More about my experiences with sports from 6th grade

Yes this is Aaron Craft - one of the  most amazing defensive players ever at OSU - His energy, passion, and tenacity was amazing!  He could not shoot to save his life most of the time!

One of our 6th grade teachers - Mr. Huth began an after school basketball program for our school.  I went once or twice.  I was cautioned about dribbling the ball almost as high as my head.  I was not a bad shooter because I had a net in my side yard and enjoyed shooting baskets.  What I soon discovered was that - in 6th grade I was still only about 4' something - those that were playing basketball were a wee bit taller.  Basketball was one sport I really did enjoy but curse the day I did not grow past 5'4" - or that may have been my sport.  It certainly is one of my favorite sports now.  Just read my Facebook posts from November to March to know I live for basketball.  

I also tried swimming getting on our club swim team when I was in 4th or 5th grade.  This happened because one of my friends from elementary band Joey Edleman was on the team.  I enjoyed the swim team and though I was not to great, I swam anyway.  I really enjoyed diving more.  I spent many hours at Chestmont Swim Club diving off the low board and the 12 ft high board working on various types of dives and trying to perfect them.  I even created a buzz one day when I was up on the high dive and looked like I was going to do some extraordinary back dive.  I had quite a group of on-lookers amassed.  I stretched out the suspense for as long as I could and then as I went to dive - I faced front and just dove in.  I rose out of the water to a tumultuous amount of boos and catcalls!!!  It was really funny.    Sadly our school did not and I guess still does not have a swimming pool.  I was jealous that my cousins, who attended Owen J. Roberts High School, had a pool in their middle school and created a high school team.  Swimming was another one of those sports where you were on your own - but still on a team.  I stayed on the Chestmont swim team until the summer I started high school.  Nine Oaks opened up and many of my friends, including Joey left Chestmont for Nine Oaks and then we did not have enough for a team.  

I just want to point out that the fella 4th from the left with the blonde hair was one of my students - his name is Andrew -  He has a twin brother who also attends Ship and is on the track team.  They are a pretty amazing duo.  His Relay team has had a lot of success!!!

I decided in 7th grade (which turned out to be probably the best school year I had through out my school career) to go out for the track team.  I believe it was at this time I developed my love for running.  It was a sport I could do alone but still be on a team.  One of my elementary teachers told me I could be pretty good, so I figured why not.  I missed being on sports teams with the friends I had made through elementary band and chorus as many of them were now playing sports.  Because I was also the jr. high bands feature baton twirler during marching season, I had also developed a certain amount of speed from running away from the bullies that harassed me and teased me on a regular basis.  

I started on the team and began practice and loved it!!!  We ran miles in awful weather, and I still loved it.  But slowly, as time and practice went on, my shins began to hurt.  The pain was really getting worse the more I ran.  I will never forget my mom, dad, and I were shopping at this discount store up near Pottsgrove High School.  I want to say Two Guys, but I am not sure that is correct.  We were walking around, and the pain in my shins become so severe that I could hardly walk at all.  My father, God Bless him, picked me up and carried me out to our car.  That was a Saturday and Monday afternoon with a heavy heart - I quit track.  I found out that I had shin splits in the worst way.  I also found out from my brother Bob's ex-girl friend Donna Coppenhaver, who was a track and tennis coach at Owen J. Robers, that i was running flat-footed and hence the reason I had shin splits.  

Once my shin splits healed, Donna, who got me through Mr. Miller's Geometry class, worked with me to develop the correct form for running.  It was really great of her, because she was no longer seeing my brother - though I suspect that she was hoping - hell we were all hoping back then.  We loved Donna - but i digress I need to locate the shiny object to regain my focus.  

As I stated earlier - the one sport I probably could have excelled in during the winter was wrestling - but until my brother Bob started teaching at Conestoga Valley and became an assistant wrestling coach, our family did not even know wrestling existed and by this time - it was really too late for me to wrestle in school.