Today, Elizabeth was accepted into the Bethesda lacrosse fall ball program. We have also been trying to get her registered into the Catonsville field hockey program. Field hockey was short coaches, and was turning away players. I volunteered to coach, but now they don’t want new coaches either. Clusterfuck.
But that is just an aside. Elizabeth signing up for more lacrosse just reminds me that I should mention just how determined she is. I coached Elizabeth in Hero’s summer league this year. I picked the team based on how well girls played during Tykers in the spring. In picking the team, and as Elizabeth’s father, I just wasn’t sure how Elizabeth would fare with the other girls. Boy did she exceed any expectations Marcia and I could have had for her!
Dancing the sideline for a ground ball
She worked as hard as any other girl out there. In fact, most girls complained about being hot or about their positions (I want to play attack, I want to play defense). They dogged it on ground balls. Not Elizabeth. She never quit on any play. I couldn’t believe just how competitive she was, how she never gave up, and how much she worked to get better every week. By the last few games of the season, she was running first midfield. When we needed a few goals, we would put Elizabeth, Mackenzie and Abby out on the field, and they would deliver every time.
Elizabeth on the blocks
Another case in point: swim team. We signed her up for swim team at the beginning of the summer. She didn’t know how to swim. But she worked at it. When we were at the pool for fun, she would practice her back stroke. Marcia got her some private lessons. She practiced. Her time improved every week! She worked really hard each and every time, and she was very proud of herself when she would win heats. She got to the point where she was posting times similar to girls who have been doing swim team for 3 years or so.
Liz works hard at everything she does. She works hard at school. She works hard at sports. She cleans when she is asked to clean. She goes running with me when I ask her to. The other day, she learned how to ride a bike, wouldn’t quit til she got it.
Our determined little girl starts 3rd grade in a couple of weeks. They say the curriculum is a huge step up. As competitive as she is, and as hard as she works, I don’t think we have anything to worry about.
I do worry sometimes that she pushes herself too hard. I know I did as a child, and it caused me a lot of stress in my childhood and adolescent years. I hope that Elizabeth does not burn herself out the way that her father did. But, hopefully, we will provide a supportive and nurturing family so that she always feels supported.
Six With Sticks 