Sports and Haka Dances: Semester at Sea Intramurals

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I grew up a very sporty kid. My parents had me in tee-ball and soccer before the age of 5—on boys’ teams because there was no such thing as all-girls leagues back then—and I played basketball, soccer and tennis (both school and club teams) straight through high school. I even went onto play college tennis, but since graduating many years ago and becoming a “grown-up” (subjective), my sports involvement has been limited to running and other regimented gym-like activities. So when I found out Semester at SeaΒ  intramurals were a thingβ€”at sea? on a ship? I know!β€”I was on that like a fat kid on cake. I signed up for all of them.

(Well, OK, I opted out of washers and volleyball, but I did participate in basketball, Ping Pong, ladderball, cornhole and dodgeball.)

Playing Intramurals on Semester at Sea

 

Intramural brackets were spread out over a four-month period and were usually single-elimination style on the teeny-tiny sports court up on deck seven. Paula was in the same camp as me, wanting to do everything, all the time, so we often were teammates. This worked out well, as we’re both uber-competitive and out for blood! (You think I kid…one time, our opponents didn’t show, so we played the dependent children—all between the ages of 9 and 13. We didn’t show mercy, that’s all I’m going to say about that.)

I don’t want to brag, but our dodgeball team in particular was rather legendary. The three of us in the field office plus two of our work study students, Kacie and Mikey—who play lacrosse at Columbia and run track at University of San Diego, respectively (meaning, they don’t suck on the court)—formed “the Gumboots,” which we named after an iconic South African dance Paula learned in Cape Town.

In fact, we felt we had to do the culture justice and even recreated our own Gumboot dance—our own sort of haka if you will—which we dutifully performed before every match, forfeit or not.

We might have worn African-inspired different ensembles each game, too. I’m not telling if that was planned or not.

And painted our faces. Because pirates in drag are way scary on the dodgeball court.

By the end of the “season,” we’d have a couple dozen spectators show up just to see us make fools of ourselves our sweet moves. So what if we lost in the semifinals to a team of six bros who were about 10 times our combined height and weight and out to behead us with their laser-like throws? We looked way better out on the court than any of our competition, I’d like to think.

Trina thought so at least, and presented us first place medals for awesomeness.

When intramurals fizzled out—or rather, once we eventually were eliminated in each sport—we began playing pick-up games of volleyball on sunny mornings. This was made pretty challenging by the fact that we were both on a rocking ship and the wind was pretty violent at times. (More often than not, we amended the rules to play wallyball instead, meaning multiple bounces and ricocheting off the walls were completely acceptable.) Though this being the (narcissistic?) field + admin offices, photo shoots sometimes took precedence over the actual game at hand.

We may not have gotten a whole lot of actual exercise, but I would bet you anything we had as much (if not more) fun than anyone on that ship.

COMMENTS
  • January 18, 2012

    Love the outfits:) I’ve shot hoops and played ping pong a few times on various cruises, and the wind makes it interesting…

    • January 18, 2012
      Kristin

      I always blamed my poor Ping-Pong performance on the rocking of the ship…only to realize later that my opponents had the same problem and that was no excuse =)

  • January 18, 2012

    Memories! The Gumboots are champions FOREVER (the bros only won one piddly battle in the war).

    • January 19, 2012
      Kristin

      True dat. Guess we’ll just all have to go back on the M/V for round two…

  • January 18, 2012

    I never thought you combine both. I’m really impressed in how good you dance and play ball.

    • January 20, 2012
      Kristin

      There’s a first time for everything…we hope to start the global Gumboot haka dance dodgeball movement!

  • January 18, 2012

    That looks like a Way lot of exercise!

    I loved PE and was a gymnast in high school. Really missed it afterward. But now I’m too old for that, so I stick to walking.

    I hated dodge ball. Can’t throw worth a shit. πŸ˜‰

    • January 19, 2012
      Kristin

      Ha, well it definitely didn’t keep me in running shape!

      I’m actually not very good at throwing a dodgeball, but I can dodge like nobody’s business!

  • January 19, 2012

    Wow I’m in awe of both your physical prowess and dogged determination to be the most nattily dressed competitors on the ship. I’m also super jealous that you’re good at sports. When someone throws something at me, I just try to get out of the way.

    • January 19, 2012
      Kristin

      I’m pretty sure I just like to make a fool out of myself at any expense.

  • January 19, 2012

    That looks like so much fun! Love the pirate drag, ha!

    • January 20, 2012
      Kristin

      I might just be that for the next Halloween now that I have the facial expressions down pat… πŸ˜‰

  • January 19, 2012

    Okay… I’ve tried doing the math and don’t know how you had time to do this and everything else you’ve written about. I am convinced you are two people.

    • January 20, 2012
      Kristin

      You’ve figured me out!

      Also. I don’t sleep. Sleep is for the weak and for dead people.

  • January 19, 2012

    Glad to know you didn’t show those 9-13 year olds any mercy – builds character in them!! πŸ™‚

    • January 20, 2012
      Kristin

      I’m of the old school mentality that everyone is not a winner…there’s a winner and a loser in each game. Kids need to learn that early on, HA. πŸ˜‰

  • January 19, 2012

    Looks like an incredibly fun time! I can’t stop laughing at the face paint and the costumes and all the jumping. Looks like a good time was had by all!

    • January 20, 2012
      Kristin

      It’s just warmup for the Warrior Dash. Or the MudRun. Or all of the above.

  • January 20, 2012

    You are ridiculous. LIke…the BEST kind of ridiculous. This whole post just makes me think we need to meet in real life.

    • January 23, 2012
      Kristin

      Um, duh–OF COURSE we do! I’ve known that for ages now, ha πŸ˜‰ You seem to be in the States a lot lately, so maybe we can make that happen in 2012….!

  • January 22, 2012

    That video made me laugh. Hilarious! I love your team spirit.

  • January 25, 2012

    LOL! Yes, the gumboots dance is an iconic South African dance. Have yet to learn it myself.

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