Weekend engagement 210: My dilemma with sports.

I have always been fascinated by the fervor that sports awaken in many people since I have never felt any passion for any sport. In Venezuela, my native country, baseball is almost a religion. When I was young, I remember the fury of Major League Baseball seasons, the heated arguments between my parents over their rival teams, and the sportswear everyone wore supporting their teams always seemed really interesting to me. For a long time I tried to fit in but I couldn't, I watched games, read the news, but my interest vanished almost instantly.

I was frustrated by the lack of understanding, why so much passion for a game? What was I missing to feel that contagious emotion? I was disappointed in my apparent inability to connect with something that seemed to unite the majority. This repulsion towards sports strongly marked my social relationships, especially during adolescence. Fortunately, as the years went by I found people who, like me, did not succumb to the sporting charm and that was a relief.

Over time, I began to understand that my detachment from sports fanaticism was not a weakness or a fault, it was simply a characteristic that defined me as a person. I discovered that my personality and interests were simply different.

I believe that the competitiveness associated with sport is a key factor in its strong appeal. For many, their team's victory represents the pinnacle of effort and skill. I, on the other hand, have never been a competitive person, I have never felt the need to compete against another person. Perhaps there lies the root of my detachment from the sports world.