It was my freshman year of high school at brand new Mountain Visita High School and I was deemed worthy to participate in the freshman boys basketball team. Granite it does not take much to achieve such a position, however, I relish it none the less. For it was on this basketball team that I received scar #1.

This freshman basketball team of ours was neither very good or very bad. We were capable of challenging the best of the best and losing to the absolute worst. Maybe it had something to do with the logo on one of our t-shirts that looked like a chicken hawk, rather than a golden eagle (our actual mascot).

Our coach was Brandon Brookfield, who also doubled as my Spanish teacher. Before he coached at MVHS he was a teacher and coach at Columbine High School. More might be said about this subject at a later date seeing how I would like the jovial feeling of this post to pervade.

My presence on this team was minimal at best. I probably averaged two points per game and played the role of big dope in the middle that tries not to screw things up. Rebounds were to be numerous and number of shots to be the opposite.

There was on game, however, where I was figuratively on fire. About midway through the second quarter I had already racked up six points, which was nearing my season high. Coach Brookfield even mentioned in a timeout how well I was playing. This all came to an end soon thereafter.

While on the defensive end I ferociously pulled down a rebound. A player on the other team was also perusing the ball with said ferocity and was in my vicinity(see photo).Somehow his front teeth connected with the crown of my head, leaving me a flesh wound that kept me from playing the rest of the game.

I never played as well as I did in that game and my basketball career never took off. Could I have blamed my basketball downfall on this incident? Absolutely not. Did this change the landscape of my cranium? Most assuredly.

I have a hard time locating this one but if someone else looks closely they can still see the awkward half-inch scar.

So, there you have it. Scar Story #1…and yes this means there will be more to come.