last home game

Tonight was the last home game for the spring lacrosse season. After this, the schedule for the JV team is a bit uncertain, but I know they have at least one away game in the next few weeks. The varsity team will head into the championships to end their season, but this year, some of the other schools decided the JV teams deserved to end it with a bang, too. There's 2 tournaments Ryan and his teammates will be participating in during the first two weeks of May, so he's looking forward to that.

In the meantime, here's some action shots of my favorite lacrosse player. :-)

I think most people would cringe if they saw the last pic, but for me, it depicts my favorite plays in the game. Despite being outnumbered and blocked from his goal, Ryan is doing everything he can to push forward. Lacrosse is a fast-paced game with lots of action and physical contact; Ryan has found himself in the thick of things many times, and despite the obstacles (bigger opponent, good defense, etc.), he always, always pushes back just as hard. Sometimes it pays off (he makes a goal), sometimes it doesn't (missed goal, the ball hitting the posts, etc.). But just the fact that he goes all in is very admirable.

Like any sport, I think lacrosse has life skills to be learned. His coach is big on teamwork and playing fair, as well as being honest and treating others well; it's really resonated with Ryan. And, I know for a fact that he is learning them: you can tell by the way he carries himself, the confidence in daily activities that I see in him. This ball and stick game has really been a perfect fit for him, and despite me still not knowing exactly what's going on during the game, I'm really glad Ryan's found lacrosse.