Hey guys. I’ve got to level with you.
It’s been harder than I thought to keep up this fitness stuff.
It turns out even with this new discovery, I legitimately do enjoy peer-involved exercise (check out my articles about my Zumba and futsal experiences) my goal of Getting Back In Shape has progressively been getting harder to keep up between classes, midterms, work, friends and the rest of my life as I know it. I came dangerously close to falling off the bandwagon this past week, nearly resorting to diving head-first into an ocean of Ben & Jerry’s and lazy, lazy regret. What saved me, you ask? What pulled me back from the edge of the precipice that was nearly the disappointing dissolution of my New Year’s Resolution? Two words: Water. Basketball.
Part Three: Water Basketball
Balancing on the edge, I dip my toes into the pool. Not as cold as I thought. I breathe in the deliciously chlorine-rich air and slip into the water, floating suspended beneath the surface for a brief moment of peaceful aquatic silence. As I resurface, I see that most of the other players have jumped in too, and are in various stages of acquainting themselves with the pool and each other. Some people know each other from residence, others from class. I only know the girl who invited me, but everyone happily introduces themselves. My friend floats over and smiles reassuringly at me.
I smile back. I’m really not nervous for this game because the residence sports group people aren’t a league at all; these guys just get together a couple times a month to blow off steam and play for kicks. The most nerve-racking part of this experience was actually deciding what bathing suit to wear, but it turns out I fit in pretty well with my one piece since the other girls are mostly wearing sports bras or bikini tops with shorts or swim bottoms. I don’t think anyone but me really cares what I’m wearing, truly. It’s a surprisingly liberating feeling.
We get a quick run-down of the rules before starting. Much like ordinary basketball, each team tries to score on the basket; since we only play on one side of the incredibly long pool you just bring the ball over the designated ‘half’ line to change possession to your team. Other than that, there aren’t really any rules. The only danger is drowning, but in waist deep water with twenty people watching you plus a lifeguard on duty, the risk is pretty low. Splitting the group right down the middle, I get pitted against the girl I came with. The rivalry begins.
I’m into this game the second it starts. Half swimming, half jumping, all ridiculous, I’m moving around the pool waving my arms like a maniac as I try to block and steal the ball from the other team. The competition quickly heats up, but it’s all in good fun. I laugh the entire time, at several points accidentally choking a shocking and slightly gross amount of water into my lungs, which of course causes me to laugh harder. Almost every person playing takes a shot at a basket at least once and though there’s lots of misses, there’s also a lot of baskets.
We play until we’re all exhausted and finally someone calls out:
“Next one in wins!”
Everyone bears down as much as is possible while sort of floating about in the shallower end of a public pool, as the epic fight for the final basket begins. The volleyball flies about, bouncing splashily over the water as both teams struggle to keep it in their possession. The ball somehow winds up in my hands, and I look up to see that I’m alone beneath the basket with a perfectly clear shot ahead of me. Quickly, yet as smoothly as a dream, I toss the ball up, up, up into the air and it arcs towards the basket with the appearance of beauty and grace, as if it were set on its path by someone who actually knows what they’re doing.
Swish.
“Yeah Jessica!” one of my teammates calls, and I can feel myself glowing.
I didn’t need the game-winning shot, honestly. Playing water basketball was enough of a reboot on its own to get me back in the game on commitment to keeping up my resolution. I didn’t even notice I was exercising because I was having so much fun – which is really why I picked this resolution in the first place; to have more fun and as a result, be more healthy. I slept like a rock that night (and I may or may not have dreamed a blissful dream of that magical, final basket).
Will I keep up with my resolution? I seriously hope so. The only way to know for sure is to check out my article next week about the UBC Yoga club!