Another significant event….
I know one of my pet hates in life is
the schoolyard pick.
Based on my experience on the receiving end,
I avoid it like the plague …
When I am presented an opportunity in leadership,
To split a group,
I will use any other method than the schoolyard pick
This is an episode I recall,
when I was Age 9
that became a significant event
in the way I conduct my self, and my practice,
throughout my life….
Schoolyard picks were a common occurrence growing up,
choosing footy teams, cricket teams,
It was a way to divide up a group people across two teams:
choose two captains,
they think of their skills + experience, and their personality,
in terms of the goal.. the task….
And both captains get an opportunity
to choose the best people that they think…
Schoolyard picks
when you are not perceived to have the skills
can be a humiliating experience
as I found out when I was 9 years old…
Schoolyard Pick
Schoolyard Pick ©David L Page 2016
I was not the most confident cricket player
but I wanted to have a crack…
so, I got my dad to take me
down to the local Saturday morning comp (etition) trials
I was somewhat shy outside of my circle,
so I stood in the wings
at the local cricket oval,
under the Aussie summer sun,
with only a little breeze
With my dad standing not too far away,
the coach came along and gathered everyone in,
he introduced himself to the group,
but most seemed to know him already….
One kid – I guessed – was his son,
and all of his friends
some others I guess may have played cricket under the coach the previous year,
or years
I was not the most confident cricket player
but I wanted to have a crack
with my dad standing not too far away,
I stood in the wings
Once the introductions were over,
of what was ahead
the coach/manager chose two captains
to have a schoolyard pick,
and select the two teams…
“BILLY“
“SHAUN”
We were going to go head to head,
and play some cricket,
so the coach could observe,
and then select a 15 boy Saturday morning comp (etition) team squad
As the two captains moved to face the crowd,
– neither whom I knew –
I could tell that they knew so many of those around me,
as they immediately started calling out names
of those who they wanted on their teams
“Jeremy“
“Scott”
“Michael”
“Mattie”
I could now feel the heat under the Aussie summer sun,
there was only a little breeze
with my dad standing not too far away,
I stood in the wings
“Ron”
“John”
I felt both captains were looking right through me,
I shifted on my legs,
from side to side many times,
then I picked up a stick to fidget with something,
feeling how this was going to pan out
“George“
“Harry”
I wanted the ground to open up,
and swallow me whole,
I wanted to run away,
I wanted to hide…
“Ted“
“Simon”
I shifted on my legs,
from side to side many times,
I looked over to my dad,
pleadingly….
I wanted the ground to open up,
and swallow me whole,
I wanted to fall down some rabbit burrow,
slip away,
down some sort of slide…
“Dylan“
“Robert”
My dad was now sensing
I was at odds at being there,
possibly from my pleas to him,
through my squinted eyes
“Richard”
“Stephen”
“You’ll be alright once you get started”
I sensed him reassure me…
but it didn’t stop me from asking increasingly,
“can we go home now dad please,
can we go home now dad?”
“Patrick”
“Adrian”
“Don’t be stupid” he replied
“dad lets go.. please dad let’s go dad”
I pleaded
through my eyes….
“Mark“
“Philip”
“You’ll be alright once you get started”
he tried to reassure me…
“dad lets go home please..
please dad let’s go dad”
I pleaded now through my whines……
“Artie“
“come on Dad lets go..
please dad let’s go dad”
I pulled on his side..
“don’t be stupid, son”
“come on Dad lets go..
please dad
please dad,
let’s go home now dad..
now dad”
“Dave”
Unfortunately, I never heard my name..
as we crossed the street,
got into our car
and headed home….
My dad told me on the way home
I was stupid
for not wanting to stick around,
I gazed down at the floor,
I wanted the ground to open up,
and swallow me whole,
I wanted to run away,
I wanted to hide…
I looked out the back window
and lost myself in the trees
I knew in the bush,
I could hide…
As we headed further away
from the schoolyard pick,
I sighed,
I sighed
I sighed…
