Playing basketball with girls

I was invited to play basketball with some girls I know really well this week. These girls are elite athletes, who for the most part, lack experience in basketball. Watching them try to shoot a basketball is funny for most them, with the exception of three of them.

Anyway knockout was extremely difficult for me, as a matter of fact shooting was in general. There is a huge difference between a men's and women's basketball. When you are used to shooting with a men's ball you will air ball a women's ball because you over shoot it. That was my problem. I was toast because of the difference in basketballs. It was embarrassing.

Most guys would feel really weird playing basketball with girls...especially as the only guy. Seriously it could have felt so weird being one guy with the rest all girls. It probably looked weird to most other people. They wondered what this one guy was doing. I didn't think it was weird at all. It felt normal and natural to play with them, but it's because I knew them well.

Gender differences made playing difficult too. I was taller than all but one player, but she was on my team. I was stronger than all of them...although was certainly in the worst shape of everyone, although I was still respectable I guess. I never fell down panting. Those physical advantages give me a difficult predicament. I can't not score in the game because not scoring makes me look so nonathletic and pathetic. Who wants people to think of them like that? If I score a lot then I look like a jerk because I'm beating people who are shorter and not as strong as I am...although too their credit, are in much better shape then me.

I also don't feel comfortable making too much body contact because I don't want to injure anyone, yet I don't know what to do when they shove me around from time to time.

It's also different playing basketball with girls because it's the only time I can remember playing and not keeping score...at all. No one ever shouted out the score. When I play with guys the score is kept and yelled out every possession or two.

Playing basketball with the group of girls I played with was a lot of fun (because everyone was very competitive) and a cool experience. Glad I was able to play.