My Best Sports Year

My Best Sports Year

I did practice throwing a ball in our back yard! Unfortunately, I’m not very physical. I am physical, just not “sportsy” physical. However, six graders are apparently supposed to love sports, according to Ms. Jenkins, our gym teacher in sixth grade.

I was new, just moved to Massachusetts. The parents promised me I’d fit right in! Ha! Sixth grade, these kids have been together since kindergarten! A new girl fit right in, like a worm in a bird cage! I had to try, it wasn’t like they were gonna move back to Michigan for me.

It was our softballs first game. She split the class, my “team” up to bat first. We all got in line, I was number eight. I was not looking forward to it. As I stood there the girl in front of me was talking to two girls behind me. Something happened and they were soaking it all in, whispering, privately, around the "new" girl... As we moved up, they got closer, to hear better. By the time number seven went up to bat, I had been squeezed out of the “group” of low whisperers getting closer to hear.

Number seven batted, and then, the girl formerly behind me batted! Then the other one! No me! Nobody even noticed, and the third strike out was struck. We were sent to field positions.

I got left field, I wasn’t even sure what it was, but I found out. It was easy… nobody hit the ball there! So, I stood in the grass, picked flowers, and also, I never did go up to bat!

I assumed Ms. Jenkins probably couldn’t even remember who I was, beyond, “not a trouble maker” … so she gave me an A!

So, that was definitely the best sports year of my life!