Originally Posted by Anonymous
I grew up on Long Island in a town that lived and breathed Lacrosse and I began playing at a very early age. I played year round, every chance I could. Fall ball “out east”, winters indoors with the PAL and Box Lacrosse in Nassau, summer camps upstate and Maryland, Empire Games (Go Long Island), weekend pickup games at the high school and the handball courts, which in my town never saw a game of handball because the LAX players commandeered them. The list goes on and on…
I toted my stick with me everywhere I went as if it was an extension of my hands. The walls of my bedroom were filled with lacrosse posters of the greats of my time and covering my door was, what other than, the infamous Air Gait image that cost most every attackman of my generation to be reprimanded by Coach, at least once, for attempting to replicate. Some of my greatest childhood memories and greatest friends were and are a direct result of my love for the sport.
So, where am I going with this you ask? Back then Lacrosse wasn’t just a sport it was a culture, much as it is today. But, I believe it was a different culture. I believe it was a community, an extended family of sorts. I loved the sport because I enjoyed the competition, win or lose. I valued the comradery I shared with other players and enthusiasts, regardless of what town they came from, team they played for, or what club they belonged to. Did we have rivals? Yes, of course we did. That is what makes the game exciting and what makes us strive to play better. The difference was that we respected the competition and when the game was over we genuinely shook hands and more times than not, shared a wall, a pickup game, or a summer camp within the weeks to come. Lacrosse was a community of ladies and gentleman. A community built on mutual respect and a shared passion for the game. It was a community I was proud to be a part of.
Now, years after I’ve hung up my college jersey, my children are into LAX with a passion much akin to mine. Although the game hasn’t changed, the community has and it is heartbreaking to see a something I once loved in the state it is in today. Name calling, finger pointing, club / team bashing, snide and underhanded remarks… AND about children and youth programs! For the adults who feel the need to post negative comments about groups of children should be ashamed of yourselves! You are destroying the community I once loved and I urge you to take the high road so our children can enjoy the game without the drama and love LAX for what it is.
As I am almost certain that someone will have something negative to say in response to my post, I will advise you in advance that I will not retort, as this will be the last time I visit BOTC.
GREAT POST AGREE COMPLETELY