Category: Athletic Achievements

Better With Practice: My Bowling Tale

On April 1, 2016

Bowling has never been my specialty.

Actually, I’m pretty horrendous at it.

A “good” score for me — or a “successful” game — is when I manage to break 110, which doesn’t happen that often. Truthfully, anything above 100 is a cause for celebration. If my score touches 150, it means the spirit of Pete Weber inhabited my body for that game.

Yet when my kickball team decided to join a bowling league through PlayNOLA to keep the good times rolling after kickball ended, I was all for it. After all, it would be with people that are genuinely fun to hang around with and we’re in the same boat.

PlayNOLA held the league at Fulton Alley, a boutique bowling alley in downtown New Orleans. It’s a little pretentious inside and the pins are oddly set on strings, but all in all it was a fun spot to kill a few hours on a Wednesday night.

The league ended this week and “Ebowla” lost in the semifinals. We didn’t even think we’d make the playoffs, so for us to get that far was an accomplishment.

How did I do? Let’s take a look at my scores over the weeks.

Date	Game 1	Game 2
2/17	119
2/24	111	87
3/1	119
3/9	125	117
3/23	98	106
3/30	153	128

All in all, I guess I didn’t bowl too poorly.

My average score was 116.3, which sounds about right. If I knocked a few more pins down on March 23, that average would shoot up quite a bit.
I broke 120 three times, which should cue a parade.
In the quarterfinals of the playoffs, I felt better in a bowling alley and my score (153) could prove that. I didn’t want to leave any open frames and I only think I left one or two, so that’s a positive.

I’ll never be good at bowling, but it’s a fun way to check your ego.

NCAA Indoor Championships and My (Lack Of) Top-End Speed

By Tyler Mayforth

On March 14, 2016

In Athletic Achievements, USTFCCCA

The conversation started innocently enough.

The NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships ended just a few hours before and my coworker and I were wrapping up some work for the USTFCCCA inside the press box at the Birmingham CrossPlex (a fine facility, if I must say).

I looked down at the track and asked him, “How fast do you think I could run a 60?”

“Right now,” he asked.

“Yes,” I responded. “Just like this. Minimal stretching. Wearing what I’m wearing.”

“Nine seconds.”

Gauntlet thrown. Challenge accepted.

Less than 10 minutes later, I crouched at the starting line.

When I got to the NCAA Indoor Championships, I recalled it was my first time at an indoor track & field meet since my final race as a Delaware Blue Hen in 2007.

I never ran a straight-up 60 in my life, so it was going to be an adventure.

On your marks… Go!

I shot out of the blocks and sprinted down Lane 5.

I heard the faint whistle of the air as I hit my top speed and crossed the finish line.

“What did I run?”

“What do you think you ran?”

Before I could answer, a media member ambled out of the press box.

“I had him at 8.55. What did you get?”

“8.76.”

“That sounds right. I started my watch right after he started.”

Let me put my blazing speed in perspective for those uninitiated.

If I ran in the men’s 60-meter final, I would have finished dead-last by 1.43 seconds. I mean I would have finished behind Tulsa’s Bryce Robinson, who came in eighth in an eight-man field.
TCU’s Ronnie Baker won the 60 in 6.47, which was the third fastest time ever recorded by a collegian indoors.
Here’s a fun fact: The men’s 60-meter final was the fastest final ever in the history of the NCAA meet. Five men went 6.60 or faster.

I guess you could say that went 0-60 real ~~quick~~ slow.

Here are a few other thoughts from my weekend in Birmingham, Alabama.

Indoor track & field meets always seemed to crawl by when I competed in them, probably because there were so many heats. That wasn’t the case this weekend. I don’t think I had a chance to catch my breath — or run back up to the press box — between finals on Saturday.
I thought our coverage was tremendous, which carried over from the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships in November. I churned out some good content, which you can read here, here, here and here.

Kickball Recap 4: There is No Glory in Pitching

By Tyler Mayforth

On November 5, 2015

In Athletic Achievements, Kickball, New Orleans

As I watched run after run after run after run (you get the idea) cross home plate last night in an eventual 15-2 loss by Big Black Balls, I realized there is no glory in pitching in kickball. The same can probably be said — and is probably said — about pitching in slow-pitch softball.

No matter how hard you try or how much spin you try to put on the ball, it’s going to get crushed. I might have struck out three batters (I’m not even sure how I did that, to be honest), but everything else was belted.

If you want to make a difference in a game where the object is to score as many runs as humanly possible, you get in the outfield. You need to play deeper than you’d think because once that ball bounces over your head, it’s an easy triple or home run for the batter, regardless of speed.

Maybe I’ll pitch again at some point during the season. Until then I’ll settle in at my usual spot at third base or try to work my way in the outfield. I’m much better at chasing down the ball that got murdered than I am turning around to watch it go really, really far.

	AB	H	R	1B	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB
Game Stats	2	1	1	0	1	0	0	0	0
Season Stats	7	6	6	2	3	1	0	4	1

Kickball Recap 2: Crank That 2-0

By Tyler Mayforth

On October 22, 2015

In Athletic Achievements, Kickball

Halfway through what turned out to be a 17-5 win for “Big Black Balls,” the team formerly known as “Free Kicks” (Yeah, I don’t know either. We batted around the idea of “Stranger Danger,” which I liked a lot more), “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” by none other than Soulja Boy blared over the Bluetooth speaker set at home plate.

For a moment, everything else — like kickball — became secondary. We just wanted to dance.

For those ‘older’ players like myself on the rosters, we were taken back to our senior years of college or right after we graduated (me). Slightly younger players probably remembered the song from their freshman or sophomore years in college or possibly the senior years in high school. The folks who JUST graduated college were probably in diapers when that song came out back in 2007.

Anyway, after the second verse — which is probably all anybody can hear of that song any longer — we got back to business with me at pitcher (wanted to try my hand at it after playing third base for a while) and someone other than me (of course) at-bat.

Other songs played throughout the night, but none really stood out to where the game came to a halt and everybody either danced or rapped along to the lyrics.

We needed some levity in the game since it was a rout from the start. We led 7-0 after the first inning and 11-0 after the second. We debated on putting up the max number of runs available (35, or seven per inning), but decided against it.

Another good game for the team as we are still undefeated at 2-0.

	AB	H	R	1B	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB
Game Stats	3	3	2	1	1	1	0	3	0
Season Stats	5	5	5	2	2	1	0	4	1

Kickball Recap 1: Coming Through In The Clutch

By Tyler Mayforth

On October 15, 2015

In Athletic Achievements, Kickball

Right before I stepped to the plate for my final at-bat of my team’s season opener in kickball on Wednesday, I felt a tap on my shoulder.

It was the umpire assigned to officiate our game.

“Look, I don’t want to put any additional pressure on you right now, but look at your team.”

He pointed in the direction of my teammates. Moments before, I guess they all took a knee like Tim Tebow before a game. It might have been four years late, but my team — “Free Kicks” — was definitely “Tebowing.”

“Thanks, guys,” I yelled over. “I need all the prayers I can get.”

Pressure, though? What pressure?

There were two outs in the bottom of the seventh.
My team, down 5-2, staged a rally and the tying run was on third.
I worked the count full (3-2) and already fouled off one kick, so as the rules state, my next kick has to be in fair territory or it’s an out. Plus, if the ball clipped the strike zone and I let it go, I’d be punched out on strikes — and the game would be over.

Oh. That pressure.

The opposing pitcher rolled the yellow sphere in my direction and it took a hop just as it was about to cross the plate. Earlier in the game I saw another pitch bounce and I let it go — but that one was ruled a strike, so I had a decision to make. Let it go and leave it to the umpire’s discretion or pound it into the outfield. I let it go.

A few seconds passed before the umpire called “Ball” and I took my base. While I stood on first, the pitcher looked over at me and said, “Really? I put that one right down the middle for you. How did you take that?” I smirked and said, “I guess I have a good eye” — but deep down I know I should have whaled it. I was 2 for 2 with a single, RBI double and two runs scored before that, so I had the “hot foot.”

Oh well.

Two plays later I scored the winning run.

We should have lost, but the breaks went our way.

On the ensuing play, the pitcher and third baseman collided trying to make a play on a pop-up. The ball dropped and I got to second. Then the next kick should have been caught as well, but the second baseman botched it and I kept motoring around the bases until I touched home.

We celebrated like we won the World Series and made plans to meet up at a local bar to continue the festivities.

Throughout the entire night, everything felt normal. The camaraderie was there and nothing felt forced. I attribute it to the fact that we were a team full of free agents (hence ‘Free Kicks’) and most of us weren’t from New Orleans to begin with.

All in all, it was a great debut.

Tyler Tracker: 2 for 2, 3 R, 1 1B, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 BB.

Getting Ready To Kick(Ball) It In New Orleans

By Tyler Mayforth

On October 9, 2015

In Athletic Achievements, Sports

The wait is over.

Prepare yourself, PlayNOLA.

Next week, your fearless blogger (That’s me, in case you don’t know) will hopefully play in his first Adult Kickball League game in New Orleans. I say hopefully, because right now I’m a “free agent.” I’d like to consider myself the LeBron James of Kickball and that hundreds of teams (OK, several of them) are vying for my bazooka-like leg.

I’ve been looking for something to occupy my free time and this could be a perfect thing to do once per week. Plus, it would get my competitive juices flowing again.

So what does this mean for you, my wonderful reader(s)?

Well, I plan on breaking down each of my games from my stat line (probably 0 for 3 with three fly outs based on how my pickup games went) to interactions with my teammates and everywhere in between. Because, why not? It’s something fun to do.

Be on the lookout for this series beginning next Thursday. Games are Wednesdays.

P.S. — Found out I’m on the team called “Free Kicks.” We shall see how it goes.

That one golf shot that brings you back

By Tyler Mayforth

On April 11, 2015

In Athletic Achievements, Golf

While watching the Masters Golf Tournament this afternoon, I remembered back to a few years ago when I played in a foursome with Texas State head football coach Dennis Franchione, his offensive coordinator Mike Schultz and my boss at the time.

For some reason unbeknownst to me, the decision was made to play at one of the toughest courses in the Lone Star State. Nicknamed “The Challenger,” Ram Rock is a par-71 monster outside of Marble Falls, Texas with a demanding 18-hole layout.

A hack like me is probably gifted one good shot per round — to go along with all of the bad ones — and boy, was I graced by the golf gods with the one I hit on No. 4.

Satan himself couldn’t have designed a better hole (pictured above). It’s a 191-yard Par 3 with an island green and bunkers protecting the front and back.

I teed off second and prayed I wouldn’t end up in the drink. Whatever prayer I said was answered as I hit one of the purest balls to ever leave my club. Once I looked up, I saw the ball roll within seven feet of the hole. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I settled down, drained the birdie putt and let’s just say the round ended there.

That remains one of my greatest accomplishments on the golf course, even though my former boss could tell you of another that spurned a legend to this very day.

No matter how many shots you take on the golf course — given to you by the cart girl or not — you never forget the good ones. Those keep you coming back for more.