I've played team sports my entire life - volleyball and soccer in grade school, volleyball and softball during high school and volleyball, soccer and softball post-college to present-day. In fact the only time I didn't play sports was during college, other than the odd intramural.
There are a few things I love about team sports:
- the games are scheduled - I have always been the type that schedules my life around my games - they are priority #1 (not all team players can say this and I've experienced the frustration of having more than one on many teams...)
- the competition is invigorating - although I don't like to lose, I'm usually happy just to get out and play and do my best
- doing my best is usually pretty good - I'm not an Olympian by any stretch, and there are always one or two teammates more skilled than me, but I'm usually one of the better players on the team.
- my self-confidence is strong - My friends would see a very different side of me if they played on a team with me. Honestly, I only truly feel like 'myself' when I'm participating in a sports team. That's not an easy thing to admit - motherhood has taken it's toll on my confidence in general (as it does for a lot of mothers!) and playing sports is my release from the doubts and guilt - when I'm on the field I know exactly what I should or shouldn't be doing. Even when I screw up, I'm able to shrug it off and try harder next time.
- of course, the EXERCISE! - almost as a side-affect, the cardio benefit from soccer has been, until recently, the only thing that has kept my weight in-check.
If you've been following my blog, you'll know I recently added swimming and running to the mix - they aren't team sports - and lately I've been finding it harder to make them a priority. I haven't gone swimming since my classes ended and I haven't gone running in weeks... I've *thought* about doing both almost daily though!
A couple weeks ago I finally found my way to the YMCA to meet with a personal trainer (as part of my Y-Champion commitment, I was allowed 2 sessions). I haven't worked out in a gym since before having children - 5+ years now! It was great to use free-weights again, not so great to be doing so in front of strangers and all those mirrors... Alison, my trainer and fellow Y-Champion who ran the 1/2 marathon in the Blue Nose, put me through my paces and developed a simple free-weight routine I can do in 1/2hr at home. "Perfect", I thought. "I'll just schedule it into my days, twice a week." Well that was over two weeks ago and I've done the workout once!Holding myself accountable has never been my strength. I can create the perfect schedules for all kinds of things like housework, workouts, meal-planning, etc. but when it comes time to follow-through, I tend to fall off the wagon within days or weeks, sometimes even within hours of creating another one of my TimePoster masterpieces!
I guess that's my biggest attraction to team sports, it takes the accountability bit out of my hands. Funny how I will attend every single game - unless I'm deathly ill or out of town - but try to 'attend' a 1/2hr workout in my basement is nearly impossible! And there's even less to be concerned with - I don't need to arrange for child care!
I'm going to need some help with this - help to make my OWN schedule a priority. Do you have any tips, suggestions, clues that will help? How do you fit the 'unnecessary' necessaries into your daily life - like working out, housework, life-planning, etc...??
