7 ms·

> soccer players who came in with bruises that you'd associate with a severe beating I was a lacrosse goalie in high school and didn't have the sense to wear s

by lj3 10y ago

> soccer players who came in with bruises that you'd associate with a severe beating I was a lacrosse goalie in high school and didn't have the sense to wear shin pads. If you run your fingers along my shin, you'll feel divots where the bone never regenerated. I too used to walk around with bruises on my legs that you'd associate with a severe beating. > Is this because of Mountain Dew commercials and 1980s GI Joe body image stuff? It's considerably more primal than that. Sports are the modern equivalent to tribal rites of passage. We're not allowed to kill our rivals anymore, so we settle for beating them in a physical sport in order to establish our physical dominance. It's empowering in a way that few things are, especially as a teenager and extra especially if you were bullied throughout elementary school.

ArkyBeagle 10y ago
I was 120 lbs soaking wet when I was 17. The school gently guided me away from sports. Good thing, too. Best coach I ever had. I graduated high school close to 1980. Sure, there were guys finishing the big game on a broken bone but it seems like there's a lot more emphasis on this now, and it seems more dangerous and higher risk. I have nephews and kids of friends who are electing out of organized sports. FWIW, I feel lucky - we had basically one bully and he didn't last. Expelled. I remember in "Brian's Song" where Alex Karrass' character sold cars in the pro football off season. I dunno; I saw "Bigger, Stronger, Faster" and it gave me pause.
- lj3 10y ago
  When I was 16, I was 130. That's after I spent three years in the weight room every day putting on muscle. I played every sport my school offered at least once, but I played football for 8 years. I never regretted it and I encourage everyone, especially the indoor geeky types, to try out for sports. Any sport. Even historical sword fighting. ;) It's an important experience that fewer kids are getting exposed to in this day and age thanks to helicopter parenting. Not to mention the life long social and health benefits
  - saiya-jin 10y ago
    there are sports which will cripple your health in long run, almost guaranteed. many contact sports, it football comes to mind. some of my high school classmates are semi-cripples because of it (they can walk around, and that's about it). depression can be seen in their eyes - once you know what having a healthy and strong body means, and then losing it forever. I've done my share of team/contact sports in my youth. nothing horrible happened apart from few broken fingers, but stuff I do now makes those sports look super boring/borderline idiotic when looking back (ie coach yelling at you like a little girl, running you around 'to break you to unlock your potential'). What I mean - trekking, skiing, climbing, via ferratas, cycling on unpaved roads, a bit of easy ski alpinism and mountaineering. but I agree that any activity/sport is endlessly better than none, that's for sure
    - wallflower 10y ago
      > depression can be seen in their eyes - once you know what having a healthy and strong body means, and then losing it forever. I've talked to a friend of a friend who basically doesn't fear what normal people fear (e.g. talking to beautiful women, surfing, rock climbing, talking to strangers - he is really successful at sales). I asked him what his biggest fear was. He said it was to his lose health/lose control of his body (e.g. bad accident/paralysis). We all have fears, and I think, in the end, we all fear mortality. And those who don't have the fears we most have (e.g. talking to beautiful women), fear their mortality/fragility of even the most fit body the most.
      - ObeyTheGuts 10y ago
        I never get whats the difference talking to beautiful women compared to anyone else? Im reserved and dont talk people much but there is no difference at all who those people are! Overall talking women is even bit easier as they are less dangerous on average.
        orbitur 10y ago
        For me, it's probably a holdover from my teenage years as a socially awkward and horny boy. I'm in my 30s now, but there's weird mental habits and impulses that are still sticking around. I'm happily married, I don't cheat, I don't want to cheat, I'm really not interested in the "hot woman," but if I end up talking to her under any circumstances, there's a loud chorus of voices in my head screaming "dontfuckitupdontfuckitupdontfuckitup." I push through and get over my initial nerves, because I'm a grown up, but it's awful and annoying and I wish it would go away.
- rangibaby 10y ago
  As the level of players gets better and better the game gets more dangerous. Rugby is a good example of this, over the past couple of years there have been multiple deaths because IMO the players are too big and too skilled. I watched a pro game from the 70s on YouTube between the two best rugby teams (NZ and Australia) and the level of play was shockingly bad, to the point that even an amateur club team now would have a good chance of beating them.
- jedrek 10y ago
  > it seems like there's a lot more emphasis on this now, and it seems more dangerous and higher risk. College costs more than ever, so "pushing through" means you might make the playoffs, might get noticed and get a full ride. Hell, they're told, they might be able to go pro! Very few people tell those kids the truth: It's a fool's errand. Only 1-2% of the kids who play basketball, football or baseball in high school actually go on to play in a division I school in college. Football players have the greatest chance of actually going pro, with a 1 in 600 chance of actually getting paid to pay pro ball... for an average of 3.5 years. If baseball is your game, it's 1 in 1850.

by lj3 10y ago

ArkyBeagle 10y ago

I was 120 lbs soaking wet when I was 17. The school gently guided me away from sports. Good thing, too. Best coach I ever had. I graduated high school close to 1980. Sure, there were guys finishing the big game on a broken bone but it seems like there's a lot more emphasis on this now, and it seems more dangerous and higher risk. I have nephews and kids of friends who are electing out of organized sports. FWIW, I feel lucky - we had basically one bully and he didn't last. Expelled. I remember in "Brian's Song" where Alex Karrass' character sold cars in the pro football off season. I dunno; I saw "Bigger, Stronger, Faster" and it gave me pause.

lj3 10y ago
When I was 16, I was 130. That's after I spent three years in the weight room every day putting on muscle. I played every sport my school offered at least once, but I played football for 8 years. I never regretted it and I encourage everyone, especially the indoor geeky types, to try out for sports. Any sport. Even historical sword fighting. ;) It's an important experience that fewer kids are getting exposed to in this day and age thanks to helicopter parenting. Not to mention the life long social and health benefits
- saiya-jin 10y ago
  there are sports which will cripple your health in long run, almost guaranteed. many contact sports, it football comes to mind. some of my high school classmates are semi-cripples because of it (they can walk around, and that's about it). depression can be seen in their eyes - once you know what having a healthy and strong body means, and then losing it forever. I've done my share of team/contact sports in my youth. nothing horrible happened apart from few broken fingers, but stuff I do now makes those sports look super boring/borderline idiotic when looking back (ie coach yelling at you like a little girl, running you around 'to break you to unlock your potential'). What I mean - trekking, skiing, climbing, via ferratas, cycling on unpaved roads, a bit of easy ski alpinism and mountaineering. but I agree that any activity/sport is endlessly better than none, that's for sure
  - wallflower 10y ago
    > depression can be seen in their eyes - once you know what having a healthy and strong body means, and then losing it forever. I've talked to a friend of a friend who basically doesn't fear what normal people fear (e.g. talking to beautiful women, surfing, rock climbing, talking to strangers - he is really successful at sales). I asked him what his biggest fear was. He said it was to his lose health/lose control of his body (e.g. bad accident/paralysis). We all have fears, and I think, in the end, we all fear mortality. And those who don't have the fears we most have (e.g. talking to beautiful women), fear their mortality/fragility of even the most fit body the most.
    - ObeyTheGuts 10y ago
      I never get whats the difference talking to beautiful women compared to anyone else? Im reserved and dont talk people much but there is no difference at all who those people are! Overall talking women is even bit easier as they are less dangerous on average.
      - orbitur 10y ago
        For me, it's probably a holdover from my teenage years as a socially awkward and horny boy. I'm in my 30s now, but there's weird mental habits and impulses that are still sticking around. I'm happily married, I don't cheat, I don't want to cheat, I'm really not interested in the "hot woman," but if I end up talking to her under any circumstances, there's a loud chorus of voices in my head screaming "dontfuckitupdontfuckitupdontfuckitup." I push through and get over my initial nerves, because I'm a grown up, but it's awful and annoying and I wish it would go away.
rangibaby 10y ago
As the level of players gets better and better the game gets more dangerous. Rugby is a good example of this, over the past couple of years there have been multiple deaths because IMO the players are too big and too skilled. I watched a pro game from the 70s on YouTube between the two best rugby teams (NZ and Australia) and the level of play was shockingly bad, to the point that even an amateur club team now would have a good chance of beating them.
jedrek 10y ago
> it seems like there's a lot more emphasis on this now, and it seems more dangerous and higher risk. College costs more than ever, so "pushing through" means you might make the playoffs, might get noticed and get a full ride. Hell, they're told, they might be able to go pro! Very few people tell those kids the truth: It's a fool's errand. Only 1-2% of the kids who play basketball, football or baseball in high school actually go on to play in a division I school in college. Football players have the greatest chance of actually going pro, with a 1 in 600 chance of actually getting paid to pay pro ball... for an average of 3.5 years. If baseball is your game, it's 1 in 1850.