Lifting the Cianciotto Sport Curse
Posted by Joe Cianciotto
Wow, it’s been two weeks since I last posted.
With work and travel I haven’t had the time to do the blog justice so I’ve held off until now. Funny how much I missed it.
It was good that I took the time though. So many things that initially seem so small end up meaning so much more in retrospect. One thing in particular was my recent outing where I got to see Hannah play softball in her little league for the first time.
So, one of the bullets I thought I dodged with having girls was not having to curse a boy genetically with my lack of athletic prowess. Growing up I managed to take suck to a whole new level among a multitude of sports. I played peewee baseball for six excruciating years, sitting in left field where I think the only ball I ever actually touched was my own. I went out for the soccer team in 7th grade and instead got to be the equipment manager, but I could take smoke breaks (yup at 13) so that was a win. In my hometown where Lacrosse is like a religion, I was convinced that I would get hit by a ball in the face if I played… until I actually tried out for the team and was hit by a ball in the face. And in high school, the gym teacher convinced me to join the wrestling team at the 98-pound weight class because there was nobody in Nassau County who was that light, and by shear forfeits I’d do well. I kind of felt like that might have been my calling until three weeks later I got beaten by a guy with one leg (to be fair if he had the other leg he probably would have technically been twenty pounds heavier) oh and I got kicked out of a tournament for tickling someone.
I could go on but I think you get the picture, not exactly a winning formula to build upon. So there I am watching my first born little girl out there with a helmet (because that’s what they do now) and a glove that’s twice her size, bringing it. And you know I thought, maybe she’ll actually be good at this and somehow avoid my curse.
And then she played…
So yeah, she totally inherited my curse.
What was different though, is that Hannah was genuinely having a good time. Sure her helmet barely stayed on, yes she swung like five minutes before the ball was thrown…but she got to hang with her pal Mary who she hadn’t seen since pre-K and that’s all that mattered. And the really cool part is that even though she missed six times, all she remembered was the seventh time she connected and got a hit. Well that and that Daddy, Mommy and Sophie came to see her play. Think if I could learn to look at life a bit more like that even once in a while I’d be a happier person for it.
Also, starting next weekend, the plan is to go outside and practice softball together on a regular basis. I’m still definitely terrible at sports but somehow I don’t think that’s what Hannah cares about.. and neither do I.
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