I like balls. Putting aside for a second the perverse meaning that most people commonly associate with that statement, I've always liked playing sports that involve sports. (I've always told people I might have been a dog in a past life), I always like chasing after balls. Something about a ball holds so many possibilities, it can go in so many different directions and holding a ball gives one a great sense of power, like, "If I have a ball, I can do almost anything." Most boys like sports, and I certain did as a kid, but I always liked the ball sports more: I didn't like chasing around people while playing tag, or doing monkey bars, or working out, or climbing up a rope, I liked playing basketBALL, baseBALL, and Soccer. Dodgeball is just a manifestation of that, with even more balls put in play: as opposed to one ball in play at all times, dodgeball utilizes multiple balls, flying around at different speeds wildly. On a very basic level, my love of dodgeball revolves around being able to throw a lot of balls, chasing them around, and also (hopefully) catching them as they come to me. For a ball-priority "athlete" myself, it's really a dream come true.
My girlfriend does not like balls. She does not like if a ball flies around her, and especially not if a ball hits her in the face. When she plays basketball ( I force her to come with me to the playground to play basketball), she awkwardly flings the ball in the air with 2 hands with no arch, slamming off the backboard in a hail mary attempt to somehow have the ball wind up in the basket. When she does exercise, she does rock climbing and walking/running, not exactly the most ball-heavy of endeavors. But we're all different, and I love her for it.
Balls are symbolic of a lot of things, but to me they symbolize the bond that links a team together, whether it be a basketball team, Olympic volleyball team, or (for me) a traveling dodgeball team. Unlike running or lifting or other activities that can only be measured in times and collective effort (maybe hugs, but it's kinda disgusting to hug someone's sweaty body after they've been running or lifting), ball sports allow teams to share the ball amongst themselves, both off the court in throwing balls to each other in practice and developing a rhythm amongst themselves to sharing the ball on the court, showing trust in each other by passing the ball(s) to each other to transfer that power of having the ball (and ideally, scoring points, getting opponents out, etc.) to each other, to get the ball from one place to the desired common goal. Finally, the thrill of chasing down a ball that is just ahead of one (like a dog doggedly going after a ball its owner has flung) is similar to that competitive desire of chasing down a championship, of the goal being oh so close in front of you but oh so far, of continuing to strive until you at long last hunt down that ball and make it one's own, that's the thrill of ball sports.
Basically, my point is, a ball is not just a tool for a game, it symbolizes so much more. And that's why I love it.
Fantasize on,
Robert Yan
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