So I think lacrosse season (x2 kids) is going to kill us. Either it will kill us or make us stronger. I am hoping it will be the latter. My boys took an interest in this sport, so I bought the equipment (ouch) and signed them up for a two week skills camp last summer. There is a sports club just 5 minutes from my house where you can sign up for all things sports. Little Boy played soccer and baseball with them (they managed to take the championship in baseball without him ever hitting the ball- it was not awesome. Also, I will never get permission to sign him up for baseball again). I was all set up to sign up both boys for fall lacrosse when I realized that all the games in this league are on Sundays. Soccer games take up all the Saturday playing fields. Sunday is a problem for us. Sunday is our sabbath day. From the time we Mormons are young, kids in primary we are taught through song that "Saturday is a special day, it's the day we get ready for Sunday." We really do take our day of rest seriously. Sometimes with 3 hours of church plus leadership meetings, choir practice, occasional baptisms, fast offering collections, and youth committee meetings, it can be a pretty busy day of rest. We don't do things like birthday parties, play sports, playing video games. TV is more selectively chosen. The music we play is more serene. The meals we eat are nicer (usually). Sometimes we stay in our church clothing all day, (although relaxing in your sweats works for me too). I love Sundays. Togetherness without outside pressures. So lacrosse games on Sundays would definitely be a big no.
Now of course this would be the one sport that both boys really wanted to do. I am usually the one nagging them to get away from TV and video games and sign up for something... anything! My oldest is a major home body and it rubs off on the others. This was the sport they had seen their older cousin Josh play when we were visiting back in Utah. I am sure that he never had Sunday conflicts playing in his Orem league.
So I searched and searched and finally found a place (25 miles away), that has games on both Saturday and Sunday. I emailed the director and told her our situation. She was more than happy to take on the kids without forcing them to play on Sunday games. So we are off and running and the first game is tomorrow. I have been asked by people why we would choose to travel 30 minutes out of our way (each way!) to practice (3 times weekly!) when OBGC is so much closer. When I explain I have had mixed reactions. Sometimes I am sure they are thinking I am a religious fanatic. Sometimes I think I have piqued their curiosity a bit. One time I got the best reaction from a lady in an SUV. I pulled up next to her and we were both in our cars waiting for our kids to be released from the practice field. I was late pulling in and she commented that my timing was perfect since they were running over. She had been there for 10 minutes already. I told her I had just come from Olney. I opened the worm can and she asked why I travel so far. When I told her she said the nicest thing to me "Good for you! I wish more folks would stand up for their sabbath day around here." I was totally shocked. Turns out she also had a big family. I assumed, and asked if she was Catholic. She was. Then she assumed I home-schooled my kids too... that is where our similarities ended. Still I know who I will be looking to sit by at tomorrow's game. And who knows, maybe I will be blessed with some genius lacrosse players who, due to their sacrifice and sticking to their sabbath-day standards, will come home with gold medals one day just like Eric from Scottland. I can hear the theme music now.
