Mark Sperry Didn't Lie
When I was a sophomore, and I made my JV basketball team, I was terrified. I thought everyone would find out at any second, that I was a complete fraud. I'd been cut from the 7th AND 8th grade teams, and had never made a "traveling team" in my life. I sucked. I know it. And I wasn't sure why the coaches even let me be there, at practice. _____ But I tried hard, and even though I hardly ever played (I don't think I scored 20 points combined, all season) I remember Mark Sperry saying after the season that he and the other seniors were talking, and they felt like I was one of "the players to look out for" the next year. I remember thinking they were crazy. Here's the thing: Mark Sperry didn't lie. _____ And I don't mean about ME. I mean... Mark didn't lie. He was just a super good kid. Hairy as fuck. But just a super amazing, cool person. Quiet. Respectful. Didn't really haze people. Didn't demand the ball. Did the dirty work. Got rebounds. Lots of putbacks. He was just a SOLID basketball player. And a SOLID guy. So now that I'm thinking about it, (16 years after that conversation, this month) I'm realizing: I think Mark Sperry was right. _____ And I think he still is.