Kaeli Ayers
I’ve become known as the want-to-be sports journalist that doesn’t actually participate in any sports. That’s only partly true; it’s really just team sports that I was never big for.
Very recently that has all changed. About two months ago I was walking down the hall at school when I saw a poster for the curling team. Did I know that the school had a curling team? Yes. Had I ever thought about joining it? No. Curling is a game of coordination and strategy, neither of which I have.
But, I am now a member of the curling team. Am I actually good at curling? No, not at all, I’m terrible at it. I leave almost every practice with bruises on my knees from falling on the ice. But do I like curling? Yes, I love it. It is fun, and I guess it kind of makes me a sort of athlete.
I didn’t just stop at curling. After being on the curling team for a couple weeks the sign-up sheet for the Grad Hockey Game appeared on a bulletin board at school. The Grad Hockey Game, if you didn’t know, is a pre-Christmas tradition at Smithers Secondary.
Hockey had always been my favorite spectator sport, but as un-Canadian as it sounds I had never actually played hockey. I remember once playing pond hockey with my dad, who has played hockey all his life and some of his friends and their kids, but I’ve never worn equipment or played in a game where they actually kept score. My name made it on the sign up sheet though.
Before I knew it, it was the night before the game and my dad was teaching me how to put on the equipment. Pathetic, I know.
I woke up the next morning after having very little sleep, because I was positive I was going to end up in the hospital after playing in the game. I spent the whole morning being ridiculously nervous, and then it was time to suit up.
When I stepped out onto the ice I was in compete awe. I was about to play in my first real hockey game, and that was a big deal for me.
I played for about two minutes of the game and fell down twice in about five seconds and am pretty sure I contributed nothing to the team, but I played in my first game, and I didn’t end up in the hospital. It meant a lot to be with my grad class and I will remember if for a very long time.
Curling and hockey are two sports that I am absolutely terrible at, and should definitely not expect to make a career in, but I have enjoyed them. And to my teammates from curling and the hockey game, I apologize for not being a very great asset to the team and I think I will just stick to reporting sports from now on