Two of my daughters started playing lacrosse today! We are now a family that loads up a minivan with gear and head to practice. It's AWESOME!
Can you believe that they play in a league here in Annapolis with 130 other little 6,7, and 8 year olds? Their league is called "Sticklettes" - which is a division of a huge local program called St. Mary's/Annapolis Lacrosse. The girls are put on teams by school, which is great. Maggie and Caroline already know most of their teammates.
I brought my stick to practice too, and the girls' coach, a neighborhood dad who played football at William and Mary, had me running drills with the girls right away. It was so much fun.
I played lacrosse growing up here in Maryland. Our team at McDonogh had some very talented athletes who went on to have wonderful college careers. During our senior season, we were undefeated and we won the state championship. Now, mind you the greatest injury that I suffered on that team was when I strained my shoulder pulling splinters out of my ass from riding the bench so often - but what a wonderful experience I had playing lacrosse in school! Many of the girls on that team are still my friends today. Do you know your "happy place"...where you are supposed to "go" when you are feeling stressed? One of my "happy places" is the stadium field at McDonogh. I remember sunny days, playing lacrosse, then doing homework in the grass while waiting for the JV game to be over. I remember my friends, and the relief of spring weather, and the happy feeling of wearing the same uniform, running around for an hour, and throwing and catching that ball. I hope that my daughters like playing lacrosse as much as I did.
I pulled my team jacket up out of my hope chest before we went to practice today. I remember spending my allowance and gas money on that jacket (I got $20 dollars a week to fill the car...and it lasted me a week!). Seventeen years later, I continue to believe I got my money's worth.
