Curveball

Last week, my mom scored a couple tickets to a Lacrosse game in Everett. They're worth a bit of money, but she was given them by a friend, and uninterested, I inherited them. Some might call it karma, but it's more like a fortunate stroke of serendipity.

So Friday night, I went to my first Lacrosse game; Washington Stealth Vs. Minnesota Swarm. I knew Lacrosse was pretty intense, but this was a sport unlike anything I had ever seen/imagined. I found it seriously entertaining. I just couldn't believe how they could pass that ball at such high speed and the other guy could actually catch it in that little net, and run down the field, passing to and fro with such vigor and intensity that could not be found elsewhere. It's a game of precision and... cardio?

The longer I sat there in the stadium, the more interested I was. By the end of the first quarter, I was completely enthralled. I was intrigued to get in better shape, and play some really fierce sport competitively. Maybe Lacrosse. I really think that would be fun. After I had pondered this idea for a few minutes, I became disappointed with myself for not competing in sports more during high school. But I never did have much confidence in myself when it came to athletics, and after another ten minutes of light, hovering thoughts about it, I decided that whatever I did instead of playing sports was just fine.

The only thing that bothered me about the game was all the aggression. I found it funny at first, opponents hitting each other with their sticks as a form of 'blocking,' but just like in hockey, a bigger fight emerged a couple of times, once giving a guy from Stealth a 7-minute penalty, where he supposedly received a lecture from his coach. They will sometimes let the fight go for a while, just to get everyone excited. If you ask me, that's not only bad sportsmanship, but a complete waste of energy.

Obviously, a lot of thought was involved with my time at the game, sort of sauntering briskly from one end of my mind to the other. But I definitely enjoyed it, and I would recommend a Stealth game if you run out of ideas.