Why am I always picked last...in sports?

[Mr. Goods]

Yes I know: this thread is slightly off-topic. However, the answer may have to do with things on this forum.

I am a very good athlete. I am not tall - 5'7" - but am in tremendous shape, have a great speed/strength combination, and am well-coordinated (catching passes, getting the bat on the ball in softball, etc.). My friends joke that I am a "machine."

Despite this, I am always either picked last in a sport or start out on the bench. I'm confused. When this happens, I do very well once I am in the game and, in pickup especially, am a big reason my team wins the game. The next time we play...same exact thing. Late pick. Start on the bench. Do great when I'm in. While you might think, "You do fine, so what's the problem?", I want to be someone that my teammates know immediately they can trust and that I will factor into their winning. It's a better feeling.

It's been this way my whole life. The reason I am posting this here is because maybe this has some sort of connection towards my frustration with the ladies. Is my height my fatal flaw? Do my teammates not trust me for some reason? Why would my successes immediately fly out the window the next time around?

 

[Warrior74]

When I was a kid. We didn't pick the best team to win, we picked our friends. Who's doing the picking?

 

[garruk]

Yes I know: this thread is slightly off-topic. However, the answer may have to do with things on this forum.

I am a very good athlete. I am not tall - 5'7" - but am in tremendous shape, have a great speed/strength combination, and am well-coordinated (catching passes, getting the bat on the ball in softball, etc.). My friends joke that I am a "machine."

Despite this, I am always either picked last in a sport or start out on the bench. I'm confused. When this happens, I do very well once I am in the game and, in pickup especially, am a big reason my team wins the game. The next time we play...same exact thing. Late pick. Start on the bench. Do great when I'm in. While you might think, "You do fine, so what's the problem?", I want to be someone that my teammates know immediately they can trust and that I will factor into their winning. It's a better feeling.

It's been this way my whole life. The reason I am posting this here is because maybe this has some sort of connection towards my frustration with the ladies. Is my height my fatal flaw? Do my teammates not trust me for some reason? Why would my successes immediately fly out the window the next time around?

i coach football during the summer for kids in high school.

I see this sort of thing happen all the time. you lack confindence and the team captain can see it. you're worried about getting picked last and the captain can see it. why does he want to pick someone who always gets picked last?


you gotta act like a boss, like you expect to picked first. team captains have no idea how good you are, they just pikc on how good they THINK you are.

 

[FairShake]

you lack confindence and the team captain can see it.

This guy nailed it.

Now, who gives a fvck? Start being validated by having fun and/or winning the game and not about where you are picked.

You are probably lacking in confidence, appearing needy, and seem loser-ish. That sounded harsh but it's probably the case.

You aren't, according to yourself, a loser though. So play on and have fun. The only thing worse than when other people think you're a loser is when you wonder if they're right. Stop wondering.

 

[irocknike23]

probably your looks or people dont know


just hit the field and learn to say F*ck you im better than all of you through ur skills

 

[Mr. Goods]

Thanks for the input. I should mention, these games are with friends or co-workers.

When I was a kid. We didn't pick the best team to win, we picked our friends. Who's doing the picking?

With my friends - it's confusing. We used to play pickup football together all the time. None of them could guard me effectively when I line up as a WR. I score a lot of touchdowns. Despite this, I am still going last or towards the end. When it's just a few of us who are closer, we already know the teams. The only rule is that the better QB and I can't be on the same team because we would never lose.

With co-workers:
COMPANY #1...we played a pickup game one day with our department. For some reason, the two captains (two of my supervisors) kept saying how I sucked and that, "I might be a good athlete, but that doesn't mean I'm a good football player." I was apparently the last pick of the 12-player draft, neither team really wanted me. All I did that game was shut out the other team's star wide receiver (he torched our D the two drives I had to sit, we had an extra player) when I was in the game as a cornerback. The other team couldn't move the ball because of it. Literally - they didn't get a first down. After the game, the losing captain said, "Well...you don't suck that much." They felt some of the semi-unathletic guys would be better...and they looked awful that day. Our "stud wide receiver" dropped 4 of the 5 passes thrown to them.

COMPANY #2...Relatively recent. For some reason, my softball captain didn't think I was so great, though he has never seen me play and I am the fastest player on the team. Then again, it was my first game with the team. A friend of mine was playing for the first time too. He is bigger than I am (6'3", 210 lbs), but isn't a fantastic athlete. While my friend did fine, our team made 10 errors in the field and we lost. While our team batted 5x each, I only got 2 AB's and never saw the field.

So, it's people I already know. That's what makes it annoying.

 

[nismo-4]

You are guilty of lacking confidence, and whoever's picking sees it.

The court will order you to prove yourself when you get out there!

Case closed. Play the game strong!

 

[Mr. Goods]

You are guilty of lacking confidence, and whoever's picking sees it.

The court will order you to prove yourself when you get out there!

Case closed. Play the game strong!

I like the court case lol. For the three examples I posted (bringing up a couple questions)...

1 - I played with my friends all the time. Every game, I did very well. I proved myself. Continuously picking me towards the end does nothing.

2 - My co-workers for the football game were talking sh*t about me before the draft! We were at work when they were making these comments. After the game, they were begrudging in admitting they weren't correct (referring to what the losing team said).

3 - Lineup seemed predetermined. The manager had never seen me play and said he gets every one in for half the game. Not the case here...and I looked good in warmups! I'll chalk this one up to me being new to the team, but I wasn't exactly happy about it.

I don't engage in pre-game trash talk. I do my talking on the field. If that's what not being confident is, so be it.

 

[KingofHearts]

I don't know how old you are, but you seem to be taking this a little too serious. Even if others are taking it seriously, you should still be cool about it. Even more so if you're dominating. This took me time to learn. I've played a ton of ball and now i coach. I definitely know what I'm doing but people don't really want to hear it.

One other thing is your height. I play a lot of pick up ball, and in groups where I don't know other people I still get picked based on height. When I get to pick, I still go for height as well. Even in sports where height isn't a factor, taller guys just look more athletic.

When I'm in company of taller guys than me, I seem to be invisible on the court and in the huddles. Then it becomes obvious to me that when all else is equal, people go with their closest friends. In even in the adult league I played in, a good game is forgotten by next week. Most guys are just happy playing with their friends rather than picking people they don't know as well. When only 5 guys would show up, I'd put up 20 and shut down whoever I was guarding. When we had a full roster, I barely played. I'm not saying you aren't good friends with people, but maybe you aren't as close as you think?

Also, if your attitude is apparent to others, then thats a turnoff. I wouldn't want to pick you either. In fact I would love to not pick you and then relish in the challenge of beating you anyway. But maybe that says something about how competitve I am

 

[JustWuzzle]

Yes I know: this thread is slightly off-topic. However, the answer may have to do with things on this forum.

I am a very good athlete. I am not tall - 5'7" - but am in tremendous shape, have a great speed/strength combination, and am well-coordinated (catching passes, getting the bat on the ball in softball, etc.). My friends joke that I am a "machine."

Despite this, I am always either picked last in a sport or start out on the bench. I'm confused. When this happens, I do very well once I am in the game and, in pickup especially, am a big reason my team wins the game. The next time we play...same exact thing. Late pick. Start on the bench. Do great when I'm in. While you might think, "You do fine, so what's the problem?", I want to be someone that my teammates know immediately they can trust and that I will factor into their winning. It's a better feeling.

It's been this way my whole life. The reason I am posting this here is because maybe this has some sort of connection towards my frustration with the ladies. Is my height my fatal flaw? Do my teammates not trust me for some reason? Why would my successes immediately fly out the window the next time around?

i was always picked last in sports also. I never had enthusiasm for the games and let it eat at me. I would try to be chummy with the person doing the picking. Hell theres nothing wrong with kissing ass.

 

[Prodigy746]

Sorry bro but chances are its because of your hight.

It happens in PRO sports all the time, players not getting picked because they dont have the physical ability to be so and so.

For example, my favorite team is Atlanta Falcons and cornerback Brent Grimes is a beast for a short little guy. Despite him picking off QB's left and right and actually doing good , he gets thrown at the most.

Also i am 6'3 ... i totally suck at basketball , i am only good for getting rebounds...

I usually get picked 1st or 2nd and it actually pisses me off because they expect you to score the most points which even i know i am not going to.

When i was a kid i used to play soccer like 10 hrs a day so i am a beast at that but since i am so freaking tall everyone expects me to be a beast at basketball.

 

[Laracuente]

Its not because of height I'm 5'8 it just depends on the people your around. And I play mostly basketball where height is more involved. When I play with my white friends I always get chose first or when I play at the park where the people there aren't as good. When I go to the park where basically everyone there is black they always assume that black people are better all the time and I get chose last. Of course I don't have the height or the jumps to compete in rebounding but I hit almost every shot from outside and I'm a great point guard.

Basically try and stick out as a player and show that you aren't lazy and that you hustle and you should get picked more after a while. If the same situation keeps repeating while your still sitting at the bench most of the game then forget it just don't bother showing up thats what I would do. People used to always try to put me down about my game but when it came down to it after a while they didn't have much to say anymore.

Of course we are talking about different sports but hey I think it my post applies to both.