I stopped playing competitive sports after my mom made me play for my middle school's basketball team in seventh grade. Before this year, I hadn't played flag football since eighth grade gym class, and I don't know if I'd actually call that flag football. My friends and I would just stand in clumps, pretending to play this "sport," when actually we'd just gossip about middle school boys and talk about weekend plans. So when I signed up to play co-rec non-competitive intramural flag football with my sorority and another fraternity, I was pretty proud of myself. Here's what I learned after five games:
1. No matter who you're playing, there's always someone on the other team that you hate
The girl who is just way too aggressive? The boy who doesn't tuck his shirt in all the way so his flags aren't fully exposed? Yeah, we've all been there.
2. Plays don't really work in flag football
Maybe I'm just saying this because I don't understand football, but I feel like once the ball is snapped, it's every man for himself.
3. Everyone looks sportier wearing football flags
4. The mercy rule can come in handy
5. When only four girls on your team show up to the game, you play both offense and defense
Because it's a co-rec team, there has to be four guys and four girls from your team on the field at all times. Only four girls showing up means that you have to play the whole game. Sports. I love them.
6. Sometimes things happen and your team gets to move forward because the other team did something wrong
7. It's actually kind of fun
I would like to apologize to my team because I'm not very good at flag football. A lot of the time, I stood on the field, confused and in fear that someone would actually throw the ball to me. Unfortunately, we lost our first playoff game so the season is over, but I made a lot of good memories. Until next time, my friends.
