I used to be really athletic.  And I used to be good at sports.  Oh how my life has gone downhill.  I can pinpoint the precise moment when I reached my prime in several different sports.  With baseball, I was on a plateau from 4th grade through 6th grade.  I was a pitcher, and I was apparently pretty good.  I remember getting the game ball several times, and I pitched a zero- or one-hitter on more than one occasion.  After 6th grade, my skill level actually decreased.  With basketball, I'd have to say I reached my prime in around 6th grade, since this was before anyone took things seriously.  After that, everyone got good, but I stayed at the same skill level.  With soccer, I peaked in 9th and 10th grade.  That was when my natural athletic ability provided exactly enough skill to make it look like I was good.  After that, everyone started going to summer soccer camp and getting better, while my skills diminished. 

It's actually kind of interesting how my athletic ability decreased whenever everyone else's increased.  It's purely psychological.  Whenever I saw everyone getting better, I would get more nervous and reserved.  Any good athlete knows it's all about calmness and composure under pressure.  That's exactly where I went wrong. 

I also find it interesting that I was born with some natural athletic ability.  I don't say this to brag; it's sort of a fact.  I was always pretty good at sports, but I was never a major standout.  I was good at jumping into a sport and quickly doing pretty well.  But when it came right down to it, I wasn't all that good, so I would crack under pressure and fail to improve my skills over time. #sports