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

[Yanks49]

Always been a very average athlete, but played baseball, basketball and football in high school. Varsity baseball one year at Geneva College, intramural floor hockey, flag football, basketball, bowling and volleyball.

Since then, lots of racquetball and basketball in Rec Hall and IM, volleyball in a few leagues and played illegally in a couple PSU intramural floor hockey games. Main passion since getting out of college was softball, though, and I played in virtually every slow pitch league (plus 2 fast pitch leagues) in Centre County from 1975 till 2005. When I filled in for a friend’s team a couple years ago, I found out my arm was shot, and that was kind of tough to take since that’s what I was sort of known for, throwing guys out from the outfield.

Over the years, I played softball with/against Mike Archer, Joel Confer, Jerry Fisher, Rob Koll (Cornell wrestling coach), Wally Richardson, basketball against Chris Dodds (he got mad at me cause he thought I was going to undercut him on a layup in Rec Hall),and volleyball against Bethany Collins (WBB). I watched 15 year old Eric Milton pitch to my 13 year old son, who obviously didn’t fare too well.

Shining moment? Not really much individually. The softball team I played for in the 35 and Over league were champions in 15 of the 17 years I played in that league. Not because of me, certainly, was surrounded by a lot of good players.

 

[Eurotrash1]

I played College Soccer and coach at the HS and club level. Nothing is more gratifying as a coach than beating or playing a team tough, you know has more talent. I've coached multiple teams who have won championships. However, nothing made me proud than one of my first teams.

We weren't very talented and they had never won a game in 3 years prior to my taking over. We only won 1 game my first season. The next year I challenged them to win 3 games. We changed the scheme a good bit to hide their weaknesses and honestly....we weren't really playing soccer. However, we met our goal.


However my favorite game of my career was a loss. My first season we had lost to a HS team that had won the state 2 years straight. He beat us 10-1 my first season. The next season he was very certain he was walking into an easy victory. My team with our changed unorthodox scheme and hard work battled them. He had no idea what to do and was screaming at his team and me the entire game. We lost 2-1 in OT. This has been the fondest memory of my career and team I am most proud of to this day.

 

[SmithtonLion]

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.

Those are excellent times. Great accomplishments.

 

[AWS1022]

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

You have made mediocre a true art form.

 

[medixman]

Well no shining moments for me today playing in Senior Softball Tournament in Burlington NC.Maybe tomorrow I'll do something outstanding!!!At least we went 2-0 in the over 60 dvision today.

 

[CDLionFL]

I have a friend who in his athletic career had a game-winning 3 at the buzzer in basketball (I was on the bench right behind him telling him to shoot it), threw a no-hitter (I was the 2nd baseman in that game) and made a hole-in-one (I did NOT witness). Did it all in a 3-year span...was a pretty average athlete outside of those amazing accomplishments.

 

[UncleLar]

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?

T&F. First guy to break 7 minutes in the Phi Psi 500 when I won it in 1971.

 

[psugisher]

I played College Soccer and coach at the HS and club level. Nothing is more gratifying as a coach than beating or playing a team tough,you know you has more talent. I've coached multiple teams who have won championships. However, nothing made me proud than one of my first teams.

We weren't very talented and they had never won a game in 3 years prior to my taking over. We only won 1 game my first season. The next year I challenged them to win 3 games. We changed the scheme a good bit to hide their weaknesses and honestly....we weren't really playing soccer. However, we met our goal.


However my favorite game of my career was a loss. My first season we had lost to a HS team that had won the state 2 years straight. He beat us 10-1 my first season. The next season he was very certain he was walking into an easy victory. My team with our changed unorthodox scheme and hard work battled them. He had no idea what to do and was screaming at his team and me the entire game. We lost 2-1 in OT. This has been the fondest memory of my career and team I am most proud of to this day.

Can definitely appreciate the best moments coming from a loss. When someone's better than you and they bring out your best on that day, I think you realize what competition is about. That opponent gives you the chance to be your best.

 

[supermatt24]

I played baseball (tee-ball through high school) and once executed a triple play by myself.

 

[bdgan]

You have made mediocre a true art form.

Absolutely mediocre. I give myself credit for running a couple of 50k races because not many people have done that. But of those who have I was a notch below mediocre.

 

[2turgisgrimm]

Soccer with the Bahrs. I was a dangerous midfielder. Scored once from 60 yards out when the goalie was asleep.