There comes a point in every athlete's career where they officially become "washed up," and I have sadly reached that point in my life. Well, I hit it last year, but I have finally come to terms with it. The washed up phase of athletic ability is a slow decline from your prime that will eventually turn into an extremely fast decline toward a life of yard sports and other grown up sports. How do I know I'm washed up? Well thats easy. My biggest recent athletic achievements include winning an intramural championship and winning Cornhole once or twice over the last few summers. Now, I'm not disappointed because I need to dominate my friends in KanJam now, but I am very disappointed in what aspects of my life I'm missing now that I've migrated out of my athletic prime.
Ever since I was 5 years old, I have been a part of a sports team, and those sports teams were arguably the biggest parts of my social life all through high school. Between soccer, baseball, and basketball, I have made a ton of great friends and have had a few decent athletic achievements on the way. Even though I loved every team I've been a part of, no team ever meant more than my high school track and cross country teams. I have never met a group of people, between coaches and teammates, that have made me so happy to be part of a team. Running was the most difficult thing I have ever done in my life. It's like an ice bath; it hurts like hell when you're doing it, but you feel fantastic afterwards. If it wasn't for the people I was surrounded with, I do not know if I would have continued on with the sport.
I genuinely looked forward to every single practice after school and hated the lull in between athletic seasons. The team I was a part of, at Billerica Memorial High School, was the best thing that ever happened to me. Everybody supported each other 100% and knew that there was nothing more important than a good attitude, especially in a mental sport like running. I made some of my best friends on that team and never had a day where I wasn't smiling or laughing, regardless of how hard the workouts or runs were that day. Not being a part of that team anymore has taught me how much it really sucks being washed up.
That team, whether they know it or not, has provided me with some of the best memories of my life so far, and I really do thank them for that. Every single one of my teammates meant a lot to me, and now that I am no longer a part of many sports teams, they only mean that much more. So, while I'm off practicing horseshoes and letting my competitiveness out on the college intramural leagues, I will always be reminiscing on the times that once were with my second family. I can only hope that every athlete has the opportunity to be a part of a team that was as special as the one I was on, even if it means it won't last forever. Being washed up is much different than what I've experienced most of my life so far, but every athlete will have to go through this transition, as hard as it is.
I mean, even David Ortiz retired when I did. Coincidence? I think not!
