Trenholm

  There was a park in Forest Acres, SC called Trenholm Park.  It had a baseball field and an indoor basketball court.  At one time, they also had a swimming pool.  It was the place to go on a Saturday, but most of all they had a summer camp for the kids in the area.  

 I went one week, when I was about 13.  I had my growth spurt around that time, so I was taller than most of the other kids there.  We played volleyball inside.  My team wanted me at the net to spike the ball to the other side.  The net was short to accommodate most of the kids there.  It was easy for me to do my duty.  It got to be so bad for the opposing side, that one of the camp counselors forbade me to spike it anymore.  Apparently, some kids were getting hit in the head by the ball.  It wasn't my fault.  They should have gotten out of the way.  

 Another thing I liked to do there was play basketball.  Because I was the tallest kid, everybody wanted me to be on their team.  My assignment was to block shots.  I was good at that, even though the referee would call fouls on me.  I think they just didn't want me to play.  I practiced a lot of basketball.  I could shoot free throws really well, mostly underhanded.  My father had taught me how to do that.  The best thing I could do with a basketball was to shoot from the corner.  They didn't have a three-point shot back then, but I would have been great if they had that.  I could get it in eight out of ten times.  I was also really good, when we played H-O-R-S-E on the court.  One of my faults though was a lay-up.  I would be running down the court so fast that I put too much umph on the ball, and it would bounce off of the backboard.  

 They also had a trampoline.  I had never been on one before, but I loved going up and down.  I had to be careful not to hit the ceiling, but I learned tricks while bouncing.  It was a lot of fun.

 During this same time in my life, I was getting picked last to do any sports in school.  It was refreshing to be wanted to play sports at summer camp.  I was the team's "ringer".  Most of the kids were from other schools than mine.  They didn't know me, and I didn't know them.  Having fun was better than having hate.