Sometimes, online game servers make it extra easy to know the answer to this question.

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For the past couple months, I’ve been in a racquetball league at LMRA.  Now, I don’t pretend to be incredible at the game, but I think I am decent.  A friend and I decided to join the league cause we were sick of playing against each other, and for the most part, it’s been a fun experience.

We joined the C+ league, not really knowing where our skill levels were.  I quickly found out I could be most of the players in this league, the only real challenges were two 15 year old guys who were very fast learners.  These guys knew that I was there biggest challenge and that they were mine.  I beat the first one early on in the season when he was still ramping up his skills, and I barely lost to the second later on in the season.  Now, the season ends up recycling matches, so I ended up playing the first guy again at the end of the season, but this time he was more prepared.

The past couple weeks, I had noticed a 20-something watching me play quite a bit, and I knew he was playing with those 15 year olds.  I found out a bit later that he was informally coaching them, teaching them my weaknesses and how to play against me.  So when this final matchup came between me and the first 15 year old, I was shocked to see an audience watching the match.

The cheering section, which included the 15 year old’s parents, girlfriend, informal coach, and his other 15 year old friend were cheering (which somehow felt like jeering) at every point he got.  I felt a bit like the Russian in one of the Rocky movies, minus the steroids.  It seemed as though from the day I beat this kid, he was gunning for me, waiting for this rematch.  I’d see the 20-something informal coach giving signals to the 15 year old, reminding him of “what they talked about”.  Out of the blue, towards the end of our games, I started hearing solitary claps after I played well.  Had they decided to pity me?  Nope.  It was the guy I joined the league with watching our game.

In the end, I lost, which caused me to slip from first place in the league to 3rd place; two points behind one 15 year old and 1 point behind the other.  Hey, I couldn’t let the Russian win!

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