The Sports

When you come to Carolina, never say never.

At least, never say never to things you’re not sure if you like—majors, clubs, curiosities. Here is both an example and a dark confession: I don’t like sports. I don’t have a lot of team spirit. I played basketball and ran cross-country for one small, low-scoring year in high school but coming to Carolina was definitely not inspired by an ardent love for Carolina basketball. My family has been bleeding Tarheel blue for as long as I can remember, but —a biochemist professor-grandfather, two aunts, one uncle, four cousins, one sister and generations of Carolina basketball worshipers later—I have always lacked team spirit. I hang my head when I'm with my family during March Madness. I will watch a basketball game if it includes the title word "championship" and I will say, of a certain tall gentleman who passed the role list to me in one of my classes last semester “Wait, isn’t Harrison Barnes a basketball player?”—but I am definitely lacking an undying love for Tar Heel sports.

So, this, my first post on the Tarheel Blog, is dedicated to you, lacking-in-team-spirit-future-Carolina-students. I know you’re out there. You may be asking, "Can I really go to a university that has one of the biggest and best sports legacies in the country, if I don't care that much?"

Because something happened to me this semester. I started joining intramural teams. Well, two: intramural soccer and intramural ping-pong—and yes, I do play intramural ping-pong and yes, it is something fierce. Playing intramural sports is mostly inspired by my desire to hang out with other people and because my primary passion in life is ping-pong (okay, an exaggeration, but close), but also because I have a bucket list of things I want to do before graduating to broaden my Carolina experience: take a Russian Literature class, do slam poetry, go to a star show at the Morehead Planetarium, tutor, and become interested in The Sports. This is what I am calling my new desire for athleticism: The Sports!

The other week, I went to a friend’s house watch the UNC vs. Michigan State game on the U.S Aircraft carrier. For someone whose attention span for sports is much, much shorter than an aircraft carrier, this game was a good introduction to The Sports: the UNC team ran out onto the Aircraft Carrier against a sky so pink it could have been out of a movie, President Obama and Michelle Obama were on the sidelines, and (spoiler alert): we won! I yelled at the screen and cheered and actually had a great time—and left the game more determined than ever to develop a love for The Sports, whether they are ping-pong, basketball or (cringe!) football. I can even tell you the score: 67-55.

The other day, though, I was at a bar (and in case you were wondering: I am 21)and a football game came onto the screen next to me. I have no idea who was playing.

“Sssh!” I told my friends next to me. “I’m watching THE GAME.”

In summary, I only got to semi-finals in intramural ping-pong and semi-finals in soccer, but my team lost. And I didn’t contribute that much. I ran around a lot and cheered and kicked the ball about three times. But I played! And next time intramurals roll around, I’m signing up. Same goes for the next UNC basketball game (watching it, not signing up to play). Maybe, if I get really carried away, I’ll put up one of those posters on my door that has the names of all the basketball players (probably not). But my Junior year at UNC-Chapel Hill, I’m making an effort. For The Sports!

Never say never, future UNC applicants! That’s the first thing I have to say about my experience at UNC. So, go make a bucket list.