Gym Class All Over Again

Weird basketball games and falling down; seems like gym class all over again. Looks that way, smells that way, so, this must be the reality. However, I am not an awkward child who gets picked last for dodge ball in middle school, nor am I slightly less awkward and in high school. No, I am a junior at a private university and I would like to think that my awkward phase is over. A class I am enrolled in, however, has me seriously doubting myself.
I am enrolled in a fitness class this quarter to fulfill a credit needed to graduate; I understand that, though I don’t really accept the idea with open arms. My previous knowledge of the class came from other students who took the class before. Apparently, I did not sign up with the same instructor as these students had. From my previous knowledge, this class was going to be a tour of the workout facilities, instruction on the use of different exercise machines, and a twice a week workout that I would earn credit for. Just sign in and work out for at least twenty minutes, and the class is over.

I was pretty excited to take that class. I knew that some general instruction on how to use machines properly and the promise of a credit hour would help me overcome my fear of the gym. Yes, I fear the gym; I am a gym-o-phobe. Why? Low self-confidence in my physical fitness and a lack of gym knowledge, of course! How do you solve low confidence in your physical fitness and lack of gym knowledge? You take a class that shows you how to work out, makes you come to work out so you become more fit, and gets you familiar with the facilities so that you feel comfortable there.

However, this is not the class that I am taking. No, I am taking a class that makes me play basketball (which I despise playing) in a creative way. Creative enough for me to do a 5 foot power slide across a gymnasium floor when a basketball was thrown my way. Not to worry, though, the volleyball pole I ran into stopped me from sliding any further. My right knee is currently disgusting. I would love to tell you about it, but I thought, “A picture’s worth a thousand words, right?”

So here is my gorgeous knee:

(actually quite hideous)

So, I just went on a whiny little (okay big) rant about my fitness class, but, I do really like my professor and I think he is going to teach me something very valuable this quarter. As much as I would like to blame the professor for my smile-shaped bruise and clown-nose floor burn, he is not at fault. I simply get way too competitive when it comes to sports and so, I dove for the ball and caused my own demise. I actually enjoyed gym class in high school because I am competitive and I like to have fun while playing games like numbers basketball, I just wasn’t expecting a class like this in college. So, kudos to my professor for throwing me a curveball, but he had better duck, because I’m a great hitter.