If your heart is in your dream
No request is too extreme
When you wish upon a star
As dreamers do
Disney - When
You Wish Upon A Star
I have over the years had the most annoying foosball
nightmare. I am excited to be finally at a big event. I have an anxious feeling
inside, the butterflies which seem to start to bubble up whenever I am going to
play foosball. Over my 41 years of playing while the scenery changes and the
tables come and go, one thing which is undeniable is the great feeling I get
when I am heading to see my extended family of foosers both young and old. 2nd
and 3rd generation’s gathering at the event for the competitive
spirit, as well as the chance to reconnect with friends we haven’t seen in a
while.
Sadly our sport is not underwritten by corporate sponsors
and the money we play for is our own. We are even ok with paying someone out of
our winnings to organize and run the event just so we get the chance to show up
in what for me has become my church.
The Nightmare always begins the same at an event somewhere
and just minutes away from playing my first match, when something goes horribly
wrong. A door leads to the outside and I am unable to find a way back, or the tables
are missing parts and I am unable to get the endorphin rush of grabbing my
mistress by her handles and letting her know how much I have missed her.
I awake disappointed that there is no tourney to rush to no
communion with my foos family. I am instead in the moment thankful feeling for
being able to play the sport which has become for me the very core of who I am.
It identifies me and when people ask what do you do for a living I enjoy
telling them I play foosball for living and I do whichever job offers me the
ability to leave home as often as possible to commune with what has become some
of the best friends I could ever wish for .
Having a son at 20 there was seldom the money to afford to
go play as I wanted yet often I would push bill paying off and go play on
borrowed money just to get my fix of my drug of choice foos fueled adrenaline. Knowing
full well that even if, I exceed all my expectations for play, I would have a
hard time breaking even yet alone coming out ahead. It was ok more work when I
get back more planning for the next event and hoping that somehow the money
would work its way out. It seldom did but what can I say its lure was too
strong to resist.
I have sometimes put the game before responsibilities to
family and career but, I had a dream that one day there would be a return to
the heyday of the sport where thousands traveled and competed in events paying
out cars and big money and all I had to do was keep heading towards that goal
with the childlike faith of people much smarter than me. To push my foosball
dream forward, when others roll their eyes, I would begin to preach my foosball
gospel to anyone who would listen. The benefits of the sport / the equality
between size and gender and some incredible people I have met along the way.
People like Stan Palowski a fierce competitor who I have had
the pleasure of battling with in the northeast part of our country for many
years now. Stan possesses a high level of skill and a heart and determination
which strikes fear in many players. Despite the fact that he rolls up to the
table in a wheelchair he designed to allow him to compete. Anyone who witnesses
the way Stan handles himself both on and off the table comes away with
admiration and respect. I feel lucky to
have him as a friend.
When you start to play on tour is can be a very lonely and
difficult task in order to get good players to partner with you. They have to
know you are a good player and for most of the players, they also require you be
a good person. We can’t afford to hire people to referee so we for the most
part use the honor system. If a penalty occurs most players are quick to agree
instead of the childish antics which television seems to showcase to garner
ratings.
We have been given a thousand reasons why it won’t work on TV and a
hundred obituaries for foosball and how it soon will be over, finding tournaments
and competition will have gone the way of stone tablets. I have a few words I
would like to express now in fact just 4
for the naysayers and critics.
OVER MY DEAD BODY
I am writing this now as I begin my journey representing
Team Warrior at the 2014 $25000 Colorado State Championships. I am not sweating
how I will pay for it or which Peter will be robbed to pay Paul. I am happy to
be able to work at foosball 24/7. I am proud to be a part of the team which
will change the face of foosball forever. I am going to the tournament with
some great partners in place and one primary objective for the weekend. Expose
the foosball public to a table that is a great value and lowers the bar to
entry for families around the world.
Imagine that, not trying to impress a better player with my
toolbox of trick shots hoping I can somehow partner up and return with more
money than I left with. Not traveling with a grill and blender and scurrying
around to find a place to shop to keep the budget low. Not being disappointed
by finding out the “maybe if I don’t find a better player” partner has in fact
found a better player. Now my boss wants me to have a good time enjoy the
fruits of my half days of work
(9 am to 9 pm is a half day isn't it?)
Act as
an ambassador of the sport ,enjoy the Colorado air and have one primary
objective one goal one focus for the event.
FOOSBALL GROWTH
NIGHTMARES AND DREAMS
I met a man who shared with me his foosball nightmare. A
nightmare so different from mine it is astounding to me how destiny has put us
on a collision course to an improved foosball future.
This man’s nightmare is much like my reality. He goes to the
room to play in a tournament and tries to get a partner for an event. Problem
is that no one will play with him. He is brash and confident and doesn't
understand why nobody will play with him. He has skill; he has talent, quick
hands, and grabs the ball like nobody’s business. He even tries to get a hotel
staffer to play and gets the same reply. Not only NO but what kind of alternate
universe do you live in roll of the eyes. Checking from one to another he asks
everyone to no avail and wakes in a cold sweat.
Thankful he is still who he is
his, hands are still able to grab the rods again he lives to play again. He is able to return to the life of having
people ask him to play. Players beg him to play, agreeing to carry his bags, and
even offering to sponsor him to play. Yeah,his reality is not the one I have
been living in. I am often begging
people who can’t play to play just so I get to practice to get better.
While
our nightmares differ wildly, both of us feel the same sense of loss and emptiness when we wake up and realize there is no event to play.
We have both awake in
a cold sweat because we were kept from our first true love Foosball.
We smile
knowing we will see her and be anxious to grab her handles once again
Who is the holder of this other nightmare?
Who is it whose heart would be broken by only one thing, the
inability to play this silly game?
Who is this new for me foosball hero, legend and highly
valued newest friend for life?
Tune in next time …..
Please share any foosball nightmares you may have… The best
will win a one of a kind special prize
