Track Changes

I grew up in a musical family. My mum was a piano teacher and my brother and sister are both Grade 8-level pianists.

Now we are older, my brother is a composer and my sister is an opera singer.

Growing up, I enjoyed playing the guitar and the drums but I never achieved the level of success they did. I hated the practice. Instead, I liked sport. All of them, all the time.

I would get books out of the library to learn about snooker, rugby, horse racing, darts. I devoured the rules and tactics. At school I was in the football, cricket and hockey teams. I played tennis and squash. I ran in the athletics team.

My family couldn’t understand it. My dad, having grown up in Glasgow as a Protestant had always detested the tribal nature of football in that city.

My brother hated the fact I forced him to endlessly kick a ball around the garden.

Now that I’m older I still enjoy the physical part of playing sport. But I also get what John Green is talking about here.

Sport is theatre.