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Staying on Top of Sports
A Guide to Your Grandchild's Interests By Charlene Torkelson
There's nothing like your grandchild – star of the team – scoring a point. But it may no longer be the home run or touchdown you are used to. Today, kids have a nearly infinite choice of sports, making it difficult for spectators to keep up with the rules and regulations of the game.
Let's go through a few of the new sports you may be asked to observe. We'll offer a quick overview of the philosophy of each game so you know when to cheer.
The crosse – the stick used to play lacrosse – is used to catch and throw the ball as well as scoop and carry. Lacrosse player Kyra Friedell, of Minneapolis, Minn., explains that goalies have a different kind of stick than the rest of the team members. The players use the crosse to score the ball, and only the goalkeeper is allowed to touch the ball with the hands. The object of the game is to score a goal and prevent the opposing team from scoring on your goal.
How's it different from soccer? "In lacrosse, the goal area is smaller, but the games are typically higher scoring than in soccer or hockey games," says Friedell, a novice to lacrosse but a seasoned young soccer player.
The two teams of 10 players each play on a field of a little more than 100 meters in length, although when the Native Americans played, the field could be up to 15 miles long, which made cheering on the local team a little trickier for the spectator. The boys' and girls' Lacrosse games are very different from each other. The girls' rules are similar to the sport played by the Native Americans, while the boys' sport requires lots of gear and padding. Friedell reports that Lacrosse requires lots of running and strength because it takes the whole body to throw, shoot and catch. Spectators enjoy the speed and action of this sport.
