The Most UnAthletic Person There Ever Was

--aka the wordiest post there ever was, but this one's more for my own archives than for anything else!--
That'd be me.
Hello!
Whoever said that a packed schedule breeds inspiration and productivity was one smart pickle. Because for the past week, I've remained more or less completely sedentary (except to reach over and play the next The Mindy Project episode); as a result, my brain has nothing of quality to share whatsoever. But I couldn't let 2013 sneak away without telling this one last story.
Care to play a game with me? It's an easy one. Simply pick the girl who doesn't belong:

Weirdo with the elf ears? Nope! {And I'm the only one allowed to say that because that weirdo is my best friend.}
Here's a hint. Bottom row. Fourth from the left. Fifth from the right. Red sweater, black blazer. Asian with a smirk. Ya can't miss her. Yep, it's me. And why is that?
All the other girls in this photo are NCAA, Division I athletes. They are some of the best softball players in our nation. Meaning... they dedicate about 95% of their days and lives to the field, they have about maybe 5% body fat, can lift really heavy weights like it ain't no thang, and can hit a ball into the next century. Me? I'm not that far off. Check out this swing:

Homerun, indeed. Even though I was named after a basketball team, I grew up with no sports gene in my body. I was the girl in middle and high school who got cut in the first round of tryouts for every sport you can think of. Oh, except I was on the track team for a hot second - but only because track teams are of a "come one, come all" kind of nature, and also I used practice to socialize with my friends and not really to, you know... run. The point is, I have zero hand-eye coordination. I can't catch or throw a ball to save my life. I don't know what speed is. (Is that a drug?)

Yearbook and orchestra were my extracurriculars of choice, and I loved both. But you can very well imagine my surprise when I walked into my freshman dorm room for the very first time and my new roommate offered "oh, and I'm on the softball team! So, in the spring, I might not be around a lot."

I watch a decent amount of football and basketball, but softball? The closest I ever got to this sport was when I Googled "how to play baseball" while writing an article for the school newspaper junior year of high school.

Long story short, after two years of attending a good amount of softball games, befriending the entire team, living with half the junior class, liking or re-tweeting every big play and homerun on every social media channel, and hearing softball stories day in and day out...

This past September, the coaches officially asked me to be the student manager for the team. I'm the first one they've had in 20 years/our entire softball program. I only went to the field 2-3 times a week, and only had one main job (filming). Yes, a groundball rolled at me and hit me when I was 200 feet away. Yes, our trainer gave me a 10 minute lesson on how to roll an extension cord. But for anyone who's ever seen me attempt anything athletically... I've come pretty far.

It's been such fun being a part of a sports team. The dedication and commitment, the hard work - holy wow, guys. It's impressive. I've gotten an inside peek at the camaraderie and the bond. I've seen firsthand the sweat and the tears, and the laughter too (dem coaches are hilar). So to you biddies on the team who pop in and check this gig out every now and then - thank you so much for being so welcoming and warm. Good luck on the start of the season and see ya in the Spring, lovebugs. I'll be re-tweeting every homerun from across the pond!

One of my favorite memories of all from somehow finagling my way onto a NCAA roster? Other than wearing team-issued Nike garb to the airport and getting "recognized"? I went to go watch the girls condition one day; it's this impossible circuit. I almost died just from watching. But as I watched their spirit dwindle a little and as their bodies weighed down from the intensity and as they looked so dejected and worn and exhausted and out of energy, they cheered and cheered and cheered for each other, gasping out words of encouragement. "Do it for the person next to you!"

And that's teamwork in a nutshell, isn't it?

the parka. the parka means you're in.