1. You have permanent bruises.
Playing sports can be fun, but we all know it comes with a price. That price is having bruises up and down your legs for the rest of your life. Who knows why they are there! It isn’t like they hurt anymore, they are just there.
2. Your joints are constantly cracking and popping.
If you played sports, then you definitely had your fare share of injuries. With those injuries came doctor’s appointments which included the doctor telling you to “stay off of it for two weeks.” Did you listen? Of course not. No one has time to take off two weeks of sports. There is always an important game coming up that you can’t miss. Now you are paying the price for this decision everytime you get up in the morning. The cracks and pops are just a daily morning routine now. If they didn’t occur, then you would think something was wrong.
3. Everything turns into a competition.
How can you not be competitive after you are done playing sports? Playing sports causes competition to become your basic nature. Daily activities are turned into competitions. For example, when walking with friends it turns into who can get to your destination the fastest. Your friends might get tired of it, but you can’t change who you are.
4. You have “Your Team”.
You will forever have a burning love for one team; it can be a baseball team, a soccer team, a hockey team, or even a diving team. You go to a game every season and even when you can’t go to the game you’re still cheering them on from the comfort of your home. They are “your team” and no matter how many games they may lose you will always be there cheering them on. You may even have a special dance that you done whenever they score.
5. Your tournament shirts are the most comfortable things you own.
We all have them. Your parents insisted on buying you a shirt every time you went of town for games or when you got first place in a tournament and now you have a drawer full of them. However, you are very grateful that your parents forked out the money because they are the comfiest shirts you have; they are also very useful for many occasions. You can wear them to bed or to work out in or when you’re lounging around the house or even when you don’t want to put a lot of effort into your outfit. You can never go wrong!
6. One of your favorite movies is a sport movie.
Growing up you always watched sports movies to gain some inspiration. Once you watched that one sports movie that gave you inspiration to play with all your heart, you were hooked. After that you watched the movie numerous times, learning every word and watching every play. Hoping that you could one day be as good as the athletes in those movies.
7. You felt like a piece of your childhood was being ripped away when you food out Sport Chalet was closing.
It was recently announced that Sport Chalet, the sporting goods store, was closing down and your heart broke a little. This was your go-to store whenever you were in need of a new glove or some new cleats or you had an injury on the field and you needed a wrap asap. Every time you went into Sport Chalet you came out with something in hand, whether you needed it or not.
8. Your garage was a gym.
Even on raining days, you had to practice. There were no days off. This is when your garage became your own personal gym and your dad became your own personal trainer, whether you liked it or not. It was filled with ladders, hurdles and medicine balls used for conditioning and more than likely all that equipment is still in there.
9. Your backyard was a field.
Your backyard had multiple uses other than barbecuing. It could be a batting cage, a practice course or even a mini court. You couldn’t always make it to the actual field or court so you had to utilize what you had on hand. You have lost a couple of balls or broken a couple of windows, but you made it work.
10. You know everything about the game.
You always know the game better than your peers. They just don’t understand that you dedicated years of your life to this game and that it was the first love of your life. They wouldn’t dare question your knowledge. Your sport will always have a special place in your heart and you’ll always be able to get back into the game, no matter how long it has been.