Did you hate gym class?

[Azul]

I always hated it. My happiest time were when the teacher allowed a few of us to play board games instead. (I only have two memories of "physical education" class (as it's called here) before my 11 years: of me running from the ball and of playing a board game in glee and relief.)

 

[Gerald Wilgus]

I was weirdly effective in dodge ball, usually the last one left one my side. I can't throw worth a darn, so I just dodged until time ran out.

Ooooooohhh, that is so evil.

 

[VictorR]

PE was a love-hate relationship for me.

I loved sports as they provided a nice break from studies. I also enjoyed learning about sports, and for that reason, I really appreciated the rare PE teachers who would actually test sports knowledge, since I would get credit for my familiarity with the rules of various sports.

That brings me to the flip side. I detested that while I gave 100% effort, that low muscle tone and poor coordination meant that I wasn't always able to get into position, and worse, that in addition to usually being the last or second last to be picked, that I seemed to have an outsized reputation for poor coordination so even in the rare situations where I was in a great position, it would be exceptionally rare for someone to pass to me.

It was also frustrating to see that peers would get As and Bs simply for innate physical abilities when it was obvious that they had no idea what they were doing and many weren't even trying.

My best sport was probably slow-pitch softball. I wasn't good at catching, and I was never going to hit a home run, but I understood the game and my limitations well and my play was according quite technical - most of my RBIs came from sacrifice bunts.

 

[Autisticool]

I have an official ASD diagnosis. And...I LOVED gym, since first grade. I was always one of the best kids in any grade gym class (never co-ed). Didn't matter what the sport was. I was always a natural athlete. The only "sport" that I hated and felt unnatural with it was dancing. In H/S one of the gym teachers had a dance background and devoted eight weeks to dance. I hated it. But dogeball, kickball, the trampoline, I was badass. Though everyone thought I was somewhat weird, and I had only one friend in grade school, I was always like the third or fourth kid picked on teams when the teacher asked for captain volunteers (I never volunteered to be a captain.)

The captains always chose their best friends first, and I always knew I was coming next.

In H/S I jumped so high on the trampoline it got a few girls nervous.

It is NOT true that every autistic is klumsy or can't catch a ball or frisbee. I asked my insight therapist about this, and she actually said she never heard of this thing that autistic people were, in general, clumsy. I know that some have gait problems, but many walk and move perfectly normal.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

Bit of a stereotype, my nephew, is probably on the spectrum, gifted athletically. He played hockey was best player on team. Still bit of a loner.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

I always liked sports that are individual or played by two badminton for example I lIke watching golf very relaxing, do not play.

 

[Outdated]

I hated team sports.

Swimming lessons were a pleasant play time for me, as a little kid we lived on the Murray River, and my Mum's family had come from the riverlands too, all of us were taught to swim as soon as we could walk. I loved the water. When I was about 12 I met some vietnamese boys and they taught me how to swim no hands and play water polo. I loved that because I excelled at it, I was a natural in the water.

Swimming lessons are compulsory in Australia, and it does save a lot of lives. Most of the drownings here are migrants and tourists.

Some PE teachers were good and understood me a little, they'd let me spend classes reading a book if I wanted, others were just plain vindictive. I was very good at gymnastics, to much envy and teasing by the other kids. I liked archery and seemed naturally talented there but I got sent off the field when I hit a second seagull. I could never run, I'm short with a stocky frame, I was good at wrestling, I was good at anything that required fine poise and balance. I can't catch a ball though.

 

[clg114]

I am very, very clumsy and actually trip over my own feet. I hated gym class because I could not do as well as any of the other kids at anything. I have been this way all of my life. It seems to geting worse in my old age. I stumble and trip more often and drop things a lot.