Tag: Me and Mine

I am on a team this summer and really enjoying it. I got to wondering about how many teams or regular pick-up games I have played on:

• Kingston NS, baseball, around 1974 – one summer in grade six or so. Having a pitcher pitch past me terrified and I swung quickly to get out of the batter’s box. Coaches telling me where to throw the ball but I could never remember. Big road trip to Middleton, NS, seven miles away.   Soon Dad had me learning the bagpipes on Friday nights instead.

• Kingston, NS, West Kings Junior basketball, 1976-78. During grades 8 and 9 I played second string centre which is pretty bad as I was six foot two at 12 years old. Leg cramps were my best move. Once got into double digits for points during a game. Once had a small group of junior high fans chant my name after entire first five fouled out. Big road trip was to Middleton where we made fun of the other coach. Went to basketball camp at Acadian summer of 1978. During the fall of 1978 I tried out, made but never played for CEC basketball team. Saw Canada’s men’s team play Greece at Acadian University with my grandfather over from Scotland.

• Kingston, NS, flag football, summer 1978 – conversely, I ruled at field goal kicker hitting 30 yarders regularly. Led team in points as I recall. Had one touch-down on a fake play. Dad saw a guy get his neck injured during a game and told me I was done with the sport. All games at the Greenwood airforce base field.

• Truro, NS, C.E.C. soccer team 1979-80 – captain grade 11 and 12. Sweeper. We sucked. One win in the first season. Next year about 50-50 I recall. We partied with Swedish exchange student as he knew the rules and he also had his own apartment. Big road trip was to Pictou.  Played indoors though the winter of grade 11.

• Halifax, NS, Kings College varsity, 1981 – played soccer only in my first year. Sweeper. Bars were more interesting soon thereafter. Big road trip was to Sydney Cape Breton when three of our team ended up in the hospital.  A mad Geordie made us run up and down Citadel Hill.

• Truro, NS, town team, 1982 or so – played in the northern NS league during one university summer playing in Pictou and New Glasgow. Sweeper. Big road trip to Halifax to play on the SMU field against a team stacked with Swicks.

• Halifax, NS, Crows, Sunday afternoon game at Jubilee Street, 1986 to the 1990s – half a field three hours of sweating out ales from night before. I played goal suck for the most part.   Best kick of my life from half at the beginning of the game when I realized my keeper was eating MacDonalds in the goal.   I strike a ball very hard at his head.   He had to dive, squeezing his burger and shake as he went down.

• Halifax, NS, law school soccer, 1988 – first year was the best team I ever played on even though it was only intermurals. Sweeper. I faced a striker for medicine who played pro. Much fun.

• Pembroke, Ontario, 1993 or 1994 – played soccer on an old timers team in a seniors league. Bad idea. Played the Airborne Division once before whole Somalia thing. I heard my leg muscle tear before I felt it. I also coached kids two years.

• Charlottetown, PEI, Sirenella, 1998 – Provincial Senior Men’s B league. Player manager. I think I only kept the various players from driving each other mad. Two games a week and two practices. Big road trip was to Summerside when only 8 guys for us went. Got hammered. Played a couple of games indoors as well. Many former Yugoslavs and my Syrian barber. Team collapsed soon thereafter and I gardened my acre in 1999 and 2000 instead of tieing up the laces.

• Stratford, PEI, Saturday morning game, 2001 and 2002 – Ten am to noon, May to October. Friendly and easy going…but I still knocked out the organizer and CBC reporter, Pat, when he played me too close on a header.

• Golden Nuggets, Kingston, Ontario, Old Timers League, 2004 – Big road trip is to Belleville twice a year. Good guys and not a lot of nastiness on the pitch. We have a striker from Argentina.

I am quite surprised there have been so many.   No hockey.   Rare for a Canadian.    I have not included the great elementary school chess tournament where Kingston, NS, travelled to Berwick.   We each played three games.   My last game was the last in the tournament and if I tied, we won.   There was a time limit to get us back home which was earlier than my game would last if I took the maximum time between my moves.   Coach said stall.   I stalled.    Angry Berwickers.

At 25, a breakfast of Advil, coffee and a generous rubbing of tiger balm on Saturday morning usually followed a night out in the pubs of Halifax. At 41, it follows old timer’s soccer. The shirt worked. Keeper for a half. Shutout.

My little problem has been getting a bit of exercise during Euro 2004. Portugal, Ipswich, two Scotlands, Preston North End long sleeve, Hull City centennial version.

Holland (2004 version) should be cheap on eBay soon enough.