Ballz

Taken from Sunday 18/09/2010 @ 2.08AM

This year I have looked forward to every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.

It's just after 2AM on Saturday night, well Sunday morning. I have just spent majority of the day and night with my team mates from football on our end of season wind up down at the club and at The Garden in Leederville.

I am not sure if it is just football or every team sport, but I just feel it is really hard to explain to anyone who does not love the sport, or any sport in general how much the training nights, game days and just sitting at home watching the premier league really mean to me.

I can easily say I love playing more than I love being with some of my friends because it actually means something to me.

Training with and playing in this team feels like it is the only time when I am alive. And I mean really alive. I am seldom passionate about anything in my life and even less so aggressive, but I think what I really feel is how happy I am.

I had a special mention in our presentation tonight from one of the senior players, noting that at the start of the season I was not quite up to the speed coming from Socials but I stuck it out and started going from coming on for a 20 minute cameo sub to regular starting team places. I even bagged my first hatrick in the amateurs.

Which brings me to that day.

It was 15/08/2010 and I was about to leave for my game when Dad asked where I was playing. Reluctantly I told him where and when (FYI: I do not like friends/family watching me play) we were playing and whom against.

Down at Subiaco change rooms our reserves coach was going through the lineup, I thought I was destined for the bench again which I had been comfortable with since my persistent injuries prevent me from seeing out the 90 minutes. In passing, the coach mentioned some players who were starting who barely come to training, arrive late or sometimes never even show up. He then made allusion to myself always being at every training and being on time for every game - Mr. Reliable.

I was named on the bench.

Just before we were walking out, he told me I would get to start and he wanted me to score some goals.

At kickoff it was more or less the first play of the game. The ball was taken down the right side, crossed in and I met it with my head (eyes closed -_-) and scored the first goal in under 2 minutes. It was great because a lot of the firsts were down there and my Dad was right behind the goals watching too. I do not think I have heard more people shout "Jasoooonnn Deruuuuuloooooo" at a half Asian. My First

Not much time passed before another similar cross came in, this time along the ground and from about 6 yards out i slotted it into the top left corner. I just ran around with a smile and jumped with a hand in the air past the bench and fellow club mates. My Second

In the second half we were a little lackluster and Subiaco clawed back two goals (BTW I neglected to mention goals others scored, we were 4-0 up at HT) which was kind of surprising to us. Another ball was crossed from the right, but closer to the keeper. He spilled it and I was there to pounce on a scrambled tap in. My Hatrick

I was so happy because I had not done this in amateurs before and I never thought I was do it in my first season.

After the game I was put in the middle whilst we sang our song and threw water around.

So it is days, moments, triumphs and personal accolades like these which make me feel really happy and fulfilled to belong and participate. Which is why I reiterate that if you do not belong to a team sport or really follow any team game, it is hard to feel what I have felt this whole season and why I want to keep coming back every season for as long as I can.

I wish I had not lost my team photo tonight though, I was going to scan it and put it at the bottom. Maybe Ryan will scan one for me. I will find others.

I have to go to sleep. I threw up not long ago.