I posted on my Facebook account on Monday that Father Irish and I, because the Internet was not usable at our hotel, headed to his favorite hangout…..Panera. There we could have lunch AND Internet and hopefully be able to finish up our work.
Oddly enough though, this Panera had been one that I had stopped at for lunch with a group of girls from my lacrosse team last summer. These were top-notch lacrosse players, who although just off our very first and only appearance in the Final Four, still chose to head to a Division 1 camp at Ohio State to further develop their skills. I was impressed with their dedication and intensity….right up until we got into the van to head there.
These girls love music, although I am not sure that’s what I would call it. They had a CD of tunes from as early as my day, and all of them were ones I would never listen too, even at gunpoint. They also talked, and almost exclusively about boys, which of course as a dad is never a good conversation to overhear. And then the cell phone prank calls and the singing of show tunes made me wonder why they were all girls that guys wanted to date.
But in truth, I know……they are great girls! One of the things I love about my team is the personalities of the players. Yep, they can be irreverent, and they will laugh always more than they cry. But in the end, they know what they are about. We may not win every game, but it is not for lack of effort or determination. They get things done, and often I think their apparent irreverence disarms opponents who think they are not serious. That is a serious mistake.
So as a core group of the number 4 team in Indiana arrived at that Panera last summer it was hard to tell who they were. They ate, they laughed, they played and then they constructed the famous (or infamous) “pyramid of death” out in front of the Panera in front of all the patrons and in clear sight of all the traffic on the busy street. It was awesome and these pictures prove it.
Within an hour they all checked into the camp and survived the week. And, the trip home was as screwy as the trip there. But a few of those girls in the picture were leaders of team that is now no more, and those leaders have left for college. But the rest remain….well trained and capable of leading us on. Sure, they are just as irreverent and screwy. But when game time comes the smiles are set aside and the intensity kicks up. These girls obviously suck at gymnastics (and group singing) but they are some of the finest players I know. I am blessed to be their coach.
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+