The Fastest Game On Two Feet
By Wyatt Earp | April 18, 2009
And today, it was played by kids who can barely tie their shoes.
Kyle’s lacrosse season is in full swing, and today I was able to attend his 90-minute practice. He is playing on the first and second grade squad at Abington Lacrosse Club, and so far he loves it. Of course, since I have been playing and coaching the game since 1987, his enjoyment of the game makes me really happy. Lacrosse and ice hockey are my two favorite sports, so it’s good to see him exposed to the game at an early age.
He’s not bad, either, as you can see during his shooting drill:
The coaches at Abington are really good - the staff consists of two adults and three volunteers from the high school - and their only mission at this level is to teach the boys the fundamentals. After the first hour, the team plays a 30-minute scrimmage, before ending for the day. During today’s scrimmage, he buried a kid who was about to take a shot, picked up the ball, and sprinted the length of the field before dishing off to a teammate. It was a terrific open field check that even his coach agreed was nice and legal. Heh, my son the goon.
Hopefully, Kyle will stay with it through high school, because I’d like to see him spend his winters playing soccer/ice hockey, and his springs playing lax.
UPDATE: Remember this story, where the president of Kyle’s soccer league verbally and physically assaulted his coach - in front of the kids? Well, the team (and Philadelphia Soccer Club) has filed sanctions against the official, and demanded his resignation - or his removal from the UJSL.
Hopefully, this toad will never be around youth sports again.
April 18th, 2009 at 6:58 pm
Sweet!
April 18th, 2009 at 8:31 pm
“Heh, my son the goon.”
So when does he start playing hockey for the Flyers?
April 18th, 2009 at 9:38 pm
RT - Good day today. He has a big soccer game tomorrow, so hopefully that will be a good day, too.
Joated - Game 3? The Flyers could probably use him. They look terrible.
April 18th, 2009 at 11:40 pm
Nice! and good luck getting rid of the asshat…
April 20th, 2009 at 2:49 pm
“The Fastest Game On Two Feet”
Hey, Marshall! Give the boy a break during the long hot summers. How about cricket? And, no, it isn’t the slowest game on 2 feet, despite Robin Williams is supposedly having described cricket as “baseball on Valium”.
It is a game of supreme skill and tactics. Totally non contact. You use a wide bat that enables an entire range of powerful and subtle strokes to be made. A bowler does not have to blast the ball at the hitter - movement in the air, off the pitch, a wide range of speeds and lengths all get wickets, especially when varied. The fielding captain has a huge range of options and combinations in choice of bowler (not just one pitcher), fielder placement and the ability to catch (no gloves except wicket keeper), throw, run, coordinate with other players - a genuine team game.
Cricket. A gift freely given to the rest of the civilised world (so they can learn it and turn round and beat us - but that’s giving for you!)