June 7, 2016 Posted in  Soccer, Stories from pickup games

Soccer is, obviously, the leading sport in the world. Teams from all over the world compete in various leagues, both amateur and professional, to win it’s prize. Pickup games are interesting. For your humble writer, the last game was about ten years ago. I was a good shooter and passer, as well as defender. But my ball skills, the equivalent of ball handling in basketball, were awful. I was not very athletic as a footballer. During my whole lifetime I had, I think, ten goals and seven assists. I had played for fifteen years every three days on average. I’m a much better mind than athlete, but I have no stories coaching or managing.

My team in the United States is the Los Angeles Galaxy of the MLS. My favorite team abroad is Manchester United. My favorite player growing up was Cobi Jones...

January 30, 2016 Posted in  Stories from pickup games

It was a cold evening in the California Desert in 2002. Your humble writer, me, was playing basketball in the park was beginning the best years of his life. As a college student, I couldn’t play more than a few games of 21 per night, because I had to grab the bus home and be ready for class the next day.

During each game, I was playing the perimeter very well, passing and shooting, as well as driving by defenders. Someone who was very knowledgeable about basketball would come by and give me advice on developing a hook shot, because I was taller than all of my opponents and teammates. I struggled to be effective with the hook shot, so I continued to play my style...