My brother keeps treating my netball hobby as a joke. How do I stop defending a sport I enjoy?
Sports"Why don't you play a proper game with us?" my brother asked when I said I couldn't join his Sunday football match. I had a game with my adult mixed netball team.
At first I answered by explaining how much running we do and how competitive the games can be. Now every mention becomes another invitation to justify it. He imitates a passing motion, I give a longer defence, and the rest of dinner moves on while I'm still arguing.
Nobody at my club has made me feel strange for being there. I like my teammates, and I like the game. My brother says he is only trying to get me back into something we used to do together. I believe that is part of it, although the jokes aren't making his invitation more attractive.
What could I say that recognises the invitation but ends the argument about whether netball is a respectable choice for me? I want to talk about my weekend without presenting a case for the defence.