There is something about the game

After a semester that was an academic disaster, I needed something that'd make me feel sort of better. And I got it.

The institute football team ran into crisis mode with many players unable to render their services for the inter-IIT sports meet. And as luck would have it, I was called to join the team. From then on, it was all good. Three weeks of football and nothing else. I think it is quite safe to say that I can now appreciate what a day in the life of a professional sports person is like.

It resulted in me getting to know a bunch of people, each one with a different set of idiosyncrasies and behavioral quirks. I've always liked meeting new people and getting to know them better. And the simple reason for that is that I'm exposed to different thought processes and attitudes.

The team was virtually jinxed what with half the players getting injured and falling sick. Somehow, everything was dealt with and we managed to get through to the knockout stage. The sole strategy employed was "Score and don't concede" and it was kind of too complicated. So we decided to adopt a simpler strategy - "Don't concede". We ended up winning the tournament and the title was defended successfully.

At the end of it all, I have to say there was something about the team that made all of us tick. And there is something about football.