Lacrosse

Edgar and the children had been tossing a lacrosse ball around for years, but I'd never seen a lacrosse game until Gar entered middle school.  Many of my friends were equally unfamiliar with the game and said "that's great, at least it's not football".  "No, I told them, it's football with sticks."  Of course it's not.  It just seemed that way initially. 

Though I'm still very much a rules novice, I've come to appreciate lacrosse on many levels.

•  It's a fast-paced game where every play and player makes a difference.  Teamwork is a life-long necessity and it's great to see its importance in a setting that my player loves.
• It requires practice, determination, eye-hand coordination, speed and agility. Each game provides an opportunity to see how well an individual player and the team are mastering these fundamentals.  Life (like lacrosse) is best lived with a desire for continuous learning and receptivity to timely, actionable feedback.  
• The team changes each season as seniors graduate and younger players are selected to join varsity. Seniority is only a matter of age. In lacrosse and life, respect is earned, not commanded. A high functioning team is one where every player is valued as an individual and as a team contributor, regardless of title or tenure.

The icing on the cake is the chance to frequently strengthen the bonds of fond camaraderie with a delightful, supportive, fun-loving group of lacrosse parents.