When I was in high school in Pawnee City, NE I went out for football and track through my Junior year. I was very good at both of these in a small town that lived vicariously through the high school sports teams.
In the summer I worked for local farmers putting up hay for $1.50 an hour. Two weeks before the beginning of my Senior year, the football/track coach, Clyde Voltz, called to tell me that I had to report for football practice the next day. I didn't like his attitude and besides, I was still doing a lot of farm work.
I told him, "You're wrong. I don't have to report for football practice tomorrow because I'm not going to play football! You can forget about me going out for track as well."
It didn't take long for word to spread around town that I refused to play football. It was bad enough that I wouldn't play football, but the whole idea that I wouldn't play even though I was really good at it made local heads explode.
For the next several months I was a real pariah in town.
In this high school, you were awarded a letter sweater when you did well in a sport. I thought the whole thing was somewhat stupid and never wore mine until I decided to not participate in any sports. After that I wore it to school almost every day.
Amusing!
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