Dear Lacrosse, ________ .

Dear Lacrosse,

Thank you.

Four years ago, Nate was the only kid that was willing to hop in the cage for his Gates Chili Modified Boys Lacrosse team. Little did we know where things would go from there. As I sit here typing out this letter after his Senior Varsity Lacrosse season at Gates Chili has come to an end, I have nothing but gratitude to the game and feel so lucky about all the coaches, teammates, officials, and parents that we have interacted with over the last four years. I also feel so blessed that Nate will have great coaches and teammates to help him on his college journey at Morrisville State College.

Lacrosse is known as a white, upper class sport. But, I am thankful for the diversity of teammates that Nate has had throughout his time at Gates Chili. The eight seniors on the Spartans lacrosse team this year represent that diversity well. There are four white players, including Nate, in the Spartans lacrosse class of 2022. But, there is also a player who is Vietnamese, a player that is Turkish, a player with Native American ancestry, and a player who is half African-American and half European-Canadian. 

The starting defensive unit of three longpoles and the goalie had a similar mix. This time it was two white players, the half African-American and half European-Canadian, and a Latino player.

There is also diversity in ways that don't show up in pictures or on questionnaires about diversity. One family on senior night required an American Sign Language interpreter, for instance. And another senior has two LGBTQIA+ siblings.

I also know that Nate's future team will have diversity, as well. While checking the roster for other Rochester area players, it was awesome to see that the two Section V players on this year's roster were African-American. 

I am thankful that lacrosse provided a way to show Mrs. Swiech that Nate and Ty are doing great. She was the reading resource teacher at their elementary school. With Nate and Ty getting ready to graduate and play lacrosse in college starting in the fall, I tried to let her know how they were doing. She was able to make it to one of their games and get a picture with them after the game. It was great to give her that memory.

I am thankful that Nate has an idol like Blaze Riorden. I am extremely thankful that Nate was able to work with Blaze for three days after the PLL stop in Albany last year with Joe Walter's Dream Big camp here in Rochester. I am sure that helped contribute to Nate's great performance in goal during his senior season.

I am thankful that we could get back to this before games this season. After not allowing this pre-game tradition due to COVID in 2020, Nate enjoyed this pre-game ritual. I enjoyed watching Nate slap five with the other goalie and then sprint to his cage and go through his little routine that was likely partially inspired by Blaze's pre-game routine.

I am thankful for Nate's favorite season yet. And I am thankful for the memories that I am sure will come in the future.

A thank you card from a ref to a lacrosse team

 Here is the handwritten Thank You note that my son received after his varsity lacrosse game tonight. It was too good not to share:

5/12/22

Dear men,

I am requesting that your goalie read this to you all, with my deep appreciation and thankfulness for your time and attention.

Just over 50 years ago, I too was chasing after loose balls, fast attackmen, and attempting to pass the ball to "someone who could do something with it," in practices and Monroe County games. It was and still is a fast and exciting game no matter the changes in rules, technology of the equipment and coaching acumen. 

Your goalie, greets us, officials, after being scored upon with the phrase, "Thank you for being an official." It is very generous and unselfish of him and as a leader of your team reflects well upon all of you!

I wish to thank all of you for your efforts, sportsmanship, love for teammate and team and love and honor of "the game."

Lacrosse and spring are always special times to me... New life, unlimited potential and possibilities, the crisp cold weather giving way to warm sunny days and cool pleasant nights, the exhilaration of the face-off, the fast break, a great outlet pass or stick check! As my strength, speed and vigor begin to leave me I smile and remain happy that the game will be in good hands with you gentlemen. Please consider reffing after your playing days come to an end.

With much gratitude,

A very old ref

God bless. 

Next team up

This is the off season where I am replacing my favorite NFL team. Like so many coaches talk about when an injury occurs, I am using a "next team up" attitude to this decision. 

As a kid growing up in Western New York, I should have been a Buffalo Bills fan. My dad has been a Bills fans all my life. It would have made sense. Watching the Sabres on channel 2 was the reason I am a lifelong Sabres fan. But, for some reason, John Riggins and the Hogs caught my attention as a kid and the team from the nation's capital was my favorite team growing up. But, because they were both my dad's favorite team and the home area team, the Bills were always my second favorite NFL team.

I am not a fan of bandwagon fans that hop from team to team to follow a winner. I have been a Sabres fans my whole life and that will likely never change. The same goes for the Philadephia 76ers and the New York Yankees. I was a Yankee fan as a kid during the Dave Winfield and Don Mattingly years. So, that was as far from a bandwagon thing as you could get. I have been a Sixers fan starting with Dr. J, through the Barkley years, through the AI years, through The Process years, until today. I don't like jumping off a bandwagon because a team is down. My favorite college football and basketball teams have been down for years. But, I don't have teams that I root for instead of Nebraska and Georgetown. 

But, this is different.

There are two main reasons why I am no longer a Washington fan and they lie at the feet of owner Dan Snyder. First, I grew tired of the stubbornness that Snyder had with regards to changing the team nickname. I don't get why people fight so hard to hold onto racist team logos and nicknames. As a 1992 graduate of Jamestown High School, I am proud of how the district has been moving away from the logo that was used when I was in school. But, there are tons of people that still don't get it. Snyder finally decided to change things, but it was after I decided that I was done with the team as long as he was owner.

The straw that broke the camel's back with me were the reports of the horrible #MeToo treatment of the team's cheerleaders. As a father, husband, and son, I could not support a team that would treat women in that manner. So, I was done.

Then I debated for a few years which team to make my new team. It really came down to two teams for me. It was the Cleveland Browns and the Buffalo Bills. Cleveland was in the mix as another team without recent success, but some hope of being good one day. But some time during last season, I could no longer resist the urge to go next team up and hop on the Bills bandwagon. I think my almost 18 year old son getting more into the Bills was what put me over the edge. 

And even after making the switch, I was still worried about the bandwagon jumping angle to things. But, one Twitter interaction made me OK with things. One of my fraternity brothers from college replied to a comment about my dilemma. He said that he never remembered me being a Bills hater 25-30 years ago, so he was signing off on the mood.

So, all that is left to say is Go Bills!