When the girl jocks intimidate you, join 'em!
Back in university, I was afraid of a group of girls. The athlete girls. You know who I’m talking about. They were the rougher, tougher, smoker, swearer girls. The I’ll-smile-at-you-but-you-won’t-smile-at-me type of girls. These were girls who ate, slept, and breathed soccer, and every time I passed them in the hall of my small community university, I’d find myself retreat into itself, like a flower withering in the heat.
Of course, I never showed them they intimidated me. No, every time I walked by them, I’d put on a cool-as-a-cucumber face, give them a casual nod—to which they ignored—and walk on by. But deep down, I was kinda scared of them.
And I didn’t like it.
I didn’t like it because I was noticing a trend in my life. When things scared me, rather than face things head on, I’d back off. I wouldn’t try. I’d run away. And I didn’t like this trend in my life.
So I did what every trying-not-to-be scared-of-the-jocks girl would do: I joined the soccer team.
Yep, I tried out for the university’s indoor varsity soccer team, and even though I had never played indoor soccer before, by some act of God, I made the team.
And suddenly I was baptized into the world of the girl jocks. And not just a sprinkling. Full immersion, Baby! Now, I didn’t just have to walk past them in the hall, but I had to talk to them. Change my clothes in front of them. Pass the ball. Take the ball. Work with them as a team.
And you know what? It wasn’t that bad. They weren’t that bad. In fact, many of them were quite nice. I had a good time.
Did I totally fit in? No. Besides being the weakest link on the team, I’m not the super sporty type. I like to write. And sing. And do artsy-fartsy stuff.
But was I proud of myself? You bet. It was a good lesson for me. To challenge myself when I feel myself retreat. To put myself in uncomfortable situations, so I can build up inner strength. To show myself I have what it takes, and to stop listening to the voices that tell me I can’t.