I'ev been nudged! Let's talk POOL.
Ok, it's been a few months since I blogged anything and an interested party has used the "nudge" feature on LiveJournal to get me to post something, so here's the skinny on this weekend.
I've been back in the APA pool league for a year now (three seasons, this is my fourth). During my second season back, my team ("Cueless") managed a third or fourth place finish - enough to slip us into the LTC (Local Team Championship?). LTC's are a grueling "modified single elimination" tournament that, if you're successful, lasts all weekend and results, I believe, in a most-expenses paid trip to Vegas for nationals. While I made it to a few Sundays in my previous stint with the league, I've never been on a team that won the whole thing.
The tournament is this weekend. We managed to draw a first-round bye, so my day starts around noon instead of 8am. This morning has been especially relaxing since Alicia took the kids to see her mom for the weekend (since I wasn't going to be here much). Normally I'm psyched about being in LTC, but my previous outings have been coming off first-place seasons as captain back when I had lots of time to practice. This time around, it's as co-captain with a team that wasn't "tops in the division". Where I had a team full of people who were itching to play before, now I have some people with the ability to win, but some not necessarily the desire to put their neck on the line and go for it.
More significantly, I've barely managed to scrape together a single practice night since February (thanks Casey!). I'm also getting up an hour earlier every morning for work (thanks Casey!), so I'm much more persistently tired. Oh yeah, and the realities of being President of a small company in this economy are REALLY weighing on me lately. I'm worried I've put myself in a position to let down these people. I feel like a damaged pawn to be used at ones peril. Of course, I guess that makes me one of those people who is hesitant to put my neck on the line. Except, I accept my fate... I'm gonna do this.
It'll also be interesting to see how my teammates take my attitude at tournaments. I'm pretty zen. I laugh or shrug off most of my missed shots. I really do my best not to get rattled. I try to shoot my best, but try not to get so wrapped up in it that I'll tighten up. Unfortunately, that's come across as "not caring" some times. Admittedly, maybe I don't care as much as others about the prize and the glory, but I do care. Then again, maybe I do need to tighten up just a little when stuff is on the line like this.
One thing I'll say, though... I've watched one of my teammates surpass me in the rankings. I'm happy for him, but it's actually getting to me. That might be the fire I need lit under me. I dislike not being top dog. Yes, we have some 7's on the team that are higher ranked, but 7's are almost assumed to win every match they play. Losing a regular season match is one thing... seeing somebody become better than me through working harder than me is NOT something I'm used to... regardless of any excuses I make for myself.
Everyone on my team has nicknames. Lacking any knowledge of me the first season, they went with my suggestion of "garygen.com". Lame, yes, but I had no better suggestions. Last week, my captain informed me my new nickname is now "The Professor". No idea where that came from other than maybe coming at games strategically and being able to do the basic math that eludes my captain. Regardless, I now feel compelled to try to build a radio from coconuts and palm fronds. Or at least a pool table. So I can practice.
I've been back in the APA pool league for a year now (three seasons, this is my fourth). During my second season back, my team ("Cueless") managed a third or fourth place finish - enough to slip us into the LTC (Local Team Championship?). LTC's are a grueling "modified single elimination" tournament that, if you're successful, lasts all weekend and results, I believe, in a most-expenses paid trip to Vegas for nationals. While I made it to a few Sundays in my previous stint with the league, I've never been on a team that won the whole thing.
The tournament is this weekend. We managed to draw a first-round bye, so my day starts around noon instead of 8am. This morning has been especially relaxing since Alicia took the kids to see her mom for the weekend (since I wasn't going to be here much). Normally I'm psyched about being in LTC, but my previous outings have been coming off first-place seasons as captain back when I had lots of time to practice. This time around, it's as co-captain with a team that wasn't "tops in the division". Where I had a team full of people who were itching to play before, now I have some people with the ability to win, but some not necessarily the desire to put their neck on the line and go for it.
More significantly, I've barely managed to scrape together a single practice night since February (thanks Casey!). I'm also getting up an hour earlier every morning for work (thanks Casey!), so I'm much more persistently tired. Oh yeah, and the realities of being President of a small company in this economy are REALLY weighing on me lately. I'm worried I've put myself in a position to let down these people. I feel like a damaged pawn to be used at ones peril. Of course, I guess that makes me one of those people who is hesitant to put my neck on the line. Except, I accept my fate... I'm gonna do this.
It'll also be interesting to see how my teammates take my attitude at tournaments. I'm pretty zen. I laugh or shrug off most of my missed shots. I really do my best not to get rattled. I try to shoot my best, but try not to get so wrapped up in it that I'll tighten up. Unfortunately, that's come across as "not caring" some times. Admittedly, maybe I don't care as much as others about the prize and the glory, but I do care. Then again, maybe I do need to tighten up just a little when stuff is on the line like this.
One thing I'll say, though... I've watched one of my teammates surpass me in the rankings. I'm happy for him, but it's actually getting to me. That might be the fire I need lit under me. I dislike not being top dog. Yes, we have some 7's on the team that are higher ranked, but 7's are almost assumed to win every match they play. Losing a regular season match is one thing... seeing somebody become better than me through working harder than me is NOT something I'm used to... regardless of any excuses I make for myself.
Everyone on my team has nicknames. Lacking any knowledge of me the first season, they went with my suggestion of "garygen.com". Lame, yes, but I had no better suggestions. Last week, my captain informed me my new nickname is now "The Professor". No idea where that came from other than maybe coming at games strategically and being able to do the basic math that eludes my captain. Regardless, I now feel compelled to try to build a radio from coconuts and palm fronds. Or at least a pool table. So I can practice.