Javelin and Playing Ladies Softball

 

Javelin and Playing Ladies Softball

    “Wait, you’re on a softball team?” Mr. Clancy nearly spit out the gum he was chewing as he’d scoffed. I replied, “Well. Yeah. It’s a ladies softball team for our town. I started playing with them in seventh grade. I’m their pitcher. It’s like once a week.” Mr. Clancy’s comment came as a trove of big girls showed up one afternoon in March 1979 to try out for the new girl’s javelin throwing team. There was a plethora of girls trying out. They were robust. People who I knew who were considered ultimate jocks were already acting as though they’d made the team. I hoped to be a spoiler and capture one of the three spots on the girl’s javelin team that day.

    The test was two throws of a softball. Whoever threw the furthest in the top three throws, was on the team. There were at least 20 girls there. Some I’d never recognized. I saw Yvonne and Joy. They were two of our girl’s top three basketball team members. I knew of their throwing abilities. Yvonne was a shoe-in. She had already started throwing the shot put that year; although she was dependable for the 220-yard racing event and an easy pick for the one-mile relay. Too, she had the coordination and power for the javelin.

    Joy, I figured had a good chance of making the javelin team. She was one of our 440-yard competitors and held strong in that too. She had the muscle. I waited till near the end of the pack of girls lined up in the field behind the visitor side bleachers, about 70 meters away from the discus and shot-put circles. It was where the line of girls trying out stood. It was a picture-perfect day.

    As my turn arrived, I got up and instead of running into the throw as the other girls had done. I stood still and threw from behind the line that Mr. Clancy and Mr. Deluccia had in place. My standing still and throwing from the line was partially due to my lack of coordination and how for years I’d known how to throw any ball from a stand still position one handed.

    I threw the softball and as it landed, I knew Yvonne’s and Joy’s throws had bested mine. What I didn’t know was, who’s else had or could? After another bunch of throws from others were finished. I soon found out; I was third behind Yvonne and Joy. I’d made the Javelin team. Mr. Clancy was gob smacked. He shook his head, “Jody, you’re third man.” He smirked at this skinny runner who had more in her right arm than many of the studettes that showed up with confidence that day had. I remarked to him, “Mr. Clancy, I’ve been throwing footballs since age four. I’ve been playing war with the boys since then too. We threw dirt bombs at each other. And I’ve been throwing softballs since fourth grade. It’s practice.”---Jody-Lynn Reicher from "Authentic, a Memoir"