The Secret: Patrick planned to quit basketball because of mustard, red peppers, cinnamon and orange soda.
Why?
Lindsey, being older, always beat Patrick on the court. It annoyed him, but occasionally he’d get close. What really wore him down was whenever they played with their cousins. He was youngest of the kids who’d play and therefore the smallest. They never took it easy on him. Patrick was constantly blocked and mocked every time he missed a shot. But that wasn’t the worst of it.
The losing team, which Patrick was always on, immediately played a round of H-O-R-S-E. The kid who made the fewest baskets was crowned the “ultimate loser”. If the title wasn’t bad enough, they had to guzzle down a glass of “loser aid”. Loser aid was a disgusting glass of mustard, red peppers, cinnamon and orange soda. Some mixes were worse than others depending if the winning team put in a pinch or a handful of red peppers and cinnamon.
Each time Patrick had to drink the dreaded concoction, it burned and he swore that he wouldn’t be on the losing team again. But it happened. Again. And again. And again.
Patrick had had enough. He hated losing. He hated drinking loser aid. It took a week of Lindsey pestering him to find out that he planned to quit basketball. He was a decent player in the rec league he was in, but since he was always the “ultimate loser” it wouldn’t take long for the guys in the league to see that he sucked.
“That’s just stupid.” She told him. “You’re not even trying.”
“Yeah, I am! Do you think I want to drink that nasty stuff? It’s gross.”
“I know you don’t. But what do you expect? You don’t even practice.”
“I do too! I got practice twice a week.” He never missed practice. It was fun to hang out with the guys.
“If that’s what you consider practice, then no wonder you keep getting your butt beat.”
“What do you mean?”
“If it were me… I’d practice more than just practice for league.”
The next morning – and every morning since that day – Patrick practiced free throws and long jump shots. He never drank loser aid again. And after a few months, he beat Lindsey for the first time in a game of one-on-one.