the mistake was bothering me outside of it and I felt the importance of responsibility. It was going good and I got silly just because I stopped a few goals. I didn’t stay level-headed. It is what they say, the game is never over until it’s actually over. That moment developed an almost saintly optimism in me towards life and showed me how unpredictable everything is.

You can never stop me

Track made me professionally realise the endurance of my body. My ‘call me participation crazy’ heart gave my name to all the running events during sports meets. Amidst the roaring cheers emanating next to the oval track, the breeze was a solid anchor. The results were split. I was invisible during 50m and 100m sprints whereas a star during long ones – 400m, 800m, 1200m, etc. This is a perfect example of finding the right space for you to shine. Everything in life is trial and error. By now, if you haven’t taken the hint, I’m saying go participate in everything. You’ll never know if you’re good at something, if you don’t try! Trying is the coolest thing ever!

Absolute Cinema

This takes me to the final act – Table Tennis, a sport that would enter late but picked up quickly but defined my sports life.

I was in 9th standard, when my school brought in the mint-right-off-the-shop blue table inside our sports room. Before this, I had only heard of the sport. There was a coach who used to come after school to teach the basics and I joined because why not? This coach was my Jackie Chan in Karate Kid, who kept making me repeat strokes over and over again, so much that all of us in training were annoyed. When I was at home, I used to watch Ma Long, Ding Ning and Koki Niwa, waiting impatiently to learn more. Little did I know that Jackie Chan was right. In my case, that discipline and practice gave me a great reliable backhand that eventually took me to the CISCE National Sports and Games, representing my state Kerala when I was in 12th standard. The smell of rubber and shrill taps of the white ping pong ball made me more compassionate than a textbook could. Every match was spontaneous. Sometimes I won, sometimes I lost like I’ve never touched a bat before, other times there were maniacal comebacks. Because of the saintly optimism I learned, whenever a game hurt or my confidence was down, my resilience taught itself to stay stronger than it all. Life involves luck too which is not in your control, said sports.

Right before I left school, I remember winning something along the lines of best sportsperson among girls during annual day (something which I had never won before), like a cherry on top of the cake that was my closing chapter.

Dear those who loved

My takeaway from sports (whether it was active-playing or passive-watching) was also the passion and ‘let’s go’ spirit of my friends, my parents and my PT teacher. I quickly became best friends with my first ever best friend because we both shared similar love for sports and were crazy over Formula 1. We used to bicker so much because we supported different drivers. On the ground, Table Tennis followed me through college and I owe it for some of the best post-school friendships I have in my life. My PT teacher was the wonderful captain of the sports ship and I still remember her face sometimes when I play. If I repeat my life, I would want them again.

(P.S - I tried basketball and volleyball for the first time during my Masters in college because of my college bestie. That saga continues.)