Double Digits

"The devil is hard in my face again
The world is a hundred to one again..."
-Sufjan Stevens

I played basketball in high school. I was a starter my junior year, and a team co-captain my senior year.

We weren't very good.

Actually, we were pretty bad.
We lost games by 50+ points on numerous occasions.

But that's when it got fun.

In our halftime huddles, we often glanced at the 42-4 scoreboard and got excited. "Double digits, ladies! We can do this!" Rather than aim to beat the other team, we set a goal just for ourselves. "10 points! Just three more baskets, girls." We knew the win was out of reach, but victory was not.

I'm convinced there was much more happiness in the WA Lady Knights' locker room after a 63-11 loss than in the winners' room.


Why reminisce about high school basketball? Basketball intramural season starts next week at MAA.
An even greater reason? My scoreboard. I'm losing. I've only got a couple points, and the opposition is racking them up. "The world is a hundred to one..." This game is out of reach.

Why keep playing?

Because the championship is already won. This game, win or lose, will not change that. All that's left is the sportsmanship award.

I'm gonna win that award.

(and maybe, as a bonus, I'll get double digits, too)