by Lauren Langdon

I nervously glanced at the two kids as they alternated saying names, “Alec, Mathew, Allie.” When they called, “Angela, Stephen,” I knew we were halfway there. I looked hopefully at the people in front of me as they called the last name, “Kristin.” Immediately I was filled with disappointment, I was chosen last for gym teams, again.

In middle school, when people asked me what my least favorite class was I never said math like other kids; instead I said gym. For an athletic person, gym is their time to shine, but ever since I was little I have disliked gym day. I dreaded striking out in baseball. I dreaded being the last person picked for teams. I dreaded it all.

At Nativity, my middle school, we played all kinds of sports and activities: kickball, square dancing, flag football, and my personal favorite: juggling. But in almost all of these activities I clearly couldn’t measure up to the rest of class.

In eight grade we started to get graded in gym. I knew it was an attempt to keep the athletic kids from slacking off, but I felt like it was a personal attack on the kids who couldn’t shoot a basket from three feet away. While it was ridiculous to get a 90 percent in gym, it was no where near as embarrassing as the mile run.

Students ran countless laps around the gym, and when they finished running the mile, they would sit down and watch the rest of the people who were still running. As the crowd of runners thinned I felt more and more eyes glued to my sluggish pace and reddening face. I hated that feeling- the feeling of embarrassment even though I tried my hardest.

I thought the ultimate embarrassment would be high school gym, but I was surprised to learn that at STA gym was not that bad, in fact I actually enjoyed it! I didn’t mind not winning a single game of badminton because at STA no one judged me. I still have a gym credit left, and next year I am excited to take the intro to dance class. It just goes to show you, at STA everyone makes an effort to include others, whether they are the president of spirit club or the unathletic girl in the corner.