New Beginnings and Field Hockey

Ever feel like you don’t belong?  That was me as a little fourth grader.  My mother made me, as well as my older sister, transfer from our very familiar private school family, to a new scary public school.  Many people adapt to change without a care in the world.  In fact, they live for the thrill of change.  I, on the other hand, get quite nervous and my brain automatically thinks of the worst scenarios of what could happen, especially as an itty – bitty fourth grader.  I needed to find where I fit in best at my new school, but where?

The year I transferred was a year of great change for me; new school, new friends, new routine, and a new found love.  No, I did not fall in love with my soulmate as a little fourth grader.  I found an even greater love; field hockey.  I had never played or even heard of field hockey before until my sister dragged me to one of her practices.  Witnessing that one practice was all I needed to know that I HAD to participate in this sport.  I was hooked.  That evening I begged my Dad to buy me a stick and the very next afternoon I was on the field warming up for the very first time.  I finally belonged somewhere.

At first I had no idea how to even put my shin guards on, but as most fourth graders, I didn’t care.  Just being on the field with my new stick in my hand made me feel at peace.  It didn’t matter to me that I had no clue of what I was doing, it didn’t matter that everyone knew each other except for me, all that mattered was that I was happy to be a part of a team.  Sure, there were some difficult skills to learn, and I didn’t fully grasp all of the rules that encompassed the game until about four years later, but all of the friends and memories I made COMPLETELY outweighed the “difficulties” of the sport that came to be my first love.

Photo credit: steveritchie via Foter.com / CC BY-NC