Confession time, I lead a relatively simple life; but I like to pull from some of my more adventurous moments to share in this column. I seem to be playing more sports and games lately, as you may have noticed.
My fiancé, Tim, and I tried playing tennis together. It wasn’t my first time on the court. My sister and I used to play at the Garwin City Park tennis courts when we were kids, but we never truly played the game. We had a hard time not hitting the ball over the fence to even keep a good volley going.
The only time in my life I can remember actually playing a competitive round of tennis was when my family vacationed in California. We stayed at a resort in Ramona, which is about an hour outside of downtown San Diego. While we had several touristy activities planned for most days, some days are always reserved for “resort time.”
It was a beautiful place to stay. One of their features was a tennis court complex. The equipment was free to rent at the clubhouse so my dad, brother, sister and I decided to give it a whirl. I don’t know if it was sunny California or the fact that we were playing doubles, but we actually played several decent matches. We weren’t ready for Wimbledon or anything, but it was fun and competitive, surprisingly enough.
I hadn’t picked up a racket again until Tim and I headed out to Maytag Park to give it a try. All we did was hit the ball back and forth, trying to keep it going for as long as we could before chasing the ball down and starting again. It was a fun way to spend the evening in the park.
Tennis wasn’t the only sport I took part in recently.
Despite not playing on a regular team anymore, I was able to dust off my softball gear and play as a fill-in on my brother’s co-ed team in Marshalltown. When James first text messaged me asking if I could play, I almost wanted to decline because I was extremely rusty. Ultimately, my love of softball won out, and I agreed. I missed playing the game, so it was a good opportunity to get back on the field.
As soon as I said yes; however, my nerves skyrocketed. I hadn’t swung a bat in almost two years. I played catch twice last summer with Tim, but it was for fun not for the field. I called my dad and asked if he could throw me a little batting practice before the game. It went fairly well. The rust fell right off, and I was making solid contact by the end of the session.
Throwing the ball was my next obstacle. While I don’t have any official shoulder injury, they both let me know on a regular basis that I have used them a lot in my three decades on this Earth. From softball and track alone, I’ve put them through the wringer. Add in all the years of basketball, volleyball and any other sport I’ve played, both shoulders have had their fair share of use.
I tried KT tape for the first time for the game. I am sold. It helped manage the pain and gave me support and confidence to throw the ball without feeling like my arm was going to fall off.
The tape held up for both games, and I am thankful. At the plate, I had a decent showing. I got on base several times and scored a few runs. My base running wasn’t as slow as I thought it might be. I was thankful for my daily walk routine as I sprinted around the bases.
It was great to get back in the game, even it if it was only for one night. Now I guess I know if James needs me again, I can go and be mostly ready to play.
Now with all of this summer activity, I can’t wait to see what happens next. It’s nice to get out there and enjoy the summer sun while we can. Adventure is out there! All you have to do is find it for yourself.
Contact Pam Rodgers at
prodgers@newtondailynews.com