You are only as old as you feel. Whoever spat out that gem obviously wasn’t out of shape and didn’t just finish playing basketball for the first time in two months.

You see, a couple friends of mine called the other night and convinced me to go play some ball down at the Rec.

A properly named facility considering it perfectly described the condition of my body after playing for a couple of hours.

Which leaves me to wonder, at what point over the last couple of years did I lose the ability to partake in physical activity without hurting for the following two days.

I mean, only 10 minutes into the first game I felt like Estelle Getty trying to defend Stacy Frese.

Sufficed to say, I spent most of the ensuing games hovering around mid-court just trying to stay out of the way.

After the final game, despite my energy-conserving efforts, I still left the court feeling like I had just taken a charge from Al Roker.

My back hurt, my feet were sore and any physical activity the rest of the night was out of the question.

I’m starting to accept that anymore, aches and pains go hand in hand with strenuous physical activity. This has led me to believe that a change is in order.

Now I could probably change my eating habits, exercise more and not participate in the weekend activities that I do, but I’ve never been one to take the sensible route.

I figure, as long as you’re going to be lazy, you should at least be efficient.

So, I’ve decided that the youthful hopes and dreams I once had of becoming a star athlete in basketball, baseball, or football need to be altered.

That’s right, I’m adapting my dreams to include the less-physical, more skill-oriented sports of bowling, ping pong, pool, foosball and yes, darts.

The best part of my new sport’s focus is that they fit right in to my daily routine, no changes needed.

I think with some practice, a few lucky breaks, and a dream I could become the next Roy Munson in one of these sports.

Lofty expectations, but everyone needs goals.

I’ve traded in my baseball hat, my basketball, and my pads for a cue, a paddle, and my very own set of darts.

A huge advantage to my new training is the plethora of practice facilities Ames has to offer. In fact, I don’t even have to leave my house and I can hone my skills on our dartboard or our ping pong table.

Another advantage is that I don’t need my own coach or teammates because I can always find at least one roommate willing to challenge this future pro.

Some might say this type of training doesn’t offer any advantages, but I disagree.

My concentration level is on the verge of unbreakable due to the practice conditions they’ve put me through.

You’d be surprised what kind of shenanigans one can pull if they are about to lose a game of cricket.

With their help, my dream of one day having the spotlight on ESPN might just come true, even if it happens to show at 3:30 in the morning.

That’s a small price to pay to be an elite sports star like ….. well, I guess can’t think of any professional dart players right off hand.

Jerod Bruner is a Senior in Journalism from Newell, IA. He likes to believe he is a student of the game.