Sports in the early years
Of course as many of you reading this know - I was the odd ball at my high school, neighborhood, community, probably county - as I was a male baton twirler. Not exactly considered to be a sport in the 70’s by well … anyone - despite how physically demanding it actually was. This was my first activity/sport I engaged in because I could do it by myself. Having an older brother who was a sports tri - captain did not help my situation, and my own father frequently banned me to the very back yard where no one could see me. This was because he was so embarrassed by his youngest son.
We moved to Boston during my kindergarten year of school and attended a private school. Since it was Boston and cold most of the time I took up ice skating. Once again not really a sport as far as my parents were concerned and even if they did, ice hockey was a sport not figure skating. I skated often and practiced hard at “Spot Pond” in near by Malden, where we lived. Someone asked my parents if they had ever considered figure skating lessons for me because I showed some talent and promise. I recall my parents talking about this - but they insisted it was too expensive and thus ended my figures skating career until I was in my late 20’s.
As I came from a family where football, basketball, and baseball were the only sports you played, I had few choices. I suspect that had wrestling been a sport of choice - I might have done ok with that. I was small and compact, flexible and agile. My gym teacher told my mom that I was really athletic more so than my very athletic brother he coached in football.
My interest in track began in about maybe 4th grade when the high school gym teacher’s wife Mrs. Reichenbach would run races on the playground. She encouraged me to enter on this one day. I was reluctant but did and ended up ripping up the field. Everyone was surprised except her. She gave me a knowing look and said, “See I knew you could be a great runner.”
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