Frenchtown Woman's Athletic Club
So I started a woman’s athletic club.
Anyone who knew me as a young person would laugh out loud at the absurdity of the above statement. I was not a joiner I was a big believer in the Groucho Marx quote “I don't want to belong to any club that would accept people like me as a member” And I did not do sports. Dance, yoga maybe but competitive sports forget about it. I already felt awkward, clumsy and was pretty sure I was a loser, who needed more confirmation. I had bought into the folly of young women everywhere that one needs to be naturally good at things to do them. When of course playing sport with a supportive group would probably have been the perfect antidote.
With time comes wisdom. I have become a huge convert to two things; regular exercise (I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, no pun intended, it’s a game changer) and the idea that it’s great to do things you suck at. (please read Karen Rinaldi article (It’s Great to) Suck at Something because what she said)
A few months ago I ran across an article about a woman who had started a pickup basketball game in New York. It inspired me, I’ve always loved watching basketball, but never even tried to shoot a basket. Again I’d been held back by the notion that incompetency was a barrier to entry. Playing games with other people is fantastic fun why should not being good be an impediment to having a good time. I’ve noticed it rarely seems to stop men.
My husband James started playing squash regularly in his late 30s. He was not good, but it didn't stop him. He made a diverse group of friends through playing, has had some pretty great squash related experience all-around the world. It keeps him fit, it's a fantastic stress reliever, and most importantly it brings him joy.
I am also a recent convert to the idea that life can be hard as hell so you should seek out joy wherever you can. So I decided to start an athletic club in my town, where women could get together and play sports with no pressure and no skill required. I was basically trying to create a supportive environment where I could play all the games that I never got to as a teenager and have all the advantages of being a member of a team without the downsides of actually having to play competitively. We recently had our first softball game. It was everything that I hoped it would be and more. An amazing bunch of women showed up and really got into the just for fun spirit. I hit a softball with a bat for the first time in my life. Some of us sucked way more than others, and nobody cared. It was really fun and brought me a lot of joy.
If want to know more or want to join you can go to the club’s website here or follow us on Facebook or Instagram.