Ramona Without Rage

So, I'm sitting in a jam-packed hotel room, supposedly working on one of my final papers. Yeah, right. This weekend is my first away frisbee tourney--Fall Brawl at Princeton. Today was one of the most gorgeous days: Sunny and 55. I'm living here forever.
Because of my mono relapse, I have to be really careful about how much I exert myself. So, I spent almost every other point subbing out. I was a little bitter at first, but then I realized how lucky I was to be spending a beautiful day outside, off campus, and with some of the coolest girls I've ever met.
As I was telling my mom about the afternoon (yes, of course I text my mom 24/7), I remember thinking to myself that I would not have survived this semester at Yale without my suitemates and Ramona. They're the best. Period.
It's really interesting being on a Yale athletic team, for a variety of reasons:
1) I'm not athletic.
2) Everyone else is surprisingly athletic.
3) I can no longer use the excuse "I'm more of a school person" to explain my inathleticity; everyone here is a "school person".
But that's okay. They still accept me. I think.
One of the most striking realizations I had today was during the last game. The score was tied 8-8, the soft cap had sounded, and the coach of our opponents was getting a little antsy. And by antsy I mean completely inappropriate. He spent the entirety of the game, no matter the score, abusing his players. Not surprisingly, he became more and more violent as the game progressed. Worse than constantly demoralizing his players, he failed to create a sense of unity among them. While I understand that coaches should be firm in their instruction and criticize in order to improve, there also needs to be a foundational level of support and trust; judging by the dynamic I observed between the players and this coach, that level was non-existent.
I was furious. The more time I spent on the sideline, the more upset I became. I not only felt for his players, but I felt for him, too. I can't imagine going through life with that bitter outlook. I seriously considered going up to him after the game to ask him what in his life was causing him so much anguish. Had we not won, I probably would have; considering their marginal loss, he probably would have blown up in my face.
So, to Claire, Luci, and all of my other teammates who have given me constructive criticism, I thank you for the love with which you do it. You da best.