Queer V-ball helps medical researcher spike up his new-to-Dallas social life
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| COURT JESTER: Craddock Lee loves diving for balls. DANIEL A. KUSNER/Dallas Voice |
Simon Craddock Lee is accustomed to being the new guy in town. Born in the U.K., he grew up in New York and went to school in San Francisco and Washington, D.C.
This summer, he relocated to work at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas for a tenure track position as a medical anthropologist.
"I didn’t know anyone. And I was moving from a city where I walked six miles a day to Dallas where I drive my ass off," he says.
An article about the Dallas Independent Volleyball Association’s new member clinics caught his eye, and he figured queer volleyball would combine physical activity with socializing.
"Actually, I don’t like to sweat. And I do everything to avoid exercise," he says. "My sister — the super-jock of the family — laughs every time I tell her I’m on a volleyball team."
At DIVA’s newbie clinics, Craddock Lee says was he "mortified by the skill evaluation" part. Afterward, he was placed in the recreational division, which is good if you don’t know the difference between defense and offense. But weekly practices and games helped improve his game.
"Well, there also an incentive. You don’t want to look like a complete idiot with a ball in your hands when a cute guy smiles at you," he says.
Craddock Lee says he’s not the most coordinated guy. On the court, however, he can get bloodthirsty. "We have these totally hot romantic notions of guys jumping up at the net and spiking balls with biceps everywhere. That’s not really me," he says. "I’m more of a ‘diving for the balls’ kind of guy."
Going for the balls is a valuable skill. For DIVA’s spring 2009 season, Craddock Lee is advancing to the intermediate division.
NEW MEMBER CLINICS
• Monday. Jan. 26, 6:45 p.m.-8:45 p.m. Grauwyler Rec Center, 7780 Harry Hines Blvd.
• Wednesday, Jan. 28. 6:45 p.m.-8:45 p.m. Grauwyler Rec. Center.
• Friday, Jan. 30. 7:30 p.m.-9 p.m. Advantage Sports Complex, 4302 Buckingham Rd. Fort Worth.
For more information, visit DivaDallas.org
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition January 23, 2009.