I hear younger guys–by which I mean guys in their early 30s– complain about how they used to be so much better at basketball back when they were in college. As they reach into their duffle bags for their knee brace or ankle support, they talk about things they used to be able to do on the court, how quick they used to be. They’ve been forced to rely more on their outside game, they confess.
Me, I just smile. I am, in my middle age, currently at the peak of my game. I really never played basketball growing up. The entire fitness emphasis really took hold in our culture after I came of age, and I got out of high school PE by doing alternative things like writing a paper on some sports topic. So, when I play basketball nowadays–purely for fellowship and ministry–I find that I can do things that I was never able to do before, like faking a hook, and then when my gullible defender jumps up with delusional mental pictures of how he’s going to stuff my shot, deftly scooping the ball under his arms for a nice bank shot off the glass, which is exactly what I ended up doing to Pastor Manny Kim, many years my junior, just the other day.
I look at young guys, guys with just one child still in diapers for e.g., as they put on elastic knee supports, and tell them that God probably intended their knee tendons to last a lifetime, but that they overused them in their youth playing too much basketball, and that my knees–rarely having experienced the compression of coming back down from a jump shot–are fresh and ready for many more years, and that I am currently at the peak of my game because there is nothing on the basketball court that I cannot do today that I used to be able to do. Then one of them reminds me that this contradicts my sermons in which I rail against the mentality of “save yourself” and living cautious lives. I guess they have a point. Some of them point out that as slow as they’ve gotten, they can still do circles around my so-called peak game. I think they are just being mean because they are sore about their declining bodies.
I recognize that I am among the “aging at Gracepoint Fellowship”, but I am proud to say that I’m also at the peak of my game, not having played basketball at all growing up… It’s just that the “peak” is more like a speedbump.
Wow, there seems to be an amazing similarity between these “younger-guys” in their early 30’s, with one child in diapers, wearing ankle and knee braces to a specific brother serving in one of the college groups. In his defense (or mine), that brother still relies heavily on his inside game and hasn’t lost nearly as much speed as some of his elders. Though he (or I) will admit that his age was catching up to him as he huffed and puffed down the court against some huge texas students in Austin this past week.
I would also like to give my full support in backing the statement, “there is nothing on the basketball court that I cannot do today that I used to be able to do.” It is very true that Pastor Ed can still do everything, namely his hook shot to the right or to the left, just as well, if not better, than before. And though most people can quickly anticipate which of his many shots he is attempting, it continues to work against the writer of dis-gracepoint
pastor ed, you are so funny.
I would like to just say that I, too, can anticipate his hook shots. Pastor Ed basically has 2 moves on offense. His defense, however, has a lot of variety. His defense consists of many wrestling moves, including a full-nelson and a fireman hold.
Hi P.Ed. I agree that you are at the peak of your game. But let’s remember that there are many peaks out there and that one man’s peak is another man’s valley.
Oh my gosh! I never knew Pastor Ed could be so agile on the court! I had only heard accounts of it but now I’ve seen it with my own eyes (Thanks for the video clip Daniel!). That hook shot was beautiful! I’m not a big fan of basketball (I don’t follow it religiously) but I do appreciate beautiful executions whether its a spike, a dunk, or even a hook shot. Thatsch amay-jing Pastor Ed!
While I would like to identify with the aging, the college students prevent me from doing that as they still inquire about my major (and they don’t mean the one I graduated in).
But nevertheless, I would not want to be under the grapple hold of the older Pastor Ed Kang at Gracepoint Berkeley.
This post from Pastor Ed reminds me of the First Ever Gracepoint Fellowship Bowling Challenge that my class brothers did against the rest of the Gracepoint Austin team last week. It is essentially the Class of 2000 Brothers from Gracepoint Berkeley (with most of us just turned 30 this year) versus three assorted teams from Gracepoint Austin. The rule is that the team with the lowest score has to buy breakfast the next morning for the other three teams. Even though the Class of 2000 Brothers were the odd-on favorite to win the first ever Gracepoint Bowling Challenge, we were shockingly upset by all three Gracepoint Austin teams! Half of the Gracepoint Berkeley team bowled scores of only double digits, with sisters Kelly and Sunny easily beat two-third of the Gracepoint Berkeley brothers team! Who would have predicted that!!??
We, of course, graciously accepted defeats since we wanted to treat the rest of the Austin missionaries anyway to breakfast. But thi story just shows how home-court advantage, and age, are a factor in competitions like bowling, but I still think our class can take any other class in basketball, hands down…