HS countdown #5-- TEAM SPORTS

My friend, Karlin, and I took Team Sports together our senior year. (In fact we had EVERY class together.) Anyway, team sports was a PE class- most of the students were guys- but we had fun playing basketball, softball, soccer, going to the local bowling alley once a week, and playing an occasional game of dodge ball.

For some reason-- I had a dress on when we were scheduled to go bowling.. so I changed into my gym clothes but didn't have any shoes.. so I went to the bowling alley in my socks. I bowled a killer game-- two sets of turkeys-- something I have yet to do since that day. On my way out, I was so excited and distracted that I walked out with the bowling shoes on my feet. We didn't realize until we got back to the school and we were in our next class. I stole the shoes-- and didn't leave any at the bowling alley, so I never returned them. I am going to hell for sure. I still have the shoes and can still bowl a decent game.

During the basketball season (towards the end of the first semester) my friends and I were at home game and happened to be sitting next to a few guys in our team sports class who were standing on the front row of the bleachers and SCREAMING the F-word and other obscenities at the referees. It was annoying and it was giving our school a bad name. I had the AUDACITY to tap them on the shoulder and ask them to clean up their language because "not everyone likes to hear the F-word." They apologized and seemed cool that night.. but when we got to school the following Monday, I was in BIG trouble. Their whole group of friends hated me and started spreading rumors that I was trying to get them expelled, etc. I felt bad because I wasn't trying to make enemies. They were constantly swearing at me and my friends and even hung up a picture of us in the hall with quotations coming out of our mouths such as "I am too good for everyone." and "I rule the school" (Who has that picture now? Michelle?)

Things were always amplified in our teams sports class because we were actually playing against these guys-- Karlin and I would try to get on their team, but they would always switch no matter what we did-- so they could target us. It sucked because they were big guys and I was scared of them. One particular day, I pulled Coach Poland (our teacher) aside and told him I didn't want to play DODGE BALL because I was afraid of the guys who were going to peg me with the ball. He laughed and told me not to be a baby.. so I played. The minute the game started, I had balls flying in my direction and I was relieved every time I got hit so I could sit out for a minute-- I kept praying that no one on my team would catch a ball so I wouldn't have to play again.. It sounds funny now, but it seriously sucked. As soon as I went back into the game, I had three hard balls flying my way and one happened to hit me right in the face- giving me a bloody nose. Karlin came with me to the girls locker room to help me clean up and I was sobbing.

Months later, at a graduation party, they apologized to me.. and I think we cleared things up, but you never know.. they probably still hate me. I actually ran into one of the guys a few years ago and the first thing he said to me was, "I will never forget the day Ben Brandt pegged you in the face with that dodge ball. Do you still hate him?" I replied.. "No, not at all. In fact, I named my first son after him."

These pictures don't have anything to do with team sports because Nate Brisko was not in our class (thankfully) but I thought I would include them anyway. There was big drama about who stole Brisko's scary football picture out of his locker.. and I will finally confess. It was me. I hope that he's not coming to the reunion because if he is, he will probably be chanting my name while pounding his HATE stick..