What Sport Were You Best At?

Basketball

For me it was whitewater rafting. I fell into it accidentally; had gone with friends a few times and loved it, then met a guy around the corner with a rafting business, took a rafting guide class, started working. Suddenly I’m spending 15-20 days a month on the water, running rivers all over Oregon and Northern California, from ½ day splash and giggle local runs to 5-day wilderness trips in beautiful canyons few ever see. Freaking best time ever* (*not unrelated, my future wife, a competent guide herself, is joining me on much of this fun). This was my main income for two years.

Favorite memories include moonlit night time runs on the South Fork American (upstream from Sacramento), and the 5 days trips on the Owyhee (SE Oregon), and Grand Ronde (NE Oregon) rivers. Topping all though, was the most challenging run, 3 days on the Illinois River in SW Oregon - through amazing wilderness scenery, dozens of class 3 – 5 rapids, so isolated there’s not even a trail along river for most of the run.

The feeling of drifting toward big whitewater, always scanning, reading the currents, knowing you got this (well maybe, the river can pull surprises) was a mix of adrenalin and bliss. 200+ days of rafting gave me a lifetime of memories – a hot spring 1 step away from cold river, makeshift steam saunas by candlelight, swimming rapids in lifejacket, and mile after mile of the prettiest places on the planet. Good times.

Skiing, then and now.

Football, then Rugby.

Baseball

@skibum, never could get the hang of skiing, but have thought of its similarity to river running.

You're on 'top', about to slide down (a form of) water, missing obstacles, finding a path that's the most fun.

1. basketball

2. bowling

I expected someone to say "pocket pool" by now. You've let me down.

Steph similar to skiing bumps (moguls)

Football. I somehow thought high speed collisions were amusing. Hockey was similar but I wasn’t as good at trying to glide on blades and still collide as intended.

Football (soccer), I almost turned professional.

Football and baseball were good sports for me as a young man and boxing was my favorite, then I started surfing and swimming, never stopped, I now use a stand up paddle board I find it to be both relaxing and I enjoy my dats on the water, and swimming is something I never stopped I do approximately an hour a day free styling every morning

Track. Believe or not I was a sprinter. Could have gone to college on track scholarship but chose not to. Had an older cousin that went to Baylor on a track scholarship and heard how brutal the workouts were. The brotha's at nearby high schools did not like seeing my school bus pull up to the track meets on Saturdays. They just couldn't stand the fact that a white guy could run faster than they could.

Skateboarding, snowboarding, and golf. Basketball gets an honorable mention.

I enjoyed playing all sports, though I did not consider myself good at any.

I liked playing Volleyball and skiing the most.

Warrior15 - So was I. ran the 100 220 and anchored the 4X4 relay. But then I got more interested in girls and gave it up. 9.8 100. Had to give up the long jump because I kept bruising my heel. Won a gold medal in the shot put at a summer YMCA camp. I was also a receiver when I played foot ball.

Growing up I was always the best player on my school's soccer team and one of the best in my league. Then when I got to college and joined an intramural team I realized that the only reason I was the best back home was that I was playing against other redneck farm kids. In reality I was a below average player once I starting playing against people that actually had talent. 😭

From that point on I decided to stick to watching and gambling on sports instead.

Pocket pool

1. basketball

2. Sailing

Fucking

^ I almost qualified for the sex-olympics of 1992

In high school? Lacrosse. Loved the combination of skill and endurance that it required.

College and beyond, up to 5 years ago, sailing.

I played many school sports such as Football, track, bowling, baseball, softball, and basketball. I was only so so in all of those. However, my favorite sport in which I excelled in for 40 years was martial arts. Studied many of the arts and competed in at least 2 tournaments per month from 1977 to 1997. I finally quit competing in 1997 when I won the Illinois state championship in men’s black belt division and then took 3 rd place in the Missouri State championship in men’s black belt division. I continued to teach up until 2009. I miss teaching it and I miss competing. After a total of 40 years studying the arts, I miss the daily workouts. Thinking about doing it all over again.

Baseball.

checkers.

Girl watching

Baseball. Because of my intelligence I was really good since baseball is 90% mental, and the other 25% physical.

I was a decnt athlete overall and played the most common sports like swimming, soccer, baseball, football and basketball. But I peaked kinda early - 40 points in a basketball game as an 8th grader - though admittedly the competition wasn't too stiff in that league. As a senior in high school I missed the day that the whole class did the mile run for some reason (don't recall why, maybe sick) so I had to run it solo at the next class. I ran it in 5 min 22 seconds without stretching and was not playing any sports at the moment so was out of shape. I probably should have run distance in track or cross country but perceived running as boring and lame. I now like to play golf and ping pong and occasional basketball. I ski a bit but not enough to be very good.

Hockey. Played year round and worked hard for a long time to overcome a lack of size and average speed to become a good player.

I played basketball in college

@Meathead: "Because of my intelligence I was really good since baseball..."

Lol, @Meathead. Do a Google search under Dunning-Kruger Effect. One of my new-years resolutions is to be less snarky -- but it's still 2019 and usually break my resolutions, anyway.

I used to surf as a kid in S. California. I've been swimming laps and into road cycling all my life. Road cycling is still my most important athletic activity. Was on the tennis team in high school but probably the worst guy on the team.

^^ Randumb you make being snarky non-snarky cause for you it’s showing how you project your insecurities onto others. Keep in mind your Dunning Kruger effect when you google the Yogi Bera baseball quote “baseball is 90% mental, the rest is physical”.

At least you recognize your athletic inabilities. Probably why you had to marry an Asian. They can’t handle anyone too large.

We will see if you catch on, Randumb!!

I used to be into competitive gum-chewing and placed 3rd in the state a couple of times

Ping pong. I was a real Forest Gump.

I won medals in swimming (backstroke and freestyle) in hogh school regionals. State championships in Cross Country and wrestling. Lettered in long jump, triple jump, and hurdling. Mountain biking and paintballing for fun when I was in college. Tried skiing one time in college, it was fun but I did not have the money or free time to devote to becoming any good.

Pocket Pool

^^ lol!!

Soccer, Bicycling, Swiming, Wrestling

SJG

I was probably best in soccer as a kid, not that I was good enough to get on the varsity team at my high school. I was all right in basketball if I could stick to 3 point shooting, but then I was supposed to play defense and that was the end of that.

In college, my partner and I made the quarter finals of the 2 on 2 volleyball tournament one of the dorms had (they had over 150 teams), so volleyball may be the best answer. I never could do regular volleyball, though.

I always liked to ride my bike around, but that went away when I got a car for myself way back when.

Baseball, including college scholarship. classic quote Meat....

Baseball

Tennis

I played many sports, and was never a top athlete.

My favorite sports are distance running, basketball and tennis.

The most success I've found was in playing tennis, as I was able to play several years in high school and college. But, I enjoy basketball more.