The I in Team
When I was seven years old my mom signed up for the Campfire girls. That spring she signed me up to play t-ball with a whole group of boys. We moved the following year and I was forced to quit Campfire girls. Instead, I joined the Girl Scouts. I was a card carrying member of the Girl Scouts for the next ten years. The tender age nine was the first time I touched a soccer and learned the appropriate technique for a throw-in. During junior high and high school, I was a fellow band geek in addition to my time on two soccer teams. I filled my time with sports, music and selling cookies.
In college, I was your typical commuter student. I didn't get involved in clubs or school organizations, but that doesn't mean I wasn't part of a group. I joined a recreational indoor soccer team. On this team I played soccer once a week with friends and family. That continued to be the case until four months ago. Three consecutive summers were spent guiding girls through the woods at Camp Menzies. The staff at Camp Menzies became a cohesive group. Many of us returned summer after summer looking to reclaim our place among the group.
I graduated from college two years ago. I'm not allowed to play sports anymore. I'm too old to be a girl scout. For the first time in almost twenty years I am no longer part of a team or group. I am the one sitting on the sidelines and it is driving me insane. I need to find something to keep my hands busy.