balls
from time to time i play football with some older guys who are in their 30s to 40s, and oh man, some days it gets really depressing.
watching them play, i can easily tell that they were once good players, but work, family, old age, and perhaps a sedentary lifestyle have brought them to such a sorry state.
and the thing about footballers is that we will almost refuse to admit defeat. sure, they will complain about this and that, but when the ball comes, they will always try their darnest to make things work.
the sad thing is even their best efforts often fall short of their expectations and requirements of the reality of playing against guys in their teens and 20s.
one thing i have never ever ever heard though, is them talking about their past abilities, like "i could have done that if i was 20 years younger." in their minds, they can still do it, not better or worse, just play in a different way from before.
anyway it was early last year when i was thinking about this, and i suddenly realised, fuck me, i probably have less than 5 good years left before everything starts dropping off.
that got me into a little bit of worry because i have never thought of that before. playing football has been a part of my life since i was 10, and i need to perform well in order to enjoy it. i've never thought that there would come a time when i would lace up my boots and be entirely hopeless at it.
like a man who found out he has only 5 years to live, i wanted to play as much as i could. my regular football games were dwindling and i had to do something about it.
in the past, i would only play if there was at least a group of people i knew, but from last year i would ask around and turn up for games where i only knew the person who brought me in.
it worked out well for me in the end. despite my leg becoming permanently stiff and immobile after a long injury the previous year, i still managed to have a very good and productive year.
now i have managed to find regular groups for 4 days each week so i hope i will never be short of football this year, and i hope it will be another fruitful year.
watching them play, i can easily tell that they were once good players, but work, family, old age, and perhaps a sedentary lifestyle have brought them to such a sorry state.
and the thing about footballers is that we will almost refuse to admit defeat. sure, they will complain about this and that, but when the ball comes, they will always try their darnest to make things work.
the sad thing is even their best efforts often fall short of their expectations and requirements of the reality of playing against guys in their teens and 20s.
one thing i have never ever ever heard though, is them talking about their past abilities, like "i could have done that if i was 20 years younger." in their minds, they can still do it, not better or worse, just play in a different way from before.
anyway it was early last year when i was thinking about this, and i suddenly realised, fuck me, i probably have less than 5 good years left before everything starts dropping off.
that got me into a little bit of worry because i have never thought of that before. playing football has been a part of my life since i was 10, and i need to perform well in order to enjoy it. i've never thought that there would come a time when i would lace up my boots and be entirely hopeless at it.
like a man who found out he has only 5 years to live, i wanted to play as much as i could. my regular football games were dwindling and i had to do something about it.
in the past, i would only play if there was at least a group of people i knew, but from last year i would ask around and turn up for games where i only knew the person who brought me in.
it worked out well for me in the end. despite my leg becoming permanently stiff and immobile after a long injury the previous year, i still managed to have a very good and productive year.
now i have managed to find regular groups for 4 days each week so i hope i will never be short of football this year, and i hope it will be another fruitful year.
2 Comments:
4 days a week is A LOT of football.
By
dqb, at January 20, 2015 3:12 pm
i don't go for all, at most 3 but usually 2.
i would consider if they weren't clustered together on friday, sunday, monday, tuesday.
should probably try to go for all and see how badly i'll die.
By
cromber, at January 21, 2015 11:50 pm
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