This past week, a former classmate posted on Facebook a softball team photo from the summer before my sophomore year in high school. I played summer league softball from 7th to 11th grade. It was competitive, intense, and provided some of the best times I had growing up.
My first organized team was in 5th grade as an intramural basketball player. Mr. Hefner appointed me as one of the team captains. A noble, but unsuccessful effort as we ended the season with no wins. What I remember most was not how bad we were, but how exciting it was to be on a sports team.
My brother and I were very fortunate that our parents fully supported our love to play sports. For some kids, particularly girls, this wasn't always the case. The above picture is from a 1995 Nike ad that provided compelling reasons on why girls should play sports.
Here's the YouTube video (web access only):
Over a decade later, the commercial remains one of Oprah's all-time favorites. Mine too.
