Lacrosse

I am taking a few days off. Not from the gym (hell no!) but from writing.

My son Cooper is playing in the California Junior Lacrosse Association State Championships this weekend.

We will take off on Friday afternoon and drive to Santa Rosa, just north of San Francisco. Most of the team arrives Friday night and will be going to see a movie that opens that day nationwide, called Crooked Arrows.  Keep in mind that many of these players live and breathe lacrosse; some have been playing since they were very young and some, like my son,  will continue on in college. I am trying to arrange some group tickets to see the movie now, so none of the boys will miss this opportunity, here is a short trailer (email subscribers will need to navigate to the blog to view this):

A bit of history that many are not aware of:

Lacrosse, a relatively popular team sport in the Americas, may have developed as early as AD 1100. By the seventeenth century it was well-established and had been documented by Jesuit priests, although the game has undergone many modifications since that time. 

In the traditional Native Canadian version, each team consisted of about 100 to 1,000 men on a field that stretched from about 500 meters to 3 kilometers long. These lacrosse games lasted from sunup to sundown for two to three days straight. These games were played as part of ceremonial ritual to give thanks to the master. Lacrosse played a significant role in the community and religious life of tribes across the continent for many years. Early lacrosse was characterized by deep spiritual involvement, befitting the spirit of combat in which it was undertaken. Those who took part did so in the role of warriors, with the goal of bringing glory and honor to themselves and their tribes. The game was said to be played "for the Creator" or was referred to as "The Creator's Game".

David and I will go to dinner at Willie’s Wine Bar instead; we can watch the movie at home later.

Willie’s is a great small restaurant, with a fantastic wine list and stunning food. We went there last summer when we drove up to purchase some grape vines. David has fresh sardines, he will always order these if they are on the menu, I won’t. Although they are good, they are basically skinny little oily fish to me! I always opt for the beef….

I have a very nice room for the weekend at the Hyatt Vineyard Creek Hotel and Spa. I know, a little pricey but we are making a vacation of it all and if I have to be there all weekend, I want a nice place to stay.

I already know where the Gold’s Gym is, I won’t miss a beat, believe me.  I will quietly crawl out of bed and train, Roy said to continue with GVT Squats, at 125 pounds. We de-loaded Wednesday, so I only did four sets instead of the usual ten, and when I had finished, I did several sets of walking lunges with a 65 pound e-z curl bar held in front like a front squat. Then I pushed the sled, but the weight was lower than usual. He asked if I could have finished all ten sets and I told him I didn't know. With my head "thinking" I only had three or four, that's what I did. It's all in my head. Weight training is a mind game, at least for me. He understood, and he said it looked like I could have done all ten, so he thought I could have.


If the boys wake up before I return from the gym they can wander down to the buffet and have their fill. I might be able to lounge by the pool, or spend some time in the spa, I suspect we may do some wine tasting too, after all, we are in wine country! After the game, we are free to roam, at least for a short while.

We have a big team dinner planned Saturday evening; you cannot imagine the energy and excitement that everyone is feeling right now. There are 37 players, each is coming with at least one family member, most with more. The group is large, over 100 of us. 

The top four boys Varsity teams in the state of California will be playing, we (the #1 Varsity team in Northern California) will play the #2 Varsity team from Southern California at 2:00 on Saturday, and, if we win, Sunday afternoon is the actual championship game against the winner of the other game from Saturday afternoon, (the #1 Varsity team from Southern California against the #2 Varsity team from Northern California). 


Otherwise it’s a consolation game on Sunday morning. Even if we do not win, the fact that our team has been undefeated and come this far is fantastic. But to go out your senior year, as the State Champions, would be something that not one of the nine senior “boys” would ever forget. Although they are referred to as “boys” they are mostly grown men now, here they are with their Nor Cal champs medals.

Wish us luck, you can be sure I will keep you posted as to the results. Or better yet, check back at the link here to find out the standings as the weekend progresses, they might just keep it updated!