Stopped playing because I was old as f^^k

Sport isn't just a contest that occurs on the field, track, in the ring or pool; It's a contest that also happens internally, within a sportsperson's mind, heart and soul. A contest of will, attitude, endurance, courage and desire.

I've played a lot of sports in my time, field hockey, soccer, kart racing, shooting, tennis and so on and have been very good at some and passingly good at others however the one common theme across every sport I played was the will to perform at my peak, the best I can, and I trained and practiced tirelessly to make that happen. I drove myself to do so. The sport I played (competitively) for the longest period of time was American Football and I poured myself into it for ten long years driving harder and faster at it, relentlessly pushing my mental and physical capabilities to the extremes of endurance.

I started playing American Football at the age of twenty two and for 10 years of my life I dedicated most of my time, effort, blood and sweat into the game, and my pursuit of excellence - Which sometimes came, and other times didn't.

The regime was pretty strict; I trained at the gym for a two hour session on Tuesday and Thursday, had practice with the team on Monday and Wednesday which involved lifting and speed work, hitting and tackling drills, running plays with the offence and then running them against the defence, studying new plays and honing existing ones and preparing for the upcoming team...The usual stuff. We played either Friday night or on Saturday night and Sunday was reserved for trying to move, letting aches and bruises rest before adding to them on the Monday again. I fitted in a full time job and my life with my wife in also. It was a busy time.

I was good at the game and my role within the team. Not great, just good. I was fast, could cut this way and that, bob and weave when required, stayed low and kept my legs pumping. As full back part of my job was blocking for the half back who was much faster, more nimble and happened to also be my brother. We made a good team with him on the long-yardage plays and me picking up the short-yardage and first downs. He scored more touchdowns than I did, and got a lot more accolades, but I was happy to do the grunt work and pound mofo's for the greater good of the team and get the occasional TD. No, I didn't dance when I got one. Cold as ice, baby. Im src

I loved the sport and my role within the team. I was a captain, and later towards the end of my career was one of the senior members who would assist with the young guns, mentor them. They were fast little buggers too, but a little experience and know-how helped me keep them in check on the field. Besides, I used to hammer like a friggin' freight train so would dish out some hurt when required...Kept them in their place although didn't stop the old-man jokes.

Highlights were playing for the State Team against some visiting American teams (high school teams) which was a lot of fun pain. Those fuckers were fast and could damned well hit! Buggers. Good lads though.

I ended up billeting one at my home, a guy from Elko, Nevada, and we still stay in touch to this day. This was back in 1996. I also played State against a team from Pine Gap, the space-tracking secret-squirrel American facility in Northern Territory. It was a great road trip and again, a lot of fun pain. Those guys were of a better standard than the high school teams, bigger and more skilled, but not quite as fast. Military types mainly, who opened up a can of wup-ass on us. I cant recall the exact score but we lost, 17-24 or something like that. Not a total drubbing, but the 18 hour bus ride back was one of abject misery and pain and I was popping pain-killers like Tic Tacs.

Other highlights were simply on a game by game basis although I got some trophies for stuff here and there. Generally I was happy with getting a great touchdown or a massive block taking some asshole linebacker off his feet. There was that time some asshole (special teams coach) thought I should return the kick-off's...Talk about nerves. But it worked out, I gained good yardage mostly, got slammed and gave it back for a few weeks until our kick returner came back from injury. (Thankfully).

Lowlights? I had two operations plus fractured my ankle, broke two ribs and my thumb also. Was bruised for ten years straight, couldn't get out of bed on Sundays without assistance and got addicted to pain killers. I also accepted cortisone injections in my knee before each game from year 4 onwards which I wish I didn't do. The lowlights endure also as my back gives me grief a lot these days.

I also did some dastardly shit on the field which I regret. (Yes folks galenkp actually has regrets.) I stepped on a guys neck once...The full weight of my body - Not proud of that one and can still see the whites of his eyes and grimace of pain through his visor as I looked down and grinned at him. I also worked hard for almost half a game pounding one guy over and over who ended up in hospital with concussion and never played again. Another shameful moment chalked up to the g-man. I did other stuff, started and finished fights on the field and generally dominated when possible, allowing my pride, hubris, skill and strength to get the better of me. These things taught me lessons I've carried forward though, thankfully, but I call them lowlights because I regret being that guy.

I stopped playing because I was old as fuck, and slow. Well, not slow, just slower. The game was getting away from me and I hung up my pads and helmet. It was a sad moment and hurt inside for a good deal of time. I started coaching the running backs for a while but being on the sidelines was too difficult for me. I wanted to be in the thick of it, with my brothers on the field. My actual brother had moved interstate a couple years earlier and to be honest it wasn't the same without him there. We were a good team.

Anyway, I stopped playing and, other than several games coaching, for about ten years never watched a game in person or on TV. These days I watch now and then, the big games mainly, but still have only a passing interest in it. It's funny right? Something that commanded ten years of my life, was so important to me, just fades into nothing almost the moment I stopped playing. Weird. I started watching the game as a 10 year old, the NFL, following the Washington Redskins...And now I couldn't really care less.

I have every game I played, except the Pine Gap game, on tape somewhere. I watched them the week after I played the games to review performance but haven't watched them since. My wife was also there at every game, again, except the Pine Gap game and she'd cheer and worry in equal measure depending on what was going on. She told me to be safe once...That was the game I broke two ribs...She never said it again because I blamed her for the injury. I'm glad she was there though. One of our first dates was at the football back before I turned 18. Romantic huh? I picked up my romance game from there folks...rest assured.

Playing this sport and excelling at it left me with a lot of confidence, some of which I probably used for evil purposes but mostly not. It was a good feeling, being so strong and fit, so skilled at my job on the field and off. I learned a lot about myself and others and feel that those ten years taught me many things I have carried into my later life. Things like tenacity, persistence, humility, hard work and effort. It taught me about ownership and responsibility, about dealing with adversity of mind and body and the importance of mateship, honour, courage and endurance.

The bad things I did on the field are far outweighed by the good and I'm grateful to the game for being a focus in those years, giving me a singleness of mind, to pursue excellence within myself.

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Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default and aim small, miss small.
Discord: @galenkp#9209 🇦🇺