Water Basketball

Yesterday we had an Elders Quorum activity at a guy’s house in our ward that has an awesome place with a gorgeous pool and patio. We all brought food and grilled brats, chicken, burgers, and hot dogs. I had a great time, and it was a nice way to get to know the guys in the ward better. The food was delicious, and in general we all made pigs of ourselves. At least I did, but what else would you expect. The best part of the whole evening though was playing water basketball.

My freshman year at BYU I played water basketball all the time with the guys from my dorm, and it’s my favorite sporting activity. For those who don’t know the rules of water basketball, that’s understandable, because there are none! Well, I guess there are a few rules. No punching, gouging, biting, or groin shots, but that’s about it. You play in the shallow end of the pool so you aren’t treading water, and the basket should be low enough that an average guy can dunk the ball. From there it’s just a matter of getting the ball in the hole however you can with guys grabbing, pushing, and dunking you. It’s the best.

One day at BYU a group of guys we didn’t know challenged us to a game of water basketball. We established up front that there were no rules to which they agreed. These guys were really cocky and thought they were tougher than us, but they didn’t realize what no rules meant. They were bigger than us so we knew we would have to be extra physical.

This game produced one of my best BYU memories. I can still see Justin Draeger draped over the back of one of the guys with his legs wrapped around him and kicking at the guy’s groin. The dude freaked out to which Justin replied, “We said no rules.” We all agreed however that Justin had gone a bit too far and that going forward all groin shots would be illegal. I think we agreed to it for fear of retribution! From that point on it was a tough physical game, but we showed them who was tougher and regulated on their anuses.

Yesterday’s game of water basketball was just as physical as any game in college, and we all had a great time. I got major cramps in my calves though and had to sit out awhile, but after a banana and some water, I was good to go again. At one point during the game, I wrapped up two guys and cleared them out so my teammate would be open for an easy dunk. However the other team claimed that was unfair and requested a “do over”. A “do over”? What is this the Ladies League? I didn’t protest though since we’re all friends.

Today at church one lady jokingly said, “I heard you beat my husband up last night.” Jocelyn later said to me, “Why did you do that? I’m sure you went way overboard.” Maybe a little bit but not really. Everyone was very physical, and we all enjoyed it. I’d love to play water basketball more often. It’s a great workout (my aching body is evidence of that) and doesn’t even feel like exercise since it’s so fun. If you’ve never played water basketball, you really should try it. You’ll love it.

Quote of the Day has been removed because the tyrannical dictator of my life has revoked my right of Freedom of Speech.