They really ought to provide an opportunity for students to letter in elementary school. I SO would have been on the varsity teams for tetherball and four square.
I remember a boy named Kyle was the best at four sqaure, but I was a close second. I didn't need acknowledgement from him to know I was pretty good, but I still wished for it. I liked the days he wasn't playing cos I got to be the main sqaure where you call the rules and declare the 'outs'. Although, I preferred him to play because I liked the challenge.
One day he showed up with a really big, white trucker hat on, long before they were cool. I remember it was summer in Arizona and he was always sweating profusely, but this time even more. He took off the hat to wipe his brow and his whole head was shiny bald. He tried to hide it. I tried not to look. What if he had medical issues? I worried about my four sqaure buddy. Finally one of the other boys playing asked him what happened to his hair. He simply retorted that he shaved his head. The same boy asked why. The answer was that his brothers thought it would look cool.
That was the only day in my entire life I was grateful I did not have older brothers.
His naked, white head had trouble with the sun and after about 10 minutes he would have to go sit in the shade by the portables cos it hurt too bad. He would always choose me to take his place in the main square. Finally, the acknowledgement I had been waiting for!
That week someone in class told me Kyle had a crush on me. I have held this dilemma in my head ever since. Maybe he didn't really think I was so good at four sqaure, maybe he was just giving me his square cos he liked me. Not because he thought I earned it.
Hearing about a crush was never so disappointing.
