3 posts tagged “lacrosse”
Another Bayhawks game yesterday, and another trip out to Annapolis for set up and take down.
Had a nice breeze this time, which kept us all cool, as well as the patrons at game time. Son had a surprise in store for him when he learned he was going to be part of the half-time entrainment featuring some 'up and coming' lacrosse players shooting goals.
After take down he pestered me again for some beer out for the coolers and I gave in, with a very strong but, that he was to consume the beer at home, not there or in the car on the way back. So we've got this now in the fridge along with some Red Bull he wanted me to buy, but did not drink has he had already communed much Gatorade. So now we have this 'gracing' the inside of the fridge.
Today, both he and I are feeling the bodily effects of our efforts for the Bayhawks.
Son is looking and looking and looking for a job as he's got things on his shopping list (a car) that I am not in a position to provide. In the meantime he's continuing an internship with the local pro lacrosse team and yesterday he went to help out again for a home game.
A bit different from last year, the home stadium is not at George Mason University, a maybe 20 minute drive from home, but now at Navy Stadium 100 miles away (round trip) at Annapolis, MD.
Okay, I can still get him there as I am still unemployed and hell, since I am going that far, might as well stay a bit and make myself useful. Now there is set up in the morning, then afternoon siesta, then the game in the evening and then clean up, take down afterwards, all ending at about 11:30; a long day anyway you cut it and all outside.
Son was not too pleased at the idea of me being there to 'embarrass' him. I was told the labor involved was way beyond me and I could have a heart attack. Warning from son in mind, I drove him there and stayed don till noon, leaving to pick wife up at work back in Va.
The work was indeed 重労働 and while there was a breeze, Navy Stadium is an enclosed deep narrow bowl with not much air circulation. So lots of heavy lifting, but I also thought they could have worked smarter. Came home after picking the wife up, very tired and had to nap for a couple of hours.
Came back late at night to pick son up and was amazed at the volume of traffic coming and returning, don't these people have homes of their own? Was told they had a good crowd, but the home team had their butts handed to them (19-9).
Son was not happy about me not letting him have part of a beer on the ride back home that I consumed and then threw away. I explained to him, late Friday/early Saturday morning, underage, open container in a car, being stopped by a cop- not a good idea. Besides he can do waaaay better than Bud Lite (ugh!)
But he did all this without much complaint. so here I am the next day, with some very sore muscles and some new-found respect for what son is capable of.
About 7 am now, and its still a bit dark, partly due we being on Daylight Savings Time earlier than we ought to be and that this is the second day of clouds and drizzle. Really hate weather like this, which is why I could never ever live in the Pacific Northwest.
A freind told me her son had his first lacrosse game yesterday: unless its an absolute deluge or there's lighting about, the game goes on. His team did not win, but I told her the score, 4-1 isn't bad. When my son was in youth leagues, his team played a team from the same club her son now plays for and got a through, out-and-out, undiluted drubbing 14-2. Was so bad we wanted the refs to stop play in the 4th quarter as it was becoming less of a game and more of a humiliation.
Among the many things that are different from when I was a teen is the popularity of lacrosse. Back in the day, most boys played youth baseball and lacrosse was confined to high schools. And you didn't see or hear much of lacrosse outside the Mid-Atlantic. Now, very different. Maryland still remains the seat of national lacrosse (pardon me while I, Maryland born, take a moment to puff out my chest :-) ) but as a youth sport, its very widespread in VA now and I guess becoming so in other places: saw once when boarding an airplane, a woman with a T-shirt for a Ca university lacrosse team, and a few years back a youth team from England of all places, was hosted by my son's youth league club!
I futzed with lacrosse in high school and enjoyed it. It's a fast-paced sport, with much in common with ice hockey (fewer fights though) and soccer. And while there is physical contact (for boys/men) it's not as violent or egregious as football, nor are there injuries either.
After son was finished with youth league lacrosse- too old, he tried out twice for the high school team and was cut and unfortunately lost further interest in playing, which is a shame for he does like the sport.
