That One Player Everyone Is Nice To… But Secretly Hopes Not To Partner With

We all know that player.

They show up with a big smile, positive energy, and zero malice. Everyone greets them warmly. “Hey! Good to see you!”

But the moment teams are being picked, there’s a quiet, invisible scramble to avoid being their partner.

It’s never said out loud. We’re all too polite for that. Instead, we suddenly become very interested in our shoelaces, our water bottle, or an urgent conversation with the person standing three meters away.

Why do we do this?

Because playing with them is… exhausting in a very specific way.

They miss easy shots and apologise profusely. They celebrate wildly when they finally connect. They give you encouraging feedback even when you’re clearly the stronger player. And somehow, the entire game becomes about managing their emotions instead of just playing.

It’s not that they’re a bad person. They’re often genuinely kind and enthusiastic.

But on the court, kindness alone doesn’t make up for the constant mental load of carrying the partnership.

The uncomfortable truth is this: we want to be nice, but we also want to enjoy the game. And sometimes those two desires quietly clash.

So we smile, we say “no worries!”, and we secretly hope someone else gets paired with them this round.

Have you ever been that player? Or been the one doing the quiet dodging?

Drop your honest (but gentle) thoughts below. We’ve all been on both sides at some point.