The Thing about OzTag in Days of My Destiny

The thing about playing OzTag is that I am socially awkward.

I'm socially awkward everywhere I go. It was the case with Battle and I think that one of the reasons I gave that up was because I was wasting my time trying to get to know people who didn't really care and who at the end of the day live in a whole other town than I do. So I thought, OzTag will be great, I will still be exercising and with the added benefit of investing my time into some local women. But it's all the same. I'm realising that no matter where I go, I am socially awkward. Locally, it doesn't help that a lot of them have known each other their whole lives. But the other thing that doesn't help is that usually after the game, most of them get together and get drunk. I'm just not into that. I like simply playing the game and going home. They're not "my kind of people." It's like, why does the getting drunk part have to go with the game? Cant we just play the game and go home to/with our families? (Which is what I do.)

But okay, let's forget that for a moment. Let's put aside the social awkwardness and the fact that I don't want to drink after the game... Still there are other things that aren't for me.

For some reason it's like they think it's cool to be crass. As though playing footy NATURALLY comes with being crass. I don't agree with that either. Sure, I'll swear at home and carry on, but that's with my HUSBAND. It's not WHO I AM WHEREVER I GO, and it's not who they are, either (at least some of them). I've seen them socialise in different circles/situations, and they're not like that. Particularly Adele. But then, she's not to be trusted at the best of times. But seriously, I was severely disappointed in her at training one day when we were all drinking water in one of the short breaks. She had to use one of the organisation's water bottles that day, as she didn't have her own. So she had this pop-top water bottle, she opens it, says, "I feel like a porn star," and proceeds to squirt water into her mouth while holding the water bottle a short distance away from her face. Like SERIOUSLY?!?! It was completely out of the blue, it wasn't even like everyone was already joking around etc, in fact we were all standing there, simply puffed out drinking water!! And she comes out with THAT?? I didn't like it.

Another time at one of the trial games, I sat with the girls on the sides after our game was finished. We were sitting down watching the men play their game. They got super excited and the younger ones were going on about which ones were hot and so on. Fair enough, that's their thing, but the thing I have a problem with is the following. So there was a young girl there (ie child), hanging out with us, she is the daughter of another player. She would be about 5. These women who were checking out the men are about 18, 19, and at one point when one of the men scored a try, one of them said something along the lines of wanting to lift up her shirt to them because they scored a try. She pretended to do it - and then the 5 year old said she would do it. The older girls said, "No no no no no!!!!! ......You do that when they score a try." (!!!!!!!!!!!!) By this time the game of course had continued. So this little girl waited. I think one of the older girls had dared her to do it - and so of course, this little girl is thinking that this is normal behaviour!!!!! She was sitting there, ready to do this when her mum (FINALLY) stepped in and told her not to!!!

I just DO NOT AGREE with this kind of environment. My girls weren't there with me, they were with L who was hanging about awkwardly by himself somewhere (he is more socially awkward than I am, believe it or not. Especially down here because he gets really self-conscious at being a Miner. My poor man. If only they knew how confident he can be.) So of course I was really glad that they weren't with me, and I soon left after that.

Usually the day after the games, I'll see posts on facebook like, "I woke up to a pink scooter in the garage. What the hell HAPPENED last night???" and then there are obviously personal jokes or comments on the antics of the previous night, which happened after the game. To me there's nothing wrong with this - if you don't have kids. I just don't see why we need to keep on drinking and carrying on - to that extent - after having kids. I mean, don't we want to raise girls who will become GREAT WOMEN? Women who will value themselves and know their worth and be better off because of it? Don't we want to raise SMART girls, who actually DON'T make "pleasing men" the focus of their world? Women who instead have great standards for themselves and their lives, smart women who aspire to achieve great things whether for themselves or the world? Women who are courageous and inspiring? Smart women who will attract smart men? Because there sure are enough self-deprecating women in the world already.

Of course some of you may be thinking, "Well of course you ain't getting any of THOSE qualities through FOOTBALL, lady!!!" But my question is.... WHY???!?!?! Why does it HAVE to be like this??? I disagree!!! And as long as we accept things as they are and don't challenge them, things will never change!! As long as US WOMEN continue to play this game of "I'm stupid, I don't know anything, let your wish be my command now watch me strip" façade, things will never change!!!!

At the games, my husband and daughters come to watch me play. They enjoy it, even if they're on their own and not really part of the rest of them.

It's not that ALL PEOPLE that go there are like what I've described, no. There are many people that go just to watch the game and they don't hang around for long, or they don't stay for the drink. Most of them are farmers who don't have time on their side, so they're rushing off to continue farming and so on. L will talk to them because that's who he knows. He doesn't really know any of the husbands of women players or anyone really his age or any of the male players. I'm thankful for that too, and he is relieved, because they are testosterone-fuelled men who get aggro in the games (hence why we don't bother staying back). It's just not our cup of tea.

I suppose I'm just noting these observations. I'm not going to quit playing over it, because it is my source of exercise, and it's something new. What has surprised me is how much is actually going on in your head when you play footy/Oztag. It's more than just chasing a ball, lol. There are strategies that as a team you really need to work with and because it's so new to me, it's a challenge, trying to keep up with it! It's a fun challenge though. I also enjoying watching the kind of "mateship" I see in the training, even if I'm not necessarily a part of it (and don't think I ever will be).

But as for the crass-ness and the environment of booze and crudeness? No thanks...

I'm glad I have some OTHER wonderful women around me, who actually ARE inspiring and encouraging. The thing about that is, that I'm not exactly who they are either. They are professed Christians who are all about fellowshipping and praying together, and also having fun, in safe, supportive, family-friendly ways. For that I'm thankful. And even though I'm not quite THEM (ie as devoted I suppose), I'm still thankful. For me it's like, I'm somewhere in between. I'm just here, doin' my thang, and God's up there like, "Here, have an interesting mix of women around you. I have a plan... he he he....." Lol.