Last week, I missed a left handed behind the back. This week I had a nice behind the back assist to John Jackson. I didn’t score for once but played well. Writing won 6-4.
This was the same team that broke my thumb a month ago.
Category Archives: lacrosse
We are … WILD!
Fun night tonight. Played for the Baltimore Wild. Steve English was out there tonight as were the regulars like John Heiland, John Jackson and Kris Lindh. We were getting spanked by some team, Buffalo Wild Wings. I got on attack in the fourth quarter. We were down by 4 with about 5 minutes left. I took one strong from the left and scored a left-handed shot on the run. Then we got the ball back and I drove right and fed somebody coming down the middle for another goal. Next possession, I ran a give and go with Fletch and I scored another. Down by a goal with a minute left. We got the ball and a few chances, but I didn’t see the ball again, and we ended up losing by one, 8-7, but it was an exciting finish. And I ended with 2-2.
I did take another left hand behind the back tonight and missed. Silly. I should have just stuck it and we get a tie. But had to showboat. Next week maybe it will find the back of the net…
3:33
I just read a note from Dana Blair. I’ve been getting pretty stressed lately about sports… well, not just sports, but lacrosse in particular. I always try to do the right thing for the kids, create the best environment for the kids to play in, and make sure that they have a positive and supportive environment where they can make mistakes, and learn, and grow, and develop into self-confident young adults with drive and conviction. In my quest to provide this environment, there are always obstacles, politics in sports, adults pushing kids in certain directions, or parents acting very selfishly for their own kid’s interests without regard for the best interests of every other child in their community. And I’ve put myself in a leadership position in a club organization where parents trust my father and me. I like the position we are in, because it allows us some freedom to do the right thing. And we care.
Lately, there have been many pressures. And there have been many politics. The landscape of youth lacrosse is changing, and our club is in the forefront of the change. And we have been trying to advise parents within our club to make very responsible decisions for their children’s best interests. There are many folks in leadership positions within different lacrosse organizations that are not taking into account how much pressure is being put on the children in their communities. They are more concerned with winning, with being competitive, with keeping their registration numbers up, with putting their foot down, with creating policies, etc, to stop and think about what is best for the 10 year old girl that they are going to put their foot down on.
Issues like this weigh very heavily on me. And I have been losing sleep lately worrying about doing the right thing when the path is not always clear, or when I think the path is clear but it might take other parents longer to gain the perspective that I have to understand the effect of the path that is clear to me already.
Well, on one of the issues that has been weighing on me lately, I had a breakthrough. It came from one of the parents on my team. And when I shared the breakthrough along to some of the other parents on the team, I got a note back from Dana Blair, which included the following:
Please don’t be stressed–thanks for everything you do! You are a great dad and coach to all of our girls 🙂
After I read this note, I felt a sense of calm within me. And I looked at my clock, and it read 3:33. For some who are close to me, you know the significance of the time. I seem to have all of my divine interventions at 3:33. For years, I believe that my grandfather has come to me at that time, and has saved me, time and again. And not just to me, but I believe that he comes to Marcia, and to Bobby, and to my father at the same time.
I love you Grandpop
Liz hits double digits
Elizabeth turned 10 on Friday. Marcia’s quote on Facebook:
Ten years ago today I met the determined little lady that made me a Mommy. She is still living her life with that same fierce determination that brought her into this world. Tell her she can’t and she will show you five ways she can. We are so proud of you Liz. Your large family loves you so much. Stay determined the world is filled with endless possibilities. Happy Birthday!
I couldn’t have stated this better. Determination = Elizabeth. Have you ever met a kid who has been denied more times but keeps proving everyone wrong? And doing so with grace and humility. I’m proud, and also impressed that my daughter has some qualities that I have lost in myself. Such as humility … I have to brag on the kids all the time. I don’t like braggards, but I see so many mediocre kids have been put ahead of my kids because they have been hyped so much by their parents, yet aren’t as worthy as mine. So, I’m going to brag on my 10 year old.
She’s become quite the draw girl in lacrosse. She pulls the ball. Here she is against Perry Hall, she scored 4 in this game.
Liz in a 12-5 victory over Perry Hall.
On her Redshirts team, she is a 4th grader playing against 5th and 6th graders. Two weeks ago, we lost to a RGLC 2018 team (6th graders), 17-10. Liz scored 4 goals, including the last goal of the game as time expired, never quit, although she was the smallest girl on the field. Marcia and I are so proud.
Tonight, she wrote an essay for the principal at Hillcrest in order to be a safety next year. Her essay was on responsibility and being a role model. Here is what she wrote:
Dear Mrs. McVey,
Please consider me for the school safety position for next year. I would be happy to be any of the safety positions, but I am most interested in being one of the safeties that takes care of the kindergarteners. I like taking care of little kids because they are cute, funny and they make me smile. I would like to be a good role model for them. I care about safety and following rules, and I think I will make an excellent school safety.
One of the qualities that I think is important in a safety is responsibility. I show responsibility at home and at school. At home, I am the oldest of six children. I help my mother with my younger brothers and sisters all the time. Everywhere we go, I help get them in the car and put their seatbelts on. I also help with chores, like making their lunches in the morning or helping them at bath time. I have a younger brother and sister at school, and I make sure they get to where they are supposed to be before and after school. At school, I volunteer for the jobs that nobody likes to do, like the janitor. I think it is important to have a clean classroom. At school, I am responsible for myself and my schoolwork. For example, I always turn my homework in on time, and my library books are never overdue.
I think it is important that school safeties are role models for the rest of the school. I think I would make a good role model. I am always on good behavior. In class, I have always been on green. I am quiet and I always follow the rules. I am hard working and determined. Because of that, I am a GT student and have earned straight As. I also model good behavior at home and work equally hard at sports, including lacrosse, field hockey, basketball and swim team.
For these reasons, I think I would be a responsible and patient school safety. I hope you agree with me. I have wanted to be a safety since I was in 2nd grade, and I hope that you pick me. Thank you for considering me.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Kennedy
As much as I am proud of her, I also am fearful that she will be denied something again by adults. I’m just so used to it at this point that it is discouraging. I told her tonight that all we can do is try our hardest at everything, and if others don’t notice or pick us, that is their problem; just as long as we know that we have done our best, that is all we can ask.
Great Day in Sports
A few weeks ago, a man saw Liz and I playing catch and was very impressed with her skills. He’s associated with SkyWalkers club and wants Elizabeth to play there. He asked her to play in the Catonsville fall league. It’s a league for kids a few years older than Liz. She said yes. This morning, after she spent the night out at the Baecks, she was a little nervous about playing with the older girls (grades 5-8, she’s the only 4th grader).
But, when she stepped on the field, she did very well. She scored 2 goals. On one of the goals, she was tripled teamed, brought the ball out, juked all three and created an open lane to the goal for herself. It was very pretty, and many of the parents clapped. Marcia and I are very proud.
We are also worried. There are a ton of politics in Catonsville sports, and we’ve been hearing the ugly side of everything lately. I fear that Liz will not get her fair shot, and that Eden will also get her share of the shaft. Parents in this town are behaving poorly, very poorly, and I want to protect my daughters from all of the nonsense. I fear that I won’t be able to.
Also today, Liz’s field hockey team played the war hawks. Last year, the war hawks crushed every Catonsville team. Today, we beat them 11-0. Liz had a goal and she played very hard.
Eden played field hockey tonight as well and had a goal. Go Edie!
Noah played soccer yesterday with Jack. They play for Jack’s dad’s team. We are so pleased with Mike’s coaching, and the fun that Noah is having with his friend. They won 4-0, and Noah had a break away goal. It was great.
I am so proud. They are enjoying sports, and they are excelling. Elizabeth works as hard as any kid I know. I have a feeling that the others will as well as they get older.
Luke got his own lacrosse sticks today. PopPop and Grammy brought them over for his first birthday present. And he had fun with me on the floor, throwing balls to me, holding his stick, and putting the ball in the pocket of my stick.
“My first conscious memory was of my father crazy gluing a putter in my hand” – Tiger Woods (impersonator) – SNL sketch
Cold February Memories
(that melt my heart and make me laugh)
A lot has changed these last few months. Luke is getting bigger. And just the other day, he ate his first bowl of cereal.
Now Marcia is making her own baby food. She is a chef I tell you.
Liz got straight As in school. And she went to a lacrosse camp and won first place in a long distance shot competition; she won a stick.
Long Distance Shot Winner - Elizabeth Kennedy
Eden just got her third spelling test in a row back, 100% all around + the bonus words. Basketball coming up this weekend and Liz is in the all star game. Both the older girls are preparing for the lax season and finishing up basketball. We’re thinking about whether or not to start Noah this year, but probably not, he’s too young.
Marcia is a fiend on the treadmill. Her ass is so fine… damn.
Tonight, Noah got an awful hair cut. Marcia and I gave it to him. We used scissors and dog clippers. Geez, I hope he doesn’t remember. I clipped his ear and he cried. Even through the drama, it probably looks better than it did beforehand. A few more weeks and he would have been Justin Beeber.
Tonight I got home from work and Maggie was dressed as a hootchie mama. Yes. Her grandmother brought her some bootie-licious outfits. Leather pants for a three year old. And the jacket… seriously. Marcia asked her to put it on. It lasted about 2 seconds and Maggie took it off saying, “I’m too stressed to wear this.”
But the kicker tonight, the thing I really want to look back on and belly laugh, comes from the other side of town. It comes from a psycho known as Barbie Siecke. You see, Barbie had a crush on my older brother George in Kindergarten. I guess she never got over it. This week, Audrey took the kids out of town to go to Florida, and Barbie invited him out for drinks! Really Barbie, really?
Still laxin
Kennedy laxers – a day at the high school
10 years later, I decided to pick up my stick again. Can’t believe I let it sit dormant for that long. That’s before any of the kids were born, before Marcia and I were married, before we were engaged even, last time I played was last century, hell last millenium.
It took a couple weeks to get the rust out. I went out thinking I would play like I used to, that I still could move the way I used to. I went out there with confidence, but was out of practice. After a few weeks, I have let the game come to me. Playing more off ball, I’m still cagey and smart, and get open a ton. And guys are starting to pass me the ball.
Had a great game tonight. Scored a couple goals. Made some nice plays. No mistakes really. I was glad that Marcia and the kids got to come watch me play.
I started doing this again because I got so pissed off that I never made anything of myself. That I never fulfilled the expectations I set for myself when I was younger. I still have never gotten over the fact that Joe McFadden never played me in high school. Or that I didn’t make the Under-19 national team (I deserved to be on that team).
The reality is that I never was a great athlete. I was never the fastest. Never the strongest. But I was a great lacrosse player. I know I was. I just didn’t have the head for it. My nerves often got the better of me. And I took too much advice and pressure from my father, who really didn’t give good advice.
I still have nerves. I still shit my insides out on game days. The competition isn’t what it was. I’m not going up against Doc Dougherty and Quint Kessinich in the goal. These guys are no namers, many of which went to DIII schools. But I like this pace. I like the level of competition. It suits my slow ass for now. And I have a chance to redeem myself.
Sure I’m never going to have the chance to be great. But I am enjoying playing. And most of all, I am enjoying that Marcia and the kids get to watch me play. I scored a goal the other night and heard Marcia cheering my name from the bleachers. Just can’t tell you how that makes me feel.
I’m reading a book about fathers and daughters and sports. George and Audrey got it for me for my birthday. I hope that I do right by my kids. I hope they don’t have the same struggles I had with sports. Lacrosse got me pretty messed up. At the same time, it has given me some of my best memories from my youth.
Anyway, we’re in the playoffs and won our first playoff game tonight. We play again on Thursday.
PS – Maggie painted herself blue tonight. We called her Smurfette while I was giving her a bath.
Six With Sticks 