Growing up I played every sport I could: baseball in the summer, football in the fall, basketball in the winter and later, track in the spring. Over the years I’ve accumulated a lot of t-shirts and they have become my one and only keepsake. The things is, just like they told me when I was playing, the t-shirts don’t remind me so much of wins and losses. While it’s true some still hold the stain of tough seasons, what I remember most when I look at them are the things I learned, the people on the team and the experience of being in singular pursuit of a goal. Sports held a purity for me back then. It’s only now that I look back on their formative influence and realize just how valuable they were. These are the things that my old t-shirts remind me of when I look at them. I hope you enjoy these stories.

The End

When it gets right down to it, we never know.

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A Different Kind of Team 

Who woulda thunk I’d discover what “team” was in beer league softball.

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Counting Pitches

In everything we do, we all have a limited amount of time.

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Bored

Sometimes we do things for reasons unknown even to us.

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Tradition 

I’ve written a lot about these t-shirts and what they remind me of but haven’t really explored why I kept them in the first place.

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Status

Although it doesn’t look like much now it’s is definitely in my top three.

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Lopers

My hometown college saved my ass more than once.

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Fight or Flight

I never experienced this instinct quite as vividly as the time I boxed in college.

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Superstition and Substitution

Superstitions in sports are no more a new thing than are fans living vicariously through the athletes playing them. I developed a whole new way of looking at both during my son’s senior year of high school football.

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Freshman

In hindsight my false sense of independence was really stupid. Fortunately some of my fraternity brothers possessed more maturity and wisdom. (Fair warning: the word ‘ass’ is probably over-used)

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Oxfords and Polo’s, Oh My!

Every point has a counter-point, every thesis an antithesis and every lesson has an equal and opposite scenario where I learned nothing. My work shirts, those golf or polo or dress shirts, have no story to tell.

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District Champs

In the midst of what should have been a time of celebration I experienced some confusing reactions that surprised me.

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Fight Night

A one-of-a-kind experience in college still brings back memories of a cowboy trainer and a broken nose.

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Joe Average

My JV Coach gave me my first shot at being published, a leap of faith for which I will always be grateful.

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Push

Track taught me the importance of pushing yourself beyond who or what you thought you could be and how much work that took.

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Let ‘er Rip

As an intimidated sophomore defensive end, I missed a lesson from an upper classman I wish I hadn’t.

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Three Pitches

Some look like they’ve got ants in their pants and are ready to bail out at any moment and some step into the box like they’re Willie Mays.

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