Canada's Sport

During certain months of the year, all across this country, thousands of families focus their lives on this sport.
After a long tiring work week the parents of these budding little athletes drag themselves out of bed on the weekends before some farmers get up to tend to their livestock.
The sun doesn't even want to wake up yet so it stays hidden.
Up and down streets kitchen lights pop on so that these poor souls can find some measure of help from the miracle of caffeine.
The kids rush down a bowl of cereal before they grab their gear and pile it into the freezing cold vehicle.
The streets of every city, town, and village spring to life with the convoys of mini vans, cars, pickup trucks and SUVs winding their way to the sports palaces.
Every parent wants their kids to have fun but there will be some kids who will stand out from the rest and rise to the top.
Most kids have their sports heros. The names of the heros find their way onto the equipment.
Some of these kids will one day have their names on equipment and become heroes to future kids.
We all know them.
They are on television promoting food, restaurants, cars, snacks, furniture, hair products, underwear, outerwear, deodorant, electronics, and anything else you could possibly think of.
We love the professionals.
We hate the professionals.
We wish we could have been them and are glad we never turned into people like them.
It is the sport which combines us all and unites almost every Canadian.
This sport defines us. It defines our country.
International supremacy is fought for using this sport but it is Canada which repeatedly shows the world that we are the best.
Yell it with me.
LACROSSE!! LACROSSE!! LACROSSE!!
What did you think I was talking about?
Lacrosse is Canada's national sport.
Many of us have heard this and I still find it unusual.
Actually I think that it may now share this honour with hockey.
But still, share?
Don't get me wrong. I love lacrosse. It was one of my favourite games that I ever played during my school years.
I really wish that more kids played it.
I remember many years ago in Toronto Cheryl and I went to see a Toronto Rock lacrosse game at Maple Leaf Gardens.
It was fantastic. There was so much energy in that place and the game was like trying to watch a lightning bolt.
It struck me how unfair it was that these outstanding young men who were more fit than any of us could ever hope to be had to go to their day jobs the next day after blowing away a crowd that size.
You would never see their names hanging from the rafters of the Gardens.

These are the types of people our kids should idolize. Not the spoiled multi millionaires in the NHL.

That's just my opinion.

By the way, our wonder lad scored 4 goals in yesterday's game and 1 goal in each of today's games.
It was something to see.
The other wonder boy played the blue line like a true master. He almost scored too!
Our team is the Bruins and he is #4. Just like Bobby Orr. The best hockey player of all time.

Just like my wonder boys.

Tim