My name is Shelby Holladay and I hate sports.

It's true, I hate them. I hate them because I had a horrible experience growing up taking P.E I dreaded going to P.E. every single day because it was such a burden to me. Getting dressed in front of half the girls in my class sent shudders down my spine. Kicking around a soccer ball made me want to cry myself to sleep. But the very worst part: Pacers. Everyone hated going to P.E. on pacer day, but me especially. Our teachers expected me to run around 50 pacers every week but usually the best I could do was 25. It wasn't because I wasn't trying, because I was, I just physically could not run that many pacers. I was a consistent A and B student but I usually would have a C in P.E, because I would have a failing grade on pacer days. Most days, in lieu of playing kickball, soccer, ultimate frisbee, etc., we were allowed to walk laps instead, and you can bet your bottom that I utilized that privilege every day I could.

You see, it all started when I was little. I was weird, I wore glasses, and I had few friends. I would sit on the side of the playground and read my Junie B. Jones books instead of playing four square and basketball like the other kids. I read was reading at a High School level in Third Grade because I read for fun. My parents took my books away and sent me outside as a punishment. At seven years old, I had a pretty extensive vocabulary and could hold long conversations with adults. Because of this, my motor skills suffered. Sure, I was taking ballet lessons, but it's not the same as playing a sport. Looking back, people always ask me if I regret not playing soccer but I really don't, I turned out fine. When other girls were playing soccer, softball and basketball, I was spending my days in a dance studio, or cheerleading at my brother's football games. I also was really keen on cooking and baking. My parents always thought I would end up being a chef because I watched the Food Network instead of Disney or Nickelodeon. It's no surprise that I'm now involved in music.

So, what I have to say is this: if you don't like sports, there is nothing wrong with that because they are not my favorite, and I am perfectly happy with the direction my life and childhood went in. Don't wanna go outside with the other kids? Stay inside with a good book, bake some brownies, or listen to some Beethoven.