Chadstroma
Footballguy
What sport(s) do you wish you played in organized competitive settings that you did not as a kid? Show your work and explain why you wish you had played it and why you did not.
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What Sport Do You Wish You Played? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Chadstroma
- Start date
titusbramble
Footballguy
(Field) hockey. Only ever played it a couple of times in school on grass where it's not even a real game, didn't get properly into it until university through knowing someone on the first team and being "that looks fun (on an artificial surface), let's play that". If I'd picked it up sooner and so wasn't pretty bad, it'd have been more fun
zamboni
Footballguy
Same - played a tiny bit on ponds, but it wasn't a big youth sport/widely available in my day. Would love to have developed at least enough skill to hold my own in adult leagues now. Plus as much as I watch/love the game, the experience would make me appreciate it even more.
Stoneworker
Footballguy
Lacrosse.
I remember seeing a Sports Illustrated cover of Johns Hopkins player as a kid and thought it was the coolest sport ever. Hockey + basketball + soccer combined.
Not very accessible for most public schools, unfortunately.
I remember seeing a Sports Illustrated cover of Johns Hopkins player as a kid and thought it was the coolest sport ever. Hockey + basketball + soccer combined.
Not very accessible for most public schools, unfortunately.
urbanhack
Fight The Power!
Basketball
Grew up in small town Indiana where everyone played. I played in elementary, middle school and our freshman team. Was a good shooter, but never great at anything. Went to all the camps, practices, but could never break through and it was obvious I was never going to make the JV or varsity team after my freshman year. Would love to have been stronger physically or worked harder to try and make the high school team. Our high school went on to win the State Championship in Indiana in 1984 when it was all schools vying for the state title (just like in Hoosiers) before they broke it down into AA, AAA, AAAA classes.
Grew up in small town Indiana where everyone played. I played in elementary, middle school and our freshman team. Was a good shooter, but never great at anything. Went to all the camps, practices, but could never break through and it was obvious I was never going to make the JV or varsity team after my freshman year. Would love to have been stronger physically or worked harder to try and make the high school team. Our high school went on to win the State Championship in Indiana in 1984 when it was all schools vying for the state title (just like in Hoosiers) before they broke it down into AA, AAA, AAAA classes.
Zow
Footballguy
No real regrets, but I wish I had gotten into golf sooner.* I loved baseball, basketball, and hockey but while I was good at them, I'm just not all that naturally talented and if I had put the massive amount of time I put into baseball into golf, I'd probably be really good now (talking + as I'm currently a single digit handicap as is) and probably would have played in college and utilized the sport as a networking tool much earlier than I have been able to,
I do regret quitting wrestling for basketball in sixth grade. While I liked basketball better, I was much better at wrestling and it had me in great shape. It was also my dad's favorite sport and I know me quitting for basketball bummed him out. As I'm a father now, the continued bonding over wrestling would have been more memorable than me being decent at middle school basketball.
I thought I was good at hockey but grew up in the wrong area as it was mostly roller. Went to college in MN and looked foolish on the ice with guys that had played since they were four.
*I played competitive golf for one season in high school. I had no idea what I was doing and was our 7th man out of 8 with our 8th guy being another baseball player like me who really didn't know how to actually play. I did it because my friends were on the team and I could get out of school early. My senior year I got beat out by a freshman for my spot (and I would have quit anyway as my fall baseball team implemented a "no other sports" policy).
I do regret quitting wrestling for basketball in sixth grade. While I liked basketball better, I was much better at wrestling and it had me in great shape. It was also my dad's favorite sport and I know me quitting for basketball bummed him out. As I'm a father now, the continued bonding over wrestling would have been more memorable than me being decent at middle school basketball.
I thought I was good at hockey but grew up in the wrong area as it was mostly roller. Went to college in MN and looked foolish on the ice with guys that had played since they were four.
*I played competitive golf for one season in high school. I had no idea what I was doing and was our 7th man out of 8 with our 8th guy being another baseball player like me who really didn't know how to actually play. I did it because my friends were on the team and I could get out of school early. My senior year I got beat out by a freshman for my spot (and I would have quit anyway as my fall baseball team implemented a "no other sports" policy).
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Mark me down for this one as well. I love watching hockey and think it is a tremendous sport and am in awe of the balance/skating ability that the professionals have. I grew up in Southern California (Newbury Park area) and there was no obvious opportunity to play ice hockey. We had a rink for awhile very close by but as a youth I played club soccer and baseball and that basically took up my youth sport time. Hockey was never even a consideration. I wonder if I grew up in Minnesota or some place where hockey was common sport if I would have gravitated to it instead of basketball/soccer. Who knows I could have been better than Gretzky. Nobody will ever know. hahahaha
I have tried skating a few teams over the years and can get around the rink a couple times without falling. The longer I was on the ice the more comfortable and better I became but with no real instruction or real time on the ice I am pretty terrible at it. As an athletic kid I think I would have picked it up pretty quickly and with my soccer/basketball/baseball skills being good I think I could have been a decent to good player.
Don Quixote
Footballguy
Probably volleyball or tennis. I’m a lefty, and only sport that I played where somewhat of an advantage was baseball — I was okay with that until I got to the age where just being lefty that was able to throw strikes was no longer enough to get by as a pitcher (or could it make through the order once, but not twice).
I was pretty dominant at volleyball in gym class, but never had a team opportunity to pursue it further. Read afterward that being a lefty can be a big advantage. Similar with tennis too. Had pretty quick reflexes and good control on placement; just never really tried developing skills in organizational setting.
I was pretty dominant at volleyball in gym class, but never had a team opportunity to pursue it further. Read afterward that being a lefty can be a big advantage. Similar with tennis too. Had pretty quick reflexes and good control on placement; just never really tried developing skills in organizational setting.
Leroy Hoard
Footballguy
Professional Bowler. If only for the shirts and the chicks.
I won $2500 in a bowling tourney in Vegas a couple years ago so I consider myself a professional bowler and let me tell you the shirts and chicks are awesome
zamboni
Footballguy
This guy knows - wearing shades and doing fist pumps are (bowling) baller moves
CGRdrJoe
Footballguy
Definitely Golf, while I had my first lesson in 8th grade I didn't put any time or energy into it. I probably went to the range twice a year even though my grandfather worked at a golf course and had endless connections in that world. Baseball, football, skateboarding, snowboarding and surfing consumed my high school days but damn I wish I had golfed. I did try out for SDSU's baseball team but only lasted one day as a crazy swell hit San Diego and I blew off day 2 to surf....a common theme was blowing things off to surf including school 
Zow
Footballguy
1. Per the sports draft (that I won!), jockeys are clearly the only area of sports that I don't know.
2. You obviously haven't read the weight loss threads the last few years.
Zow
Footballguy
Yeah, not a huge regret at all for me as I don't currently play tennis (I mainly just play golf now), but I was naturally pretty good at tennis and would routinely beat guys on the actual tennis team. With effort and focus, I think I could have been good and probably would still be playing a lot as I now belong to country clubs and would play.
In short, this thread is making me realize that I wish I would have focused on the more "country club sports" (golf, tennis, pickleball, etc.) as opposed to the more "cool" sports that I focused way, way more on such as baseball, basketball and football. Presently, those country club sports actually make me money and probably would have gotten me scholarships as opposed to just only ever being decent at the more popular sports.
If I were told that I could pick any sport and I would magically be a professional and earn a living but not be a star I would pick golf because of the longevity that sport allows for your body. You can then transfer to the senior tour and continue making money as you get older. It seems like the best bet to have a long career and take a less physical toll on your body over most other sports.
Jaysus
Good times!
I wish I wrestled.
Wrestling is a great youth sport because it promotes physical fitness, discipline, mental toughness, self-confidence, and teamwork. It can help youths develop important life skills, including goal-setting, time management, focus, and resilience, all of which can benefit them both on and off the mat for their entire lives.
Wrestling is a great youth sport because it promotes physical fitness, discipline, mental toughness, self-confidence, and teamwork. It can help youths develop important life skills, including goal-setting, time management, focus, and resilience, all of which can benefit them both on and off the mat for their entire lives.
Bogart
Footballguy
This is also mine. I remember in the mid 90s, one of the first days of Internet, our warehouse manager was playing a crude disc golf putting game and mentioned that he played in tournaments from time to time. Didn't like the guy so didn't follow up. Would have been a blast in my 20s instead of learning to play in my late 40s.
FairWarning
Footballguy
Very impressive. Loved watching the Indiana tournaments on South Bend TV.
Zow
Footballguy
Oh, no doubt. Not even sure this is really debatable.
Only option I could see is maybe baseball where injuries (especially life-changing ones) aren't as prevalent where a decade+ career is plausible and then go into coaching of some sort, the front office, or being a local announcer to stay around the game. For example, Jeter, Craig Counsell, Alex Cora, and even Mark Grace* all lead pretty awesome lives, too.
*Who enjoys life arguably too much.
Mister CIA
Footballguy
Who do you think you are?
Zow
Footballguy
Get you three yards... get you three strikes.
Leroy Hoard
Footballguy
Zow
Footballguy
One last comment about pro golfers, as I have now played with several guys who have oscillated between Korn Ferry and the tour, for those golfers who aren't superstars yet also have to worry year in and year out about keeping their card, being a pro golfer can be a true, unfun grind. The reality on tour is the top guys get the majority of the money (and therefore live in Jupiter and fly the private jets) and most of the guys are left grinding to just keep their cards. And for those pro golfers, it doesn't sound so fun.
But, yeah, I can't imagine a much more stress-free pro career than like a Bil Haas or a Jerry Kelly - guys who hit the sweet spot of not being a superstar but never really having their tour cards put into jeopardy.
But, yeah, I can't imagine a much more stress-free pro career than like a Bil Haas or a Jerry Kelly - guys who hit the sweet spot of not being a superstar but never really having their tour cards put into jeopardy.
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Zow
Footballguy
Ohhh I almost made a turkey joke but figured it'd fly over everybody's heads!
Zow
Footballguy
So fun to play. I loved roller hockey.
Zow
Footballguy
Well, wait, as my wife likes to make fun of me for... so do I.
Does this mean I'm finally a professional athlete??!!
Chadstroma
Footballguy
For me... two sports....
Swimming
My son (now sons as my youngest just started) are in swim and it really has opened my eyes to the sport. Before beyond Olympics, I never cared much about the sport. I never considered it. The positives of it as I have observed from two seasons with my older son.
- Absolutely unbeatable conditioning. No other sport can really beat it in terms of overall physical conditioning for sport. The entire body being engaged at all times with resistance. It seems superior to me in terms of developing conditioning for a multi-sport athlete even if swim is not your top sport.
- Less wear and tear. Of course there are potential injuries but much less so than most other sports. Concussions, which are a high level of concern for kids, are basically non-existent unless you slip and fall on the deck. If I did swim, maybe my body would not be as broken down as it is now.
- Not knowing of the guy/girl ratio. If someone had told me about the ratio being at least 3 to 1 in swimming, I bet I would have tried the sport out as so many of my decisions in life from about 4th grade on had to do with those type of 'opportunities'. It seems the ratio gets even more in the favor of the boys as they get older too. What young boy would not want to be around a number of fit (mostly) girls with not a lot of competition around? Plus, they are in swimsuits. How did that not dawn on me as a kid?
Football
This may be not mentioned much here but for me, I never played in organized competition. Just pick up games and what not. My family was very dead set against it because of the known issues for knee injuries (concussions weren't really a concern back then) and it was always pitched to me as a threat to my basketball progression. I bought into it and never pushed towards it. I ended up blowing my knee out anyways with a bicycle accident and looking back I wished I had played as injury can happen one way or another if you are active.
- I think I could have done well as a TE or defensive end in HS.
- I enjoy football the most as a sport now.
- As I said, you never know how you can get hurt or not get hurt. Sure, football has a higher risk than other sports but life is about taking risks.
(Yes, I realize one argument for swim and one for football are polar opposites.)
Swimming
My son (now sons as my youngest just started) are in swim and it really has opened my eyes to the sport. Before beyond Olympics, I never cared much about the sport. I never considered it. The positives of it as I have observed from two seasons with my older son.
- Absolutely unbeatable conditioning. No other sport can really beat it in terms of overall physical conditioning for sport. The entire body being engaged at all times with resistance. It seems superior to me in terms of developing conditioning for a multi-sport athlete even if swim is not your top sport.
- Less wear and tear. Of course there are potential injuries but much less so than most other sports. Concussions, which are a high level of concern for kids, are basically non-existent unless you slip and fall on the deck. If I did swim, maybe my body would not be as broken down as it is now.
- Not knowing of the guy/girl ratio. If someone had told me about the ratio being at least 3 to 1 in swimming, I bet I would have tried the sport out as so many of my decisions in life from about 4th grade on had to do with those type of 'opportunities'. It seems the ratio gets even more in the favor of the boys as they get older too. What young boy would not want to be around a number of fit (mostly) girls with not a lot of competition around? Plus, they are in swimsuits. How did that not dawn on me as a kid?
Football
This may be not mentioned much here but for me, I never played in organized competition. Just pick up games and what not. My family was very dead set against it because of the known issues for knee injuries (concussions weren't really a concern back then) and it was always pitched to me as a threat to my basketball progression. I bought into it and never pushed towards it. I ended up blowing my knee out anyways with a bicycle accident and looking back I wished I had played as injury can happen one way or another if you are active.
- I think I could have done well as a TE or defensive end in HS.
- I enjoy football the most as a sport now.
- As I said, you never know how you can get hurt or not get hurt. Sure, football has a higher risk than other sports but life is about taking risks.
(Yes, I realize one argument for swim and one for football are polar opposites.)
The General
Footballguy
Wish I had started at Golf and Skiing earlier.
STEADYMOBBIN 22
Footballguy
At one time I would have easily said Boxing. My grandfather boxed in the Army so I took an interest. I was supposed to meet with a trainer who worked on the lesser cards of all the big fights in the 80s and 90s but he didnt show up to the gym and that was that.
Knowing what we know about concussions Im glad I never took it seriously.
Knowing what we know about concussions Im glad I never took it seriously.
Chemical X
Footballguy
Curling. Ice shuffleboard seems awesome.
otb_lifer
Footballguy
/thread
I would love to try curling. I can guarantee I would be flopping all over the ice trying to do that push off and glide to let the rock go as I am sure it is much harder than Curling Night in America makes it look.
Zow
Footballguy
Plenty via bets... alas, no actual 1099s.
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Beef Ravioli Part 2
Footballguy
Zow
Footballguy
1. Depends on the guys. The ones riding the Korn Ferry tour only, yeah, it's probably barely six figures, if that. Those are the ones sharing vrbos with other pros, driving it themselves, and truly grinding.
2. The ones with a hovering tour card probably do better, but (and we don't see this on TV) they rely heavily on making cuts in pro events and getting that check for 27th place or whatever.
And, yes, a of these guys likely have private sponsors. I know a couple of these guys myself (my closest golfing buddy stays in touch with some of the guys on the Outlaw tour who absolutely depend on sponsors). The most notable example is when Trump sponsored now tour regular Jim Herman.
Chadstroma
Footballguy
This seems like a sport that it is never too late to get into
Terminalxylem
Footballguy
Yep. Can't tell you how many 20-40 somethings I see injuring themselves playing basketball. Many of the other sports mentioned in this thread aren't realistic for middle age and beyond.
I wish I started playing tennis and rock climbed earlier, as it would have built a foundation to enjoy those activities later in life. Climbing in particular is difficult to improve as you age, but provides an excellent blend of strength, balance and flexibility training, in addition to problem solving.
Skiing too, but not really practical growing up in the southeast.
Also probably should have gotten into long distance running or cycling earlier, as my limited athletic ability lends itself to endurance sports.
One activity I'd avoid in retrospect: weight training. Too much about vanity, and likely to destroy your joints, if you emphasize beach muscle exercises like bench press.
