Larry (Installment 8)

Sports

Football
My heart was never really in football. I did not have a support group. I had a vision of myself that was unconquerable by any that were of my class and that above me.

Freshman
As a freshman football player, I was one of the premier players on our team. But that does not say much when viewed in the context of our record, it does not carry much weight. I believe we won maybe one or two games as a freshman team.
Sophomore
It was time to join the big time. I was eligible to try out for the varsity football team. It did happen. Junior varsity could use a big boy like me to help hold the line. I never did have much pride in what I accomplished in my sojourn as a junior varsity lineman. In retrospect I would much rather have been a running back.
Junior
Now was the time of my best football years. I made the varsity team on every team. I was the big boy on campus at 170 pounds. I could push almost every team member at my will. I remember how surprised I was one day when the coach chastised another player that was just being pushed about by me. He stood up to me and held his ground. It was a shock to me that I was held. Our record as a team was abominable. We won a game, I think.
Senior
This was to be the time of my glory, where I was the chief of my own destiny. Alas it was not to be so. I did not even participate because I had taken a different course in my life. I decided to go on a work study program.

Wrestling
I would like to have done well at wrestling. Some people think that I had some of the necessary tools. I suppose that we will never really know.
Freshman
As a growing boy, it was given that the freshmen were put there for instruments of abuse for the upper classmen. We were the objects of their attention; I suppose, so they could teach us what if felt like to have some Red-Hot swabbed around our sweat soaked buttocks. Sweat had a way of getting that Red-Hot to activate and burn.
The freshman team had some stars. I was not one of them, but I did manage to always be on the team.
Sophomore
At 138 pounds, I was beginning to flesh out a little. When I went in for my physical required to participate in sports, the doctor made some sort of a comment about me being a healthy little rascal. When I asked him what he meant by that comment, he could only say “nothing.” I made the varsity wrestling team. I was so proud of myself. I won half of my contests.
Junior
I made it to second in district this year. Too bad I was removed from going to state competitions through a wrestle off. Since the district tournament was a double elimination tournament, since the person that beat me also beat the person that took third, he was given a chance to prove that he could beat me. Which he did.
At 167 pounds, I was in fairly good physical condition. This was the time that I did the best in athletics. I worked hard and tried to do well. I enjoyed wrestling. I was the master of the team. I could beat anybody else on the team. The heavier classes were less athletic than me, and I was bigger than those that were smaller than me.
Senior
Too late. I decided to go onto a work study program. Got in trouble too many times at school and lost interest in applying myself there.