Sporting an Injury
Over dinner last night, my husband and I were discussing an acquaintance of his who recently became injured and is now medically prohibited from playing certain sports. The acquaintance has torn a muscle somewhere between his buttocks and calf. I can only imagine how such an injury might affect everyday life making certain common movements quite painful. This is not something I envy or would enjoy as a subject for ridicule. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for HOW he received this injury. You see, he did this while bowling.
Doctor’s have informed him that there is no medical way to fix this injury and he will instead have to refrain from bowling for several years later returning for another examination to determine if he will ever be able to return to the “sport.”
This got me to thinking. Considering I don’t believe bowling counts as an actual sport, I wonder about other narrowly qualifying “sports” and the appropriate level of embarrassment one should endure should they ever receive a life altering injury from playing said sport. My current list includes the following:
- Bowling
- Golf (this may cause backlash, but it is and activity and NOT a sport in my book)
- Ping-pong
- Shuffleboard
- Fishing
- Foosball
- Badminton
- Air Hockey (I’ll admit to innumerable personal injuries from this one – feel free to laugh, but know that I’ll beat you unmercifully should you attempt to play me)
- Tabletop football
- Any Wii game
- Competitive eating or any competition featured on the Food Network
I’m sure I’ve missed quite a few so I ask what you would like to see added to the list and do you also have an injury or scar to show for it? I promise to laugh only at the means by which you received the injury . . . And all while I go get the box of jungle animal tattoo band-aids you can use to cover the wound in the dignified manner it warrants.
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Assisted Procrastination 
April 22, 2008 at 8:24 am
A friend of mine once said that she only considers it a “sport” if you have to be in shape in order to be good at it. And “shape” does not mean round. So, bowling, golf, and let’s not forget…..curling.
All activities, none are sports.
Of course, back in the day, I did not consider running to be a sport – it was what you did to train for something else. Now I stand corrected. It is not a game, not a team sport, but it does require a certain amount of athleticism.
April 22, 2008 at 9:13 am
Croquet – I have a scar from playing croquet which I do not consider a sport. I don’t believe in any universe it can be considered a spot. We were at a family picnic and about 10 kids were playing croquet. No not correct. Actually Jungle Croquet. No rules, no holds barred croquet. Whack that ball as far as you could, as hard as you could, our course took up 3 large yards. Each yard encompassing approximately 5 acres both treed and denuded. And of course you had to complete the course as quickly as possible, we were attempting a worlds record time.
While running from wicket to wicket and dodging kids and flying wooden balls I tripped over a wicket and fell into my cousin Stephanie who fell into Uncle Jack’s cement fish fountain. While trying to regain my footing I tumbled into a tree and radically ripped the skin off my knee. Very little flesh was left on my knee. Stephanie was completely drenched, but she did not stop playing, neither did I. We had honor to uphold. Bleeding and dripping water, we continued to play the game until we finished. Our team won, she changed clothes, I was bandaged up, David had a welt over his eye from an errant wooden croquet ball. It was ministered to with ice, but no record was broken that day. But I would definitely add croquet to your list of non-sporting events.
April 22, 2008 at 11:58 am
My sister has had a recent injury while skateboarding — a ruptured Achilles tendon. She’s had surgery once, with a 5 inch scar she now calls her “racing stripe” and is on crutches for another 6 weeks. With a recovery period of 3-6 months, it seems a bone headed injury endured while cruising around the neighborhood.
April 30, 2008 at 9:06 am
Although I never participated in the “sport” I cannot condone the title of “sport” for cheer leading, even though there can be some nasty injuries.
I also have to agree that curling is not a sport. I don’t get the point that I am not even sure it can be called a game, or a hobby. It is just… curling.