Today I broke a cycle that had been going on for years where every time I play football I get injured. Of course, as I was playing a 7 on 7 with people who were rather unfamiliar with the game, it was a bit safer than most of the football games I play when I am back in the states. It was a rewarding thing to help teach the students how to play American football and I hope that they will at least enjoy playing it at least sometimes, as that is a sport I greatly enjoy and it is not too taxing for me, nor does it cause me to feel a bit woozy, like takraw does.

It was intriguing how at the beginning of the lesson few of the students appeared enthusiastic about learning, as they were more interested in playing the sports that they were familiar with. But after playing for a while most of the people were having fun, and getting the hang of the basics of the rules, and I imagine with a little practice they could be pretty competent at sandlot football, which is about my level of competence in the game after all of my years of playing, where I basically play zone coverage, play as a down lineman rushing the passer, or play possession receiver on offense.

It is a pleasant and sometimes necessary thing for people to go outside of their comfort zone. If we only play the same games or talk about the same things or read the same things or watch the same things over and over again, we never grow or learn to appreciate the fullness of life. Even as a fairly habitual person myself, I find it necessary at times to go way out of the mold and put myself in unfamiliar situations to show my abilities to cope with surprises or handle unfamiliar matters effectively. And I am generally pleased with the results when I do so and when others do so as well. Hopefully experiences like this will lead the students here to be more brave as well about appreciating and trying new activities, which helps drive away the boredom that we sometimes face.

At any rate, it was a pleasant afternoon and almost everyone (even our little mascot) seemed to have a great time. I was generally pleased by the athleticism of the students, and by how quickly they grasped the general strategy of football and some of the basic rules (including offsides and false start). Even if few of them end up loving the sport, finding new sports to enjoy or appreciate is not a bad thing at all, wherever one is. And for that, I am pleased to see the students taking advantage of the opportunity to do something new. Obviously, it is something that the rest of us have the chance to do every now and again as well.