It's not all autism. Lacrosse brings big smiles around here.

Fortunately my life isn't just about autism. As a matter of fact, there are days that I'm not sure autism even feels like a factor. How awesome is that? I have a few passions of my own that I've been able to make time for as the kids have gotten older. I love my yoga class; it puts me in that space to quiet my mind, stretch my muscles, and helps me to feel grateful for the healthy body that I have been given. I also prioritize massage trades twice a month; I love to give massages (I'm a licensed LMT) but I love to receive them even more!  My current not so secret passion, and the subject of todays blog post, is about my favorite sport: lacrosse. We spend many hours on the sidelines cheering on our guy. I've posted a picture too of his very patient sister, who has spent years watching him play soccer, football, wrestle and play basketball on top of his favorite sport lacrosse. She plugs in her iPod, listens to music in the shade, and is content. She's a champ.

   

Jack winning another face off. :)

Molly chillin' in the shade.


Here is my recent letter to the Editor that was posted in the local Cheyenne Edition before team tryouts in February. This was an effort to drum up a little local support for our boys this spring. 

I always thought that I’d marry a lacrosse player. I played girls’ lacrosse in high school and college. As a Virginia teenager—living in an all male prep school where my parents taught--- it was my opinion that the cutest and smartest boys were the lacrosse players. My attitude hasn’t changed much in 30 years, though I might be a little biased, since my son is currently a freshman on the Cheyenne Mountain lacrosse team. 

I have loved seeing migration from a primarily east coast sport in the private schools, to an explosion of interest across the country in the public schools as well. It’s the fastest growing sport in the US and now that we have a nationally ranked college level program at DU, as well as a professional team--the Outlaws--Colorado has become a hot bed of lacrosse excitement and opportunity. We are lucky locally to have both the Air Force Academy and Colorado College, with men’s lacrosse teams who extend themselves to our boys through camps and summer select teams.

If you have never attended a game, you must. It’s high action and fast paced--similar to hockey, but all the action is in the air, not on the ground. The sport originated with the Indians (Cheyenne Mountain Indians, perhaps?).  I’m not sure why the preppy elite took it as their own?             

The rules of lacrosse are relatively simple: Win the face off to start the game, don’t drop the passes from your team mates (easier said than done), and throw the tennis-ball-sized-rock-hard-rubber-ball past the goalie into the net. There are ten players on the field: goalie, three defensemen who are armed with six foot long lacrosse sticks, three midfielders (middies) with regular three and one-half foot long sticks and three attack men, also with regular sticks. Defenders stay on their half of the field; attack have to stay on their half and the middies play both offense and defense. Everyone wears pads and helmets. You quickly learn who is who by the shape of their legs or the numbers on their jerseys.

Since school has resumed, the Cheyenne Mountain lacrosse team has been hard at work getting into shape before tryouts start and the season begins. The boys have been in the gym two days a week lifting weights and another two days either on the field or in the shed working on stick skills. Remember that catching and throwing thing? It’s still the top skill to practice and get good at both left handed and right handed. Being able to run for miles and miles without throwing up-- they are working on that,too. Have you ever heard of the Indian Run? They jog in a long line with everyone staying together at the same pace and once the last one sprints to the front of the line and keeps jogging, the guy at the end has to sprint to the front. They continue on this way for miles. No wonder my son eats constantly!  Tryouts are February 18/19 and the first game is March 7th. Come sit on the sidelines with me and we can try to figure out who’s who out on the field!

Did I end up marrying a “laxer” you might wonder? Nope, he’s a Colorado native, who had never even seen the sport before, who swept me off my feet. You should have seen him SKI!!