Officer PT

This Wednesday we had our monthly “officer PT” session. While normally we’d divide up by company, roughly once a month we’ll split off from the enlisted folks and do something on our own.

This time we played ultimate football. The rules are simple – you have to throw the ball to move it around. If you drop the ball or don’t catch it, it’s a turnover (kind of like Frisbee, just with a football). Another rule we added is that if the other team scores, you have to do 10 pushups. For the teams, it was battalion staff with the captains and warrants on one side versus the lieutenants.

I was hoping for a nice, sportsmanlike game since we had five women on our team vs. one on the other, but for whatever reason it never works out that way -- our battalion commander gets really competitive. Early on, he set the tone by pushing one of the lieutenants as he jumped up to catch the ball. The guy fell to the ground for an incomplete pass and a turnover.

At that point I thought, “OK. Now I understand what kind of game this is going to be.” And mentally, I checked out. Though I felt a bit bad that I didn’t contribute as much as I could have, I’d rather lose and be uninjured than hurt myself and lose. And when the BC’s involved, he’s going to win.

Predictably, it was a very lopsided score – 11 to 2. My chest and shoulders got quite a workout.

After the game, he talked about wanting to see someone’s head get taken off next time. Though I dissented on that one, I kept quiet about it – I don’t need to see anyone’s head get taken off, especially if it’s my own. And as one of the smaller guys on the field, chances are any severed head would most likely be my own.

There’s something I’ve noticed since joining the Army. I’m a competitive person; I’m just not good at most things. That’s not a new thing, just a recent realization.

I remember playing basketball when I was in elementary school, and it was the same thing back then. I sat on the bench for 95 percent of the game. The coach would let me in for the last minute or so of the game so I could run around and say everyone got a chance to play. Generally speaking, I suck at team sports.

If I’m playing a game in which I have a good chance at winning, I get really involved, but typically that’s stuff like trivia, Pictionary, Scrabble, or chess. Soccer I can manage because it’s mostly running. Just about anything else and I stick to defense. I always feel bad when my team loses, but I’ve pretty much gotten used to that.

In talking with one of the other lieutenants afterward, I came to a realization about our officer PT sessions: attendance may be mandatory, but participation is variable.