Last Pirate Voyage: The Black and White and Gray of Life/Lacrosse
As a kid, the world is black and white, right and wrong, and happy or sad. Simply put, there is no gray area.
If a kid asks a question, they expect an honest and straightforward answer. For them, life is really that easy. For the life of them, they can’t seem to understand why we adults ( a loose term at best) just don’t seem to get it. My son, for instance could not understand why EVERYONE just did not do what the referees said in a game earlier this season (both teams had a few penalties). If they did, he said, the game would be a great one and no one would be sad. My son is 7 years old.
I love that honesty. Things are so clear and answers are so easy to come by. My son also happens to think that “Rock the Casbah” from the Clash really is “Rob the Cashbar”, and sings it loud enough for anyone to hear. Of course when asked what a “cashbar” is, he mentioned without skipping a beat, that it was a place where you go to get cash. At least I’m still safe on that level for a while longer.
It is as we get older that the gray seeps into every nook and cranny of our lives. There is no seemingly simple answer(only shades of gray), and never an easy way to begin or end things in life that mean so much to you.
This past weekend, The Bucs hosted the Trinity Tigers in a game that was far more meaningful than the match up on the field. For 25 years the Bucs have played lacrosse at Southwestern. On Sunday, for the club team, that came to an end with a 21-3 win.
For 12 of the 25 years, I have had the honor of standing on the sidelines of my favorite home away from home. I have seen young men come and go, leaving much more confident in themselves on the field and in their lives than when they first arrived. I have learned that, yes indeed, the world is grayer than one might first acknowledge, and I have captured a lifetime of memories.
The field, specifically this home field, has always been a sanctuary, moreso a stepping stone as each individual was able to find their way, maybe even gain a little clarity in life, while on it. It has not always been easy or about lacrosse, but it has always been there and from a very simplistic view, it has always provided all of us with answers in black and white amid the gray of everything else.
For me, things are starting to become clearer as this season pushes on to its final stages as well. Each year we have players graduate. Each year they go through their own separation and make their own peace with leaving, and the team letting them go and both moving on.
This year, however, 25 years of history is stepping aside as a new chapter of Southwestern Lacrosse will begin next year. Coach Ernst has done a great job stepping in and working with us as we all make this transition to Varsity. I have no doubt Southwestern lacrosse will continue and expound on the traditions that have been so pervasive over the life of the Club team.
I have learned so much about lacrosse, but have learned so much more about life itself during this time. Along the way I have had the honor of getting to know some of the most amazing young men. As we continue to write the final chapter of our season and our program, I now realize that more than anything else, it was what each individual on each team working together over the years was able to accomplish on that field that was so amazing and worthwhile. It is why I still talk to former players on a regular basis, why years later the stories are far better than any fishing tale could ever be, and why as we walked off that field on Sunday, I knew finally, after wondering for years, that together we had all done something right.
Lacrosse has provided clarity, and escape, and hope all at the same time. For some it has been a life saver on this team. For others an avenue to explore how far they could really push themselves. For me, it has been a great ride. As it comes closer to and end (every game from here on out could be our last), I am thankful for the opportunities, for the paths that I have crossed, and am finally ready to say goodbye, step by step. Finally, lacrosse, after all these years is becoming black and white.
Southwestern Head Coach Bill Bowman graduated from SU in 1992 and has coached the lacrosse team for 12 straight seasons. 2009 will be his last year at the helm of the Pirates as the school has hired a new varsity head coach that will begin his duties in the Fall.
