It’s Not If You Win Or Lose…

Last night I attended my first high school Lacrosse game. LAX to non-neophytes, it was the Section A Championship Finals, Yorktown vs Walter Panas/Lakeland.

My husband Doug is from Yorktown. Lacrosse is big in Yorktown, very big. And ‘full disclosure’-it is actively very big in his immediate family as well.

Game was fast-paced, teams seemed closely matched, and crowd was really into it. Score see-sawed til the 4th quarter. Lakeland went up by 2 goals. Then Yorktown came back, tied the score, but lost in OT.

Obvious reasons aside, it was a very tough loss to take, because it seems there were a number of controversial calls that went to Lakeland. (See, lucky for me I was sitting in the rowdy adult fan section. Ignoring Section 1 rules on sportsmanship, the rest of us were kept apprised of this by some very loud, potty-mouthed yahoos).

Don’t understand the game, can’t speak to the validity of their claims, but every time these faux-adults booed the refs, or screamed out a number of other un-sportsmanlike epithets,  we saw dozens of young kids wearing Yorktown green jerseys-who were certainly disappointed themselves, turned and just looked up at these belligerent, rude people in the stands.

Many from the town’s Youth Athletic league, probably a lot of future players in this group. Their expressions said it all. In a moment I saw things shift: I felt this collective, very bad lesson learned, and I ached for them all.

Come home to the TV news, only to see the story of Detroit pitcher’s Armando Galarraaga’s perfect game, blown by a call the ump who later, tearfully, admitted was wrong. Photo to the right is of Armando, a split second after the call went against him.

Baseball I know and love. Historically there are no do-overs. In the hundreds and hundreds of thousands of professional baseball games, there have been 20 perfect games. This morning there is quite the firestorm, and the debate is re-ignited for instant replay. As I write this, it is being reported that the Commissioner’s Office is having a meeting to review this call, but it remains to be seen what, if anything might happen.

If you haven’t already seen it, google Galarraga’s post-game interview. Such class and grace, a lesson for us all. In the words of one morning news anchor, it should be required viewing for all youth sports players, their parents and coaches…from his mouth, to the dinner tables in Yorktown tonight.