What sport(s) do you or did you play? And what was your one shining moment?

[BoulderFish]

As I'm sure you guys know, I (thecoolestfish), could go on and on with this topic.... ;-)

Baseball was my 'main' sport, but I couldn't really think of any unusually special games/accomplishments. Maybe a 2-hitter I pitched in all-star play way back in LL.

Football was my 'other' sport, and that was the sport where I have a memorable game. I played CB on defense (high school), and we had one game where I had three INTs, with one returned for a TD. On the TD, the offense lined up in a slightly unusual formation. As I was trying to figure out my responsibility with this formation, it occurred to me that earlier in the game, this team lined up in the mirror image of this formation and threw a WR screen. I bet on them now trying the play to my side, so I crept up a couple steps and was ready for it. Sure enough, here it comes. I basically intercepted the pass in-stride going towards our end zone with nobody in front of me. Easy ~50yd pick-6 as the cherry on top of my best game ever.

This OP made me remember, here's a weird stat-line for thecoolestfish in life:
- Played baseball my whole life (including some adult baseball when I lived back in DC), I only ever hit two (over fence) HRs in my life, and they were in the same game.
- I used to play a lot of golf (worked at golf course). I've only ever gotten two eagles playing golf, and they were both in the same round of golf (a competetive round too -- "PA jr olympics" in 1992.
- After moving to Colorado eight years ago, a buddy and I started playing in a weekly pool league. I've only ever "broke and ran" the table twice in my life, and both times were the same night.

Strange, right?

 

[NedFromYork]

Of those eligble among the reception leaders, I lead York County in YPG at 24.3 in 1989. Look it up!

 

[BTMurphy]

Football, Baseball and Bowling. Had a few highlights but my favorite story is a field goal attempt. In addition to gaurd and linebacker/tackle, I was the kicker. We're playing Berwick ('83 I believe). They were led by Bo Orlando and in the midst of an undefeated streak that had them at or near the top of USA Today's rankings. If memory serves, they also hadn't been scored on in quite some time (might be wrong about that). Anyway, we had driven to within what would be a 40sh yard attempt. 3rd qtr. We're getting crushed. I convinced the coach to let me give it a shot. (Hit them in practice regularly). He says go! "I am gonna NAIL this". Oh, it went 40+ yards, ...straight up. Broke every technique rule in the book trying too hard. Oh well. Got my redemption next week against Southern hitting roughly 30 yarder with a min to go to squeek out a 9-7 win..

 

[artsandletters]

Of those eligble among the reception leaders, I lead York County in YPG at 24.3 in 1989. Look it up!

24.3 YPG?

 

[NedFromYork]

24.3 YPG?

Yes sir. Had looks from Bucknell to walk on but didn't pull the trigger.

 

[Steviedpsu]

Sr year in high school, I was on the baseball team. I had classmates ask me why I was wasting my time playing. I went on to start at 1st base. Our team struggled throughout the season and barely made Districts. We ended up runner ups and qualified for states. We got hot and made it to the state finals. We got 10 runned, but I ended up going 8 for 12 with a triple and had the game winning RBI in the Eastern Finals. The best part was at a party the town threw for us I got to thank all the doubters for motivating me to prove them wrong!

 

[jim cummings]

Football, Baseball and Bowling. Had a few highlights but my favorite story is a field goal attempt. In addition to gaurd and linebacker/tackle, I was the kicker. We're playing Berwick ('83 I believe). They were led by Bo Orlando and in the midst of an undefeated streak that had them at or near the top of USA Today's rankings. If memory serves, they also hadn't been scored on in quite some time (might be wrong about that). Anyway, we had driven to within what would be a 40sh yard attempt. 3rd qtr. We're getting crushed. I convinced the coach to let me give it a shot. (Hit them in practice regularly). He says go! "I am gonna NAIL this". Oh, it went 40+ yards, ...straight up. Broke every technique rule in the book trying too hard. Oh well. Got my redemption next week against Southern hitting roughly 30 yarder with a min to go to squeek out a 9-7 win..

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say you were 5'10, 220 lbs with 5.2 speed?

 

[royboy]

Wrestling, including one year in college. Had a losing record, but scored a pin vs our biggest rival school.

 

[AWS1022]

Played high school baseball and basketball. Robbed a home run in a 2-1 district championship win. Then in men's softball in the state championship tournament I went 14 for 16 and we won the states. I made the two outs in my first two at bats.

But the highlight of my athletic career was coaching my son in baseball all through his life and he made a D-1 roster in college. I've never been prouder of anything in my life.

 

[kgilbert78]

Soccer doesn't count**

How about chess???

 

[massimoManca II]

24.3 YPG?

Young Philipino Girls.

 

[mrtailgate]

Played some disc golf today. Managed to not hit a tree on a couple of shots.

 

[fairgambit]

It’s very easy to be critical of players at the collegiate and professional level yet how many of us wouldn’t trade places with them and wish we were competing at such a high level of athletics.

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.
Theodore Roosevelt

We should never lose sight of that but all too often we do. So with that in mind, what sport(s) do you or did you play and how far did you get? What was the apex of your athletic career, your finest hour, and what was your one shining moment in sports that stands out above the rest?

Very good thread john. There were a lot of interesting responses.

 

[CDLionFL]

I'd have to go with my first official football game in 8th grade where I took the opening kickoff back for a TD. Our high school was pretty much overmatched though almost every week. John Ritchie scored 4 times against us one year. Almost caught Robert Tate on a kick return as the gunner on the opposite side. He ended up in the end zone and I was lying on the ground with his shoe in my hand. That angle disappeared pretty quickly. Had a 1 loss wrestling season and played 4 years of varsity baseball but football was always the passion.

Sounds like a Mid-Penn I school. I watched both those guys do some damage to my school (CD) during those years.

I played high school varsity basketball and summer league baseball. I guess my shining moment in HS was being down 3 with :20 left and hearing my coach say go to the basket but instead, I dribbled to the top of the key, threw a pump fake, and drew a foul on a 3. Made all 3 free throws to tie the game. And then watched as we promptly lost the game on the next possession. But I always point to a game in intramurals my freshman year of college as the real shining moment. We were a team of freshman with our tallest player being 6'1. We had a make-or-break game for playoff positioning against essentially a streetball team. We watched them a couple of days before we played them and my three teammates were pretty discouraged. I told them I thought we could win and then devised a matchup zone that frustrated the hell out of them. Yeah, I scored 10 points in that game but it was the execution of the defense that I drew up that I was most proud of and we ended up winning in double OT with about 200 people ringing the court watching a bunch of short white guys win a game we had no business winning.

 

[medixman]

I'm in a motel in Burlington NC right now.I have an over 60 Senior Softball game at 12pm in a Issa tournament and I hope to have a shining moment between 12 and 1 pm!I played football and baseball at Cal State of PA from 1969-73.

 

[royboy]

I'm in a motel in Burlington NC right now.I have an over 60 Senior Softball game at 12pm in a Issa tournament and I hope to have a shining moment between 12 and 1 pm!I played football and baseball at Cal State of PA from 1969-73.

Good luck and check out the local barbecue!

 

[john4psu]

Very good thread john. There were a lot of interesting responses.

Thanks FairG. I think every person should experience something akin to making the game-winning FG and also missing the game-winning FG in their lifetime to experience both the high and the low feelings that come with that.

That would hopefully make people better and more understanding and compassionate fans when their team's players don't come through.

There was a tennis match in high school which I was impatient and far too aggressive and made many unforced errors. As I bemoaned about my performance to my dad all he kept saying was, "Somebody gotta win. Somebody gotta lose." It's so true.

One day my son complained about how his football team didn't play well and should of won and lo and behold what comes out of my mouth in my father's voice, "Somebody gotta win. Somebody gotta lose."

We take sports far too seriously with the exception of Penn State and Steelers football.

 

[harbest]

Wrestled at Coughlin High School, graduating in 1973. My senior year, I had an opponent pinned in about 5 seconds when he shot right in on me and I pancaked him. But it happened so fast, the referee was still standing and was not in position to record the pin. By the time he did, I was credited with a 15 second pin. My high school claim to fame.

 

[fairgambit]

I'm in a motel in Burlington NC right now.I have an over 60 Senior Softball game at 12pm in a Issa tournament and I hope to have a shining moment between 12 and 1 pm!I played football and baseball at Cal State of PA from 1969-73.

Good luck from one old softball player to another.

 

[medixman]

Thanks Fair the main thing is when Sundays games are done everyone's body parts are still intact!!!!

 

[bison13]

Lots of baseball ones, got to play against many big leaguers (still play with Eric Milton today in a mens league) as I spent some time long ago in camp in FLA. Never made it more than a week though and not a highlight but the last pitch I ever threw before being released and giving it up probably hasn't landed yet. Easily 450-500 feet.

I played basketball and had 61 in a summer league game against some guys who pulled a gun on me in the parking lot after the game.

 

[PghNittanyLion]

Played basketball through high school and baseball through 3 seasons at Penn College, then picked up again playing adult league baseball in the Pittsburgh area from 28 until 35 (2 years ago).

Not really a big shining moment, but a moment I'll never forget. It was Big League regular season (the 16-18 division of Little League) in Williamsport. Our manager wasn't there so my dad took over the double header. I was the third baseman and it was either the first or second inning I made about 3 or 4 errors in a row, was just completely out of it for some reason. My dad decides to bench me, and of course I get pissed off. Fast forward to the bottom of the seventh, we are down by a run with 2 outs and one of our worst hitters coming up with a man on. My dad puts me back in to hit (little league rules, you can re-enter the game one time). I proceed to hit a line drive HR to center field for the walk off. Damn that felt good. First at bat in game two I hit another HR. So what was looking like a crappy day for me turned around pretty quick.

 

[MtNittany]

Holed out for eagle on 18 to send a match play match into OT once - won on 4th hole. Holed out on 2 straight par 4's one day.

Addendum...Won a few amateur events. Nothing really heroic. As a pro, I holed out on a par 4 in a pro-pro for a $15K skin (shared - it was a team event). Tied for low in 2 Chapter Asst' events (back when they had a keg after you were done - depending on what hole you started on, during the competition as well).

 

[demlion]

HS football, small school in NW PA. OT and DT/MLB. Played 25 varsity games both ways. Had 4 sacks in a game once, and over 15 tackles in a couple games. Mighta coulda played at some place like Clarion. St. Vincent expressed interest. I did not have much interest after HS, though. I watched guys who wrecked their knees limping around and thought, "No."

I was small, but I made up for it by being slow.

I was already a lawyer in HS. I taught my teammates the exact wording of the fair catch rule after one of our guys got flagged for signaling it in the wrong way. As I recall, it is one hand, extended over head. I think our guy had put both hands up or something, and they flagged him. A couple games later, same refs, the opposing PR guy put both hands over head and waves them back and forth like a centerfielder's "I got it" call. Drilled him at full speed, ball went flying, we recovered, flags all over the field. I knew the rule number, and the refs had to have a big confab before they gave it to us. It was a road game and Jebus, their crowd went nuts. The returner, their star RB, did not miss any plays, but he was a little tentative after that.

 

[Detective_MackDaddy]

It’s very easy to be critical of players at the collegiate and professional level yet how many of us wouldn’t trade places with them and wish we were competing at such a high level of athletics.

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.
Theodore Roosevelt

We should never lose sight of that but all too often we do. So with that in mind, what sport(s) do you or did you play and how far did you get? What was the apex of your athletic career, your finest hour, and what was your one shining moment in sports that stands out above the rest?

FOUR SQUARE.

It was grammar school, we had an undefeated kid named Jerry. We all called him "Jerr the Square" because he owned FOUR SQUARE.

It was a hot, muggy afternoon, during recess, that I alone stood up to ol' Jerr the Square. The other classmates stood in awe as I entered the chalk drawn arena we called FOUR SQUARE.

Unbeknownst to Jerr the Square, I KNEW he wouldn't last in the hot sun. I was thin, in shape, and fast on my toes. Ol' Jerr the Square was huge, out of shape and easily winded.

Earlier in the day, I hid his Snoopy thermos and he was severely dehydrated by the time recess rolled around. Also, I threw his sandwich and Tastykakes in the garbage. I knew he would only have food on his mind, and not me.

Well, I defeated Ol' Jerr the Square. Not only did I defeat him, he passed out. I stood over him like David over Goliath. And I became a legend in grammar school from that day forth. Word is they still speak of that day.

 

[BTMurphy]

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say you were 5'10, 220 lbs with 5.2 speed?

Lol... that's just creepy! WAS 5'10" 195. Now 225. And it was a 5 flat 40 dammit!

 

[TenerHallTerror]

basketball

playing a heated game at the IM building with some real ballers circa 1990s. Fresh out of the military. My brother was now a senior at Penn State.

My brother calls a foul on some dbag and he loses it. Next play, he basically tackles my brother and stands over him taunting, "now THAT is a foul!!"

Next play down on his end, rebound comes off and dbag charges for the glass. I jack my elbow square in his jaw and knock his punk ass to the court.

As he lies there dazed, I say, "now THAT is a foul, right?"

 

[LongJakk]

A few small ones:
At 11 my coach let me play all 9 positions in 1 game. Catcher was the only one I had never played before.
At 12 I hit the longest HR of the year off of my friend. His dad bought me a soda after the game. I was scrawny but had pop.
After retiring from softball due to kids and bad knees I was asked to help my buddies out when they were shorthanded. We were down 19 runs in bottom of the 5th so we had to score at least 10 runs just to keep playing. The other team was talking a lot of smack especially the catcher. I came up with bases loaded with me the 10th run needed. I crushed a HR, flipped my bat and looked at the catcher and said "See Ya'. Umpire had a huge grin on his face. We ended up winning the game.
Hit a double off the fence at Doubleday Farm off of Tommy John. It was the weekend after he was honored at the all star game. He was wearing the Allstar jersey and he was not happy.

 

[Woodpecker]

HS football, small school in NW PA. OT and DT/MLB. Played 25 varsity games both ways. Had 4 sacks in a game once, and over 15 tackles in a couple games. Mighta coulda played at some place like Clarion. St. Vincent expressed interest. I did not have much interest after HS, though. I watched guys who wrecked their knees limping around and thought, "No."

I was small, but I made up for it by being slow.

I was already a lawyer in HS. I taught my teammates the exact wording of the fair catch rule after one of our guys got flagged for signaling it in the wrong way. As I recall, it is one hand, extended over head. I think our guy had put both hands up or something, and they flagged him. A couple games later, same refs, the opposing PR guy put both hands over head and waves them back and forth like a centerfielder's "I got it" call. Drilled him at full speed, ball went flying, we recovered, flags all over the field. I knew the rule number, and the refs had to have a big confab before they gave it to us. It was a road game and Jebus, their crowd went nuts. The returner, their star RB, did not miss any plays, but he was a little tentative after that.

Is the rule "no more than one hand"? Because if you're waving two hands then either one of them is waving too. Regardless, you sound like a lawyer I would want on my side of the courtroom.

 

[Connorpozlee]

I've played pretty much every sport at some time or another, but my shining moment probably came in bowling.
The year I went to Lock Haven a group of guys decided to go bowling. We bowled two games and I scored somewhere in the 90s in each game. During the second game the trash talking started between the two lanes we were using. Finally we decided to make a wager on the next game. Losing lane would have to but 4 cases of Rolling Rock to throw a party in a dorm room (which resulted in one friend losing his license after it got busted by the RA, but that's an entirely different story). In that third game I found a bowling groove that I never came close to before and haven't come close to since. I couldn't miss. I bowled a 232 and won the beer for our group. I felt a little like Will Ferrell in Old School debating James Carver, completely in another realm. We then bowled one more game before leaving and I bowled another game in the 90s.

 

[demlion]

Is the rule "no more than one hand"? Because if you're waving two hands then either one of them is waving too. Regardless, you sound like a lawyer I would want on my side of the courtroom.

If I recall correctly the rule said one hand only, held straight up from the shoulder. I never would have done anything about it if the ticky tack sonsabitches hadn't called it against us.

This guy had em up and was waving them back and forth.

 

[Woodpecker]

If I recall correctly the rule said one hand only, held straight up from the shoulder. I never would have done anything about it if the ticky tack sonsabitches hadn't called it against us.

This guy had em up and was waving them back and forth.

You would have been fun on this one

 

[demlion]

You would have been fun on this one

View embedded media

Yeah that is a strange call. He was waving everyone off, not signaling fair catch.

 

[CF LION]

8th grade football...me at linebacker, Jim Kelly the opposing QB. Lost 63-0.

One of the funniest things I ever saw while playing little league...... We were playing a team with the best HR hitter in the league and he had hit a couple of dingers against us earlier in the game. The kid comes up to bat again, and our coach calls time and walks out to the mound. Playing 3rd, I join the mound discussion. Coach tells the pitcher to intentionally walk him. The third or fourth pitch wasn't quite outside enough and the kid reaches out and gets enough bat on it to hit it out.

 

[Woodpecker]

My 15 minutes (actually much less) of glory came in a 3-on-3 intramural basketball game when I was in grad school. I was obviously the "weakest link" on our team but, for whatever reason, the first time I touched the ball I chucked up a looooong range shot - nothing but net. So I kept doing it and, to the amazement of everyone on the court, they kept going in! Our opponents, heavy favorites, had had enough after awhile and started going after my shots more aggressively. But I saw that coming, gave them a pump fake and drove for an easy layup a few times. Several more from downtown and, unbeknownst to me, the game was over. We had made short work of an obviously superior team. Alas, I was never able to duplicate that night.

 

[kgilbert78]

basketball

playing a heated game at the IM building with some real ballers circa 1990s. Fresh out of the military. My brother was now a senior at Penn State.

My brother calls a foul on some dbag and he loses it. Next play, he basically tackles my brother and stands over him taunting, "now THAT is a foul!!"

Next play down on his end, rebound comes off and dbag charges for the glass. I jack my elbow square in his jaw and knock his punk ass to the court.

As he lies there dazed, I say, "now THAT is a foul, right?"

Reminds me of a IM softball game at Ogontz back in the day. It was an odd field, being essentially the soccer field with a very short right field due to the configuration (home plate was at one corner flag). So anything hit out to the right of the big oak tree in right center was a ground rule double. My teammate Scott, who'd played ball at Abington, hit one that was ruled a double, which he thought wasn't. Next time up he hit one over the big oak tree, set his bat on home plate and said to the Ump: Now that's a HR. No argument. Same league I got my one and only true HR (I was not a big hitter) as I hit a line drive just over the left fielders head into the other goal. On the fly.

 

[bdgan]

American Legion Baseball - no highlights
Commonwealth Campus Basketball - no highlights
Ran a couple of marathons & 50ks - very slow
Industrial league softball - game winning hit in city championship game
Now I play golf and pretty much suck

 

[ThePennsyOracle]

- High school, Junior Year, Conference Bowling Tournament

We had a really good team and later qualified for the state tournament. I had the lowest average for a varsity starter in the upper 160s. At the conference tournament everyone was bowling well--over 200--and I was not. My first game was a 116, and the second game wasn't a lot better--I just couldn't get a spare or strike. I felt totally pissed & embarrassed. Third game, first frame, strike. Second frame, strike. Third frame, strike. You get the picture. By the 7th frame people started to gather around our pair (there were 4 other teams bowling, plus their parents). I hit the 8th, perfect shot, everyone claps and sort of cheers. Get up for the 9th and am shaking like a leaf nervous as all hell. Pull the ball horribly, goes right through the nose....and somehow carries the strike. Everyone goes crazy because of how ridiculous the strike was.

I get up for ball 10 even more nervous--by this time, the entire house had stopped bowling to watch (gee, how nice)--the most I'd ever gotten in a row was 5-6 and it wasn't to start the game. So, ball 10 was pulled even worse and struggled to get a 7-count....and I left my "worst" spare. Now I was even more nervous because not only had I lost the 300, I had my "worst" spare in front of me on a day which I hardly made any. Luckily I converted it and got a strike on my last ball for a 277.

- High School, Junior/Senior Year, Golf Tournament

I was an avid golfer from age 3 until about age 14 when I girls got more interesting than chasing balls around a course. I went from playing 5 days a week to playing 5 times a year. The golf coach was my 6th grade English teacher, a man who was a great father-like role model for me. One day he saw me hitting a few out on the course and asked why I didn't try out for the golf team. The season had already started and it was "too late", so I fibbed and said I wish I would have. His response was to put me in the tournament the next day. Whatever--I was kind of mad, but it was my own fault. I hadn't practiced with the team and hardly played on my own that summer. I get up to the first tee and coach decides to "follow" our group. The other team's players hit (this was at home) and then it's my turn. 300+ yards, just left of center fairway with the perfect angle to hit into the green. Everyone laughed. Second shot, I've got about 110-120 left. I was a pretty big hitter back then so I got out my 52* wedge and hit it way long, but still on the green. I was left with a 30-35', downhill & sidehill mess. My putting blew nuts and I was just hoping to 3 putt. So, I line up....and nail the birdie. Coach claps and everyone laughs again.

Second tee, par 3, 170 yards over a creek with a huge bunker & steep hill to the left, OB to the right. I pull out the 8-iron and pulled the damn ball so far OB I couldn't even see where it landed. Lay another one down, same result. Now I'm pissed and want to throw things. Third time's the charm, right? Hell no. Pull a 3rd one OB but this is at least closer. My 4th shot was on the green and I got like a 10.

I went on to shoot in the upper 50s (tournament was only for 9 holes) and so ended my high school golf career after 1 match.

 

[psugisher]

Always thought the biggest critic for successful athletes was themselves.. I was lucky enough to compete in college in cross country and track at the division 2 level. It's a great sport because you often got the opportunity to line up with division one athletes and see how you measured up. Post collegiate, I had the opportunity to compete in the Penn Relays running 31:01 for 10k. Had a couple good marathons running 2:27 to finish 5th in the Vegas Marathon and 2:28 to finish top 90 in the Chicago Marathon. Got to travel and meet a lot of talented athletes and good people which made me appreciate the opportunities my sport gave me.

 

[lunsmooth]

I played mostly baseball and basketball growing up. Played 4 years of high school basketball, and then started for PSU-Mont Alto my freshman and sophomore years, before moving up to University Park.
My best sports accomplishment came in coaching. I am in my 14th season as the head varsity boys basketball coach of a 4A public school in Maryland. In 2006, we went 24-3 and won the MD 4A State Title. I was named Washington Post All-Met Coach of the Year (Kevin Durant was the POY). It was a pretty cool honor. One of my players that year (who went on to play 4 years at Lafayette) was our local paper's co-player of the year with Kevin Durant. Great life story for him.
That experience for me almost rivals quarterbacking our PSU Winter '99 Intramural Football championship team (Major division) haha