Giving Up Should Be An Option

 I had the misfortune to pick up shot put and discus the same year that Kevin Call did. There really isn't any reason for you to know who this person is. You might remember the name if you were a fan of the Colorado State football team back in the eighties. Or an Indianapolis Colts fan a few years after that. When I was in junior high, I can remember showing up for track meets and seeing this tree of a young man who appeared to have been genetically engineered to hurl objects into space. I was not. I joined the track team because I imagined a path through athletic pursuits that would lead me to a higher social echelon. This avenue was a continuation of my stint on the middleweight football team where I played center. And on the wrestling team where I was a solid B mat contender at one hundred twenty-six pounds. 

I had never seen Mister Call before that track meet. I had heard stories. He played offensive line, just like me. But he was on the heavyweight team. He was also a wrestler. But not only was he way out of my weight class, he wrestled A mat. Finally, the egalitarian nature of track and field allowed us to meet on a level playing field. The other guys on the team whispered as we approached the cement slab from which we would be launching our projectiles. In my memory, he was at least two feet taller than any of the rest of us, and his sweat suit actually fit him. 

In my mind, I began to generate fantasies in which I would have some sort of David and Goliath scenario. I had my name going for me in that regard. And all that training. Staying after school for all those weeks, getting my footwork and technique just so. All I needed was one truly amazing toss. I had a couple of chances, too. The shot put came first. I would like to tell you that I experienced a personal best at this moment, even if I didn't manage to best Kevin. 

I did not. I scratched on my first throw and the second was less than stellar. People "ooo'ed" and "ahhh'ed" at Kevin Call's toss. I tried to convince myself that the discus would be a much easier win for me, since it relied so much more on touch. Shot put was all brute force. I was going to be throwing a lead frisbee. I was good at frisbee. 

Not as good as Kevin Call. Not by a long shot, if you'll pardon the pun. There was no trophy for me that day. No participant ribbon. I took a shower in the locker room and went home. That was the end of my student-athlete phase. Kevin call played high school football across town for our arch rival Fairview Knights. He played college football up the road at Colorado State in Fort Collins. He was drafted in the fifth round of the 1984 NFL draft. 

I was not.