at a small school (Class C and B by Sr year). Wouldn't have stepped on the court at most large schools (started 3 years varsity), wouldn't have played football. Only sport I felt like I could have played at a larger school was baseball (pitching only). Got some looks at D3 schools but decided it was time for the sweat to dry up
Played from a very early age in various leagues and then eventually school teams that were quite good and even made a couple of all star teams along the way.
Baseball was probably my next best sport and I was very good defensively. 1B was my best position and I enjoyed the high volume of activity and the responsibility of bailing out the rest of the infield by gobbling up the bad throws. I could also handle the corner OF spots as I got older. Problem for me was that I wasnt much of a hitter. I could hit for average but mostly singles and the occasional double. Overall I was limited because I lacked power and speed.
I played football in high school but I wish I hadnt. It was fun but I wasnt very good. It is in my opinion a very hard sport to just pick up and start playing one day out of the blue unless you have the cushion of being a supreme athlete which I was not. Someone who starts in high school is well behind the kids that have been playing since pee wee. I had to dedicate so much time to football that I took time away from other sports I was better at. I regret that.
I played baseball, football, soccer, and lacrosse but basketball was always my best sport by far.
I loved the NBA more than anything when I was in grade school and my friends and I spent enormous amounts of time talking about box scores, watching games, playing basketball at every single opportunity, trading cards, etc.
I made JV and Varsity a a year early. But my friends fell off as we got later into HS and I hated being on the team without them so I decided to just drop it.
Kind of wish I hadn't in retrospect but it's not like I was going to play college ball anyway.
One of my favorite times as a young basketball kid was going to a sleepaway camp in CT for a few days.
It was a massive camp - there were tons and tons of kids there.
The first day you go, you play in pickup games and they evaluate you and put you in leagues. They were separated into things like ACC, Pac 10, Big East and all the best kids in the camp played in the "NBA"
I made the all star team and the all star game was played in front of the entire camp so the stands were packed. It was kind of nerve racking but also really cool and fun.
Played thru American Legion ball. In my time the equivalent of low A minors. 2nd was Motocross. Raced at Southwick. Loved football and basketball and played intramural. Too short (5'10") and to light (140 lbs) as a teen.
me to quit sports at 15. Something with the end of my tibia not growing properly so I had arthritis symptoms in my knee. It thankfully went away when I was in college but I had to quit sports for a few years because of it. Ended up working which I wanted to do more anyway to pay for a car and college, but still, I remember how agonizing it was just to jog. Went from playing Soccer year round to nothing.
I probably could have gotten a college scholarship if I applied myself. Instead, I was more interested in hanging out with buddies on the team & flirting with girls.
and Wrestling. I miss it alot but it was a long time ago. My high school just started doing an alumni football game in November but I am not sure if it is worth going up to play in it. Wrestling is just something you straight up can't do any more I supposed there is MMA to get involved with.
Wrestling paid for my college, so I'll go with that Â
but back then, it was saunas and rubber suits and losing 10-12 in a day. I'll probably die young from heart failure. A few years ago I had my neck re-done because of the stenosis, the shoulders will need to be replaced eventually and lots of arthritis everywhere you look.
When you're 20, you never know what will come back to bite you in the butt.
But, it's such a different sport nowadays. You have lots of limits on what you can and cannot do on the mat and you have limits on what you can do off of it as well. All the good things are kept and the hazards minimized.
My college, alas, no longer has wrestling. It was axed in the 80's or 90's. You can debate as to whether or not it was Title IX, but at the time they claimed that was the reason. Reality likely had more to do with the fact that it wasn't a revenue-producer.
I would say bodybuilding counts, I got a letter in Chess. I did not Â
Always wondered what kind of damage that might have done. Wrestling is one of the best revenue sports today, they might have made a mistake there. Of course nothing compares to football for revenue.
but back then, it was saunas and rubber suits and losing 10-12 in a day. I'll probably die young from heart failure. A few years ago I had my neck re-done because of the stenosis, the shoulders will need to be replaced eventually and lots of arthritis everywhere you look.
When you're 20, you never know what will come back to bite you in the butt.
But, it's such a different sport nowadays. You have lots of limits on what you can and cannot do on the mat and you have limits on what you can do off of it as well. All the good things are kept and the hazards minimized.
My college, alas, no longer has wrestling. It was axed in the 80's or 90's. You can debate as to whether or not it was Title IX, but at the time they claimed that was the reason. Reality likely had more to do with the fact that it wasn't a revenue-producer.
I wasn't good enough to wrestle in college, but I'm a big fan of the sport and had a couple of friends on the team in college. What a grind it was for them (mid-90's). While not a revenue sport, the NCAA championships got a ton of viewers last year and probably will this year. Its a gateway into MMA/UFC. If you are an AA in college, you could probably find some success in MMA if they wanted to.
As for me, I was a late bloomer, so while I was an athlete in HS I wasn't very good. I wrestled, played soccer and ran XC and T&F. By my SR year, I'd say I was "okay" at all of them. I was a rower in college (club team, but that was kind of a grind too and we competed with varsity teams all the time. It was just a voluntary grind for us)...I did have some success running long distances (10 miles, 1/2 marathons, full marathons) after college.
since 8 for Hoops, Played for Blessed Sacrament and La Salle academy
Baseball for Passaic HS
Track La Salle miler and 440
Soccer Spain 2 years... Sucked at it but was at least physical
4th thru 9th it was football, smallest kid in my grade n pee wee teams but started as center n nose tackle, ferocious, opposing coaches always came up to me after games n congratulated me, prolly my fondest memories!!! 9th-10th wrestling, started in 7th, missed states in 10th as an alternative at 112lbs despite weighing 104-106lbs. 11th-12th track n cross country, ran the 400, 800, 1600m relays n open 400 n 800!!! Got a ton of financial aid aka div 3 scholarship to run track, but was injured my first two years, so started swimming on my own and found that my 50-100 interval times put me in the top ten in the country in d3, without a flip turn n dive. Ran my last 2 years of school and got down to 1:58 n 51!!! Best mile was 4:30 n 5k was 16:19!!! However when had to stop running in my mid 30’s due to Achilles problems I competed in masters swimming and then biking. It took a while but my early 40’s I was riding with the local pros n kids in the Albany area n was prolly in the top 15-20 on group rides, I could sprint n climb but not pull in the peloton, so prolly biking n swimming but I found out too late!!!
although I loved football I never played it organized.
2B was my favorite.
+1. My spot was OF. Ball location recognition and a gun for an arm; could throw a strike from short CF I couldnt from the mound.
Football: loved it, had 2nd closer to 3rd string talent.
But actually was much, much better at soccer. Played on a select US team in 85-86 (aged 15-16 at the time) that played some teams over in Europe. I'm not a believer in do-overs, but in hindsight am disappointed I didn't focus more on it.
My father wouldn't let me play baseball, saying it was useless to play since I couldn't play after high school without finding a bunch of other guys. So I took up golf, actually got pretty good at it, nothing great but at my best I was a 2.8 handicap. Used the game as a way to pick up extra jobs and play some great courses for free. Caddied at Kiawah for a bit which in itself was a great experience. On the flip side I'm now coaching the sport I was probably worst at, basketball. I understand the game but I always find it odd how the game I took for granted is now the one I'm most passionate about because I have to see it from a different perspective.
street hockey. in our neighborhood we we played from when school Â
Baseball was a passion too. Had the head and heart, but not the skill and size to compete at a high level. Especially at Sachem, which back then was a powerhouse in everything.
and, likely because I had good grades, a recruiter from Cornell stopped by my high school to meet me while in the area. But I was beat up and injured enough just playing HS football, and didn't want to take it to the next level in bodily pain while paying full tuition for the privilege.
Majority of my friends didn't like the commitment or structure of organized football in Pop Warner or High School football. There was a group of us (20+) from the age of 11-12 to when we were 15-16, would play pickup football in our local parks every day each fall.
Those pickup games were my best sport and a ton of fun and great memories.
Was a pretty decent high school pitcher, then a very pedestrian D3 short relief pitcher for 2 seasons.
Loved playing high school football but I wasn't good. Just enthusiastic.
Loved playing basketball, too, but was relatively far down the bench. Once scored 26 points in a game my senior season. Lotta junk put-backs. I was scrappy. Next high score in my entire career? 8 points. I still haven't figured that out. lol
I boxed when I was young, and won more than I lost, but wasn't particularly good. Just could take a beating and outlast people when I was in shape. Had one pro fight and got KO'd by a guy (Keith McKnight) who had fights against Iran Barkley, Obed Sullivan, Phil Jackson (not THAT Phil Jackson), and Joe Mesi. I guess that's my insanely low-level sports claim to no fame whatsoever. lol
...and played goalie for a prominent youth hockey organization. Also still love to play softball where I can pick it at 1st base with the best of them.
I was second on Long Island and first in Suffolk County in my weight class at the Junior High level. The guy I lost to in the Long Island finals, Lindsey Biagini, went onto finish second in New York State as both a junior and senior at the High School level. I also tied Wade Genova 7-7 in a junior high school tournament. He went onto be an Olympic alternate in Greco-Roman wrestling (during his college days). Oh, and I also beat Sam Spates 4-0. He was captain of the Smithtown team and his older brother, Jack Spates, was a National champion and a Hall of Fame wrestling coach at Oklahoma.
As a chess player I maxed out at around an 1800 rating. I was the captain and first board for my High School chess team as both a junior and senior (I was second board my sophomore year).
p.s.--Thanks for giving me the opportunity to brag!
But actually was much, much better at soccer. Played on a select US team in 85-86 (aged 15-16 at the time) that played some teams over in Europe. I'm not a believer in do-overs, but in hindsight am disappointed I didn't focus more on it.
Have we already discussed Blainey McEneany? My memory is foggy, but I think we did. He wanted me to go out for the lacrosse team, but I wasn't into it. Probably a mistake on my part.
Have we already discussed Blainey McEneany? My memory is foggy, but I think we did. He wanted me to go out for the lacrosse team, but I wasn't into it. Probably a mistake on my part.
We did, old friend. Im just surprised you stopped wrestling just before you would have been in Coach Mahoney's hands. Awesome coach and a better guy.
RE: RE: RE: Went to college on a D1 lacrosse scholarship Â
But actually was much, much better at soccer. Played on a select US team in 85-86 (aged 15-16 at the time) that played some teams over in Europe. I'm not a believer in do-overs, but in hindsight am disappointed I didn't focus more on it.
Have we already discussed Blainey McEneany? My memory is foggy, but I think we did. He wanted me to go out for the lacrosse team, but I wasn't into it. Probably a mistake on my part.
Related to Eamon McEneany?
RE: RE: RE: Went to college on a D1 lacrosse scholarship Â
But actually was much, much better at soccer. Played on a select US team in 85-86 (aged 15-16 at the time) that played some teams over in Europe. I'm not a believer in do-overs, but in hindsight am disappointed I didn't focus more on it.
Have we already discussed Blainey McEneany? My memory is foggy, but I think we did. He wanted me to go out for the lacrosse team, but I wasn't into it. Probably a mistake on my part.
Which was always funny because there wasn't a single person who could ever help me with it because no one in my family knew a thing about it. It just came pretty natural to me for whatever reason.
It was serious business in my neighborhood. We turned a friends yard into a stadium, complete with night-lighting.
Baseball was probably my next best sport and I was very good defensively. 1B was my best position and I enjoyed the high volume of activity and the responsibility of bailing out the rest of the infield by gobbling up the bad throws. I could also handle the corner OF spots as I got older. Problem for me was that I wasnt much of a hitter. I could hit for average but mostly singles and the occasional double. Overall I was limited because I lacked power and speed.
I played football in high school but I wish I hadnt. It was fun but I wasnt very good. It is in my opinion a very hard sport to just pick up and start playing one day out of the blue unless you have the cushion of being a supreme athlete which I was not. Someone who starts in high school is well behind the kids that have been playing since pee wee. I had to dedicate so much time to football that I took time away from other sports I was better at. I regret that.
I played baseball, football, soccer, and lacrosse but basketball was always my best sport by far.
I loved the NBA more than anything when I was in grade school and my friends and I spent enormous amounts of time talking about box scores, watching games, playing basketball at every single opportunity, trading cards, etc.
I made JV and Varsity a a year early. But my friends fell off as we got later into HS and I hated being on the team without them so I decided to just drop it.
Kind of wish I hadn't in retrospect but it's not like I was going to play college ball anyway.
It was a massive camp - there were tons and tons of kids there.
The first day you go, you play in pickup games and they evaluate you and put you in leagues. They were separated into things like ACC, Pac 10, Big East and all the best kids in the camp played in the "NBA"
I made the all star team and the all star game was played in front of the entire camp so the stands were packed. It was kind of nerve racking but also really cool and fun.
Miss those days.
2B was my favorite.
When you're 20, you never know what will come back to bite you in the butt.
But, it's such a different sport nowadays. You have lots of limits on what you can and cannot do on the mat and you have limits on what you can do off of it as well. All the good things are kept and the hazards minimized.
My college, alas, no longer has wrestling. It was axed in the 80's or 90's. You can debate as to whether or not it was Title IX, but at the time they claimed that was the reason. Reality likely had more to do with the fact that it wasn't a revenue-producer.
When you're 20, you never know what will come back to bite you in the butt.
But, it's such a different sport nowadays. You have lots of limits on what you can and cannot do on the mat and you have limits on what you can do off of it as well. All the good things are kept and the hazards minimized.
My college, alas, no longer has wrestling. It was axed in the 80's or 90's. You can debate as to whether or not it was Title IX, but at the time they claimed that was the reason. Reality likely had more to do with the fact that it wasn't a revenue-producer.
I wasn't good enough to wrestle in college, but I'm a big fan of the sport and had a couple of friends on the team in college. What a grind it was for them (mid-90's). While not a revenue sport, the NCAA championships got a ton of viewers last year and probably will this year. Its a gateway into MMA/UFC. If you are an AA in college, you could probably find some success in MMA if they wanted to.
As for me, I was a late bloomer, so while I was an athlete in HS I wasn't very good. I wrestled, played soccer and ran XC and T&F. By my SR year, I'd say I was "okay" at all of them. I was a rower in college (club team, but that was kind of a grind too and we competed with varsity teams all the time. It was just a voluntary grind for us)...I did have some success running long distances (10 miles, 1/2 marathons, full marathons) after college.
Baseball for Passaic HS
Track La Salle miler and 440
Soccer Spain 2 years... Sucked at it but was at least physical
Wrestling a distant second.
2B was my favorite.
+1. My spot was OF. Ball location recognition and a gun for an arm; could throw a strike from short CF I couldnt from the mound.
Football: loved it, had 2nd closer to 3rd string talent.
Hi Nate.
Baseball was a passion too. Had the head and heart, but not the skill and size to compete at a high level. Especially at Sachem, which back then was a powerhouse in everything.
Those pickup games were my best sport and a ton of fun and great memories.
Loved playing high school football but I wasn't good. Just enthusiastic.
Loved playing basketball, too, but was relatively far down the bench. Once scored 26 points in a game my senior season. Lotta junk put-backs. I was scrappy. Next high score in my entire career? 8 points. I still haven't figured that out. lol
I boxed when I was young, and won more than I lost, but wasn't particularly good. Just could take a beating and outlast people when I was in shape. Had one pro fight and got KO'd by a guy (Keith McKnight) who had fights against Iran Barkley, Obed Sullivan, Phil Jackson (not THAT Phil Jackson), and Joe Mesi. I guess that's my insanely low-level sports claim to no fame whatsoever. lol
Quote:
count as a sport?
Good to see you Jon.
Hi Nate.
Played HS football and tried bicycle racing. Nothing memorable.
I was second on Long Island and first in Suffolk County in my weight class at the Junior High level. The guy I lost to in the Long Island finals, Lindsey Biagini, went onto finish second in New York State as both a junior and senior at the High School level. I also tied Wade Genova 7-7 in a junior high school tournament. He went onto be an Olympic alternate in Greco-Roman wrestling (during his college days). Oh, and I also beat Sam Spates 4-0. He was captain of the Smithtown team and his older brother, Jack Spates, was a National champion and a Hall of Fame wrestling coach at Oklahoma.
As a chess player I maxed out at around an 1800 rating. I was the captain and first board for my High School chess team as both a junior and senior (I was second board my sophomore year).
p.s.--Thanks for giving me the opportunity to brag!
Quote:
But actually was much, much better at soccer. Played on a select US team in 85-86 (aged 15-16 at the time) that played some teams over in Europe. I'm not a believer in do-overs, but in hindsight am disappointed I didn't focus more on it.
Have we already discussed Blainey McEneany? My memory is foggy, but I think we did. He wanted me to go out for the lacrosse team, but I wasn't into it. Probably a mistake on my part.
Related to Eamon McEneany?
Quote:
In comment 13823768 pganut said:
Quote:
But actually was much, much better at soccer. Played on a select US team in 85-86 (aged 15-16 at the time) that played some teams over in Europe. I'm not a believer in do-overs, but in hindsight am disappointed I didn't focus more on it.
Have we already discussed Blainey McEneany? My memory is foggy, but I think we did. He wanted me to go out for the lacrosse team, but I wasn't into it. Probably a mistake on my part.
Related to Eamon McEneany?