The Relative Merritts of Sportsmanship in Middle School Dodge Ball

Grade 9. Big Ones. Little ones

The ninth grade is such a strange place.

Any memories that you may have of that place and time in your life? Unless you’re currently in grade 10 or 11, those memories are likely fleeting, distant and highly inaccurate.

And yet, here we go.

Grade 9 Gym Class

Dodge Ball.

The first?

I felt the wind of it on the back of my neck.

The second? I heard it as it left his hand.

The third? Left his hand and connected with the right side of Jason’s face.

Kirk was throwing high today.

Some days? Kirk would throw low

Sweep the knee

He’d take out your feet.

The result?

Vertical to horizontal in fractions of a second.

The same thing happened when Kirk threw high.

Once he connected, a little guy like me went from vertical to horizontal in fractions of a second.

Playing dodge ball with Kirk was an adventure.

Kirk was a boxer.

Kirk went to the Olympics.

Kirk fought KIitschko for the belt.

And when we played dodge ball in gym class in grade 9?

Kirk was deadly

And fun.

Which was nice.

Not all of the kids who were deadly were …