Most Valuable Player

I never thought playing football for fun can turn into a mayhem. And that I will turn into a victim of male supremacy. Yet, when I decided to step out of my comfort zone and attend a university football session, I couldn't help but wonder.

After my previous cricket experience, I should´ve expected to be in the white woman minority. But in contrast to friendly Indians, I was met with stone-faced Black guys wearing their shorts too low, putting ‘bro' after every word, and not acknowledging my presence at all.

I sat there for a while, but then I mustered up my courage to ask the guy next to me: "When do we play?" He looked at me in disbelief, and with a frown, he asked me: “You wanna play?” When I didn´t say anything to disprove it, he carefully explained that these guys take it quite seriously and asked if I was any good.

Well, what do you reply to that? I started stammering that I play football leisurely (just like it should be played at a non-pro university session) but not at a high level.

At some point, guys started to hand out jerseys to all the guys sitting next to me, but never to me. But I am no quitter! So, I intensely stared at the guy I was talking to before, hoping to make him so uncomfortable that he would have to put me on his team. After a while, I succeeded. He gave up and waved to invite me to the field. I was ready to prove to them I was Haaland himself.

I missed the ball. Twice.

Never mind, it was stage fright. Definitely stage fright.

But I did get a red jersey afterwards and became an official part of the team! God, it stank badly. After some time, I got comfortable; I played a few games and occasionally touched the ball. But when I thought it was actually getting nice, a fight broke out. The guys started to push each other and shout. I was helplessly standing there, watching the mayhem. Two people from the university overseeing the session had to come in to break them apart. They gave me a pitying look and an encouraging smile, and despite being the only woman there, I felt like more of a man than all of the males present.

After an hour and a few other fights, I decided to be the Most Valuable Player of the game and leave it. It was the most valuable thing I could´ve done to everyone present.

Love,

Book and Tea Girl.