An Evening Gym
I sit on a fold-out camp chair in the gymnasium. My ears pick up the constant echo of balls hitting the floor while several voices bounce of the walls. Children are running back and forth. Intense fluorescent white light beats down from the high ceilings. The scent of freshly cleaned court gently brushes my nose. Cool air from outside floods into the gym, refreshing all inside. This is my six-year-old son's basketball practice.
The scene reminds me of my own many evening practices as a middle and high school athlete. The coaches instruct with a firm voice; There isn't any time for explanation during the drills. Several groups are running various drills, causing the voices of several coach's voices to overlap. The nearest coach is the most audible, speaking loud enough to be heard over the rest of the noise.
At the age of six, the coach's aim is to introduce the players to the rules and flow of the game. But despite the lowered expectations, this gym still embodies the same spirit of the game as a basketball practice at any skill level. Some combinations of smells, sounds, and feelings can't be reproduced by anything but the authentic setting that first introduced them. In this case, that's a basketball court in late fall with excited players and coaches improving their skills and working together as a team.
What's a scene you will never forget because of the combination of senses you experienced?
Thanks for reading! Shoot me an email with your thoughts or just to say hello.