I have never been particularly athletic. I enjoyed running in junior high, and I probably would have gone out for track in high school, until I took one look at the seventies super short uniforms, and that ended it for me. There was absolutely no way I was going to put my stick skinny legs in those shorts!
Now I wasn’t athletic, but I had decent hand/eye coordination and loved playing games like ping-pong and Foosball. I actually learned Foosball because a boy I had a crush on in high school spent a lot of time at the Foosball table. I learned how to play and got to where I could beat him. I don’t know that I’d say that was a good strategy, but it worked because he did eventually notice me.
By the time I got to college, I was pretty good at Foosball. I would say I was better than most of the other girls and even better than a lot of the boys. You have to picture that I was 5 foot 5 and had never weighed a hundred pounds in my life. I loved standing around and starting a game with some poor unsuspecting guy that hadn’t played much, and then I would happily cream him. I’m laughing. I’m sure most people that know me now can’t even picture me doing this!
One friend later told me that he HAD to learn how to play because he was embarrassed, that I could hit the ball harder than he could!
This was great fun until one day when it finally backfired. Somehow I ended up playing with one of the big, tall basketball stars. I’m not sure how this happened, because I’m pretty sure I had never had a conversation with him before…or probably since. I made goal after goal as he became more and more frustrated. When I won the game, he let out a loud yell, and to my horror lifted up the Foosball table from his side and shoved it toward me. I don’t know how, but I managed to catch it in the air as it came over and was able to hurl it back down. It landed with a bang back on all fours. The guy stomped out of the student lounge! After that I was a little more careful who I stomped on!
I had told my husband stories, but I don’t think he really believed me because one Sunday shortly after we were married, we visited a church with a Foosball table. He challenged me to a game, and I took great pleasure in creaming him. He couldn’t believe I beat him! That was probably the first time I had beaten him at anything sports related, not the last though, but I’ll save the bowling story for another day!
I recognize the scenery in your photo 😉
I never heard this story before. I’m surprised you beat your husband too as he is really good at every sport I know about.
Maybe it’s a good thing that you waited until AFTER you were married to beat your husband at foosball ; )
We all have to be good at something! I’m impressed. But based on the passion you’ve put into blogging I could see you doing something like that too.
You had me laughing out loud…
I could not believe how hard and fast you could hit that foosball!
Esther…funny thing about Foosball. It is sooooo hard to play a game without trash-talking. That was such a part of the game for so many years. I’m a much better father now than the first time I played my youngest daughter and did not catch myself till after she ran to her room and slammed the door! We recovered, she got better, I shut my mouth and she is now following down your path!