Let me start by issuing a correction to one of my previous posts - below I said that Armie Hammer and his wife's wedding was featured in this month's Town and Country. I was wrong and I apologize for the error. Really, their wedding was featured in January's Town and Country Weddings and it is Armie's wife herself who is featured in April's edition of Town and Country. Does anyone know how to do a Town and Country Wedding magazine backorder? Still want photos of that amazing wedding!
Well, now that I have established the error of my ways . . .
I am ready to move on!
Today I bring to you the topic of preppy sports. I must state immediately as a disclaimer that I do not now and really never have played any preppy sport, so I am probably not the most qualified person to discuss this topic. Furthermore, I seriously lack coordination, so I am not really good at any sport. But I am a person who is enthusiastic about discussing sports and I want to learn more . . . Tally ho, then!
What makes a sport preppy? I would argue that sports are not inherently preppy, but become preppy when the people who predominantly play them are of the upwardly-mobile constitution. (The chicken or the egg?!) In any case, it seems to me that sports that are "preppy" have several things in common:
1. You get to wear cute outfits while participating.
2. They are co-ed.
3. They are played by people of a variety of ages, from young to old.
4. They include certain socially proprietous rules of conduct.
5. And they are usually followed by cocktails.
While Mr. Mancakes loves more stereotypically "American," masculine sports such as football, baseball and hockey, I think there is something fundamentally lacking in a sport where one cannot dress up for the game. I would love going to Eagles games if I could wear a dress and drink a martini! But alas, Eagles games usually consist of jersey-donning Philadelphians downing Bud Light . . . and don't even get me started on the the rest of their outfits! Such things would never happen in golf!
Furthermore, while I do enjoy watching all sports with Mancakes because it is something fun we can do together, I want to learn more about sports that I can actually play myself instead of just watching. Even though I am a tall, bigger-than-most woman, there is no way I am getting anywhere near a baseball field myself - A League of Their Own was an amazing movie, but it taught me baseball is tough. And I won't even begin with the other options . . . Though, surprisingly, "preppy sports" do seem more accessible to women. I find this unsurprising, seeing as most ideas that are tasteful and good involve women!
So what are the "preppy" sports? I'm no expert, but in my opinion tennis and golf immediately come to mind as staples, followed by other racquetball sports (squash, racquetball), sailing, horseback riding, lacross, crew, skiing, field hockey . . . can you think of any others?
All joking aside about cute outfits and superiority to football, I think that some preppy sports boast real lifestyle benefits. Sports like tennis and golf are sports that one can learn young and are low-impact, so one can continue playing throughout his or her whole life. You can play them around the world by yourself (well, except for tennis, or other club sports), so there's no need to go through the hassle of organizing a team. Additionally, they give you the opportunity to be outside and get some fresh air if you otherwise have no reason to be outside. Some of the sports listed above are activities that you can do to be active with your family and friends. Not to mention that they may introduce you to new friends. Conversely, sports like raquetball and squash are great for city-dwellers like myself who may not have immediate access to outdoors sports.
One perhaps somewhat obvious downside to "preppy sports" is that they do involve more of a financial commitment than buying a football to throw around or a baseball and glove. But I would argue that if you pick one sport that you really love and stick to that one sport, you can find affordable options to play. I grew up in a town that, though it was not the Midwest, had a decidedly Midwestern feel to it. We had a golf course and driving range in town that was not glamorous, but it was fun. I would like to believe that their are options like this in many towns and cities.
In my quest to discover preppy sports, I am going to first try several things and then narrow down the ones that I like and can actually afford. This May, I am considering taking horseback riding lessons with Miss Downtown. I am also hoping that my plans with my friend Soon-To-Be-Mrs. Sophisticate pan out: we are planning on doing a trial membership to the Philadelphia Raquetball Club. Stay tuned as I let you know more about how these adventures develop. I promise I won't hold back any embarassing details of my lack of coordination or know-how!
Until next time . . .
XOXO,
Ladycakes
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