My Top 5 Favorite Sports

Ever since I was a kid I have always loved sports.

Even as a toddler playing on a small child-sized hoop in our living room, I was totally into it.

Over the years I have gone through a lot of different sports. Some of them for local organized leagues, but most of them done recreationally for fun.

Here is my top 5.

#5 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

I first got into training BJJ about 6 years ago as a college student at UCF.

I had been hearing about jiu-jitsu and it was something that I wanted to get into, but didn’t have the opportunity until I joined the BJJ club at UCF which was included with my tuition.

Growing up friends and I would compete in “backyard wrestling” style exhibitions, but other than that I didn’t have much of a background in jiu-jitsu or MMA.

Not long after joining the club, I found it to be something that I really enjoyed.

The BJJ community is incredible. You will meet so many down-to-earth, positive-minded individuals on the mats, and many of them are more than happy to work with you and show you the ropes.

BJJ is also useful for both self-defense and athletic purposes. It helps you become more coordinated, and can inoculate some of the stress ordinary people may feel in self-defense situations.

#4 Pickleball

Pickleball is another sport that I didn’t start getting into until recently.

A few years ago some friends of mine invited me to come out and play and I quickly found it to be a lot of fun.

Pickleball was another sport I had been hearing about for a while—especially in professional and personal finance circles—but hadn’t tried myself.

Pickleball is cool because it’s not overly physically exerting. The court is fairly small in size, and the pace of play is usually fairly moderate. This makes for a good social atmosphere and an activity that people of all ages and fitness levels can partake in.

#3 American Football

A fun fact about me that most people don’t know is that I can throw a football really well.

Back when I was a young pre-teen playing neighborhood flag football, quarterback was my designated position, but I was also really good on defense as well.

A few years ago I was actually out at a pool party when a couple of the guys there asked if I wanted to play quarterback while they went at each other head to head. I was pleasantly surprised when later that evening he said that my throw was “the best pass that he had ever caught”.

I’m not the biggest fan of the tackling aspect of football at my age, but I still enjoy throwing a football around with friends whenever I get the chance.

#2 Skateboarding

From ages 10 to about 14 skateboarding was one of the focal points of my existence.

Around that time I was picking up all the newest skate videos, buying all the latest skate apparel, playing the Tony Hawk video games, and visiting the skate shop every other weekend.

Over the summer my grandmother would take me all across the state where we would visit any skatepark we could. And even my parents would get involved in taking me to spots out in the street and filming for video parts that I would put out on YouTube.

My skate career was put to a close after fracturing my left forearm in late 2010. After surgery that required a metal plate to be inserted into my arm it got to the point where skateboarding felt like too much of a hazardous activity to partake in.

I still enjoy watching the sport quite a bit, and over the years I have gotten back on the board here and there. Even if I’m not always skating stairs, ski-jumps, and euro-gaps like I was before, I still have some decent skills.

However, the one thing I will say is that I wish there was more emphasis put onto safety within the skate community.

As a kid, the culture often promoted skating without helmets, trespassing on private property, and smashing boards in frustration.

Looking back, those things didn’t always set the best example. It’s not surprising that skateboarding sometimes has a negative reputation or isn’t always seen as a stable career path.

#1 Basketball

Basketball has pretty much always been my favorite sport.

Even as a toddler “basketball” was one of my first words.

Over the years I would play pickup on a constant basis, sometimes at multiple locations within the same day.

I can even remember times driving 30 minutes out of town just to hoop with a different group of guys, or play in a nice indoor gym around better talent.

However, I never did play for any sort of organized team.

I did condition with the basketball team for a few months during my sophomore year of high school, but at the time the school’s program was just more advanced than what I had the experience for.

Several of the guys on that team went on to play Division 2 or 3, and one of them went on to play for Kentucky before walking away after his first year to pursue a career playing professionally.

These days I don’t hoop as much as I used to, but I still enjoy watching NBA highlights occasionally.

Honorable Mention: Golf

After writing this top 5 list I just realized that I missed a very significant one: golf.

I first started getting into golf about 8 years ago after being introduced to it by my grandfather.

Golf can be a very challenging sport, and for the first few years of showing up to the driving range it would be an accomplishment just to make contact with the ball rather than the dirt or grass.

Over the years my swing has gotten a little bit better, and I recently was able to pick up a full set of clubs that I can continue to practice with, but I still have a long way to go.

The good thing about golf is that it is a lifelong hobby that can continue to be crafted well into old age.

It’s also been said that a lot of business gets done on the golf course. This has been another incentive for me keep improving and eventually get skilled enough to actually play full rounds.

A Great Way To Be Social And Have Fun

Sports are a great way to connect with other people and have a good time. Even back when I was playing pickup basketball every night, a big part of it was just that it was a common ground to bring the guys from the neighborhood together.

It was very rare that we would have to call each other or let each other know what time we would be there. In most cases you just got in your car around 5 or 6, and people would already be there or start showing up.

Even to this day I continue to try new sports and improve on the ones I have been long interested in. It’s a great way to stay sharp, stay in shape, and stay socially active.

Thank You For Reading

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it, and I’ll see you in the next one.