There has been a recent buzz surrounding the “culture” of lacrosse. I go back and forth on the overall direction lacrosse is headed given its recent history and “trends.”
There’s no doubt that a lot of people at a variety of levels have given the gift of lacrosse to a lot of people. Our sport is growing at an amazing clip. Whether it’s handing a stick to a young person for the first time, running a pick-up league, being a high school head coach, championing new NCAA programs, running inner-city programs, etc… there are a lot of people with great intentions doing amazing things out there.
I used to get angry at people whom I thought were “mocking” the sport by the way they dressed, their overall attitude about the sport and the way they carry themselves on the field. Now, I have shifted my thinking a little bit.
I have to remind myself why people play the game. 1. Lacrosse is fun 2. Lacrosse offers a chance to meet new people from a variety of backgrounds 3. Lacrosse is unique in that many different “body types” and a variety of “athletes” can play at a high level.
So do I agree with the clothing trends and “culture” of the sport? Not necessarily… I believe that we have a large population of players and coaches who are trying to discover what the sport is all about. Through this “discovery” we’re going to make a few mistakes and bad choices. I do, however, believe that it is the responsibility of those who are at the highest levels of the sport to lead the way regarding what is acceptable and what is not.
This is where the “modelling” comes in. As professionals in the sport, what we “model” as appropriate language, behaviors, dress, attitude, etc.. with regard to lacrosse and being a good citizen must be carefully taken into consideration. There are a lot of impressionable new-comers to our sport and it is our responsibility to show them the “way” or what is ACTUALLY cool (like being a good, respectable person).
My challenge to the more seasoned members of the lacrosse community is to lead the way and model the type of behavior we want to see on and off the field. Teach those who are new to the sport the spiritual connection we have as a community given the deep Native American roots of the sport. We must respect ourselves, those entrusted in our care, our community and above all, our beloved sport of lacrosse.
Model what you want our sport to become and it will happen.
As always, thank you for reading!
