It was the middle of the forth quarter and we were up by one. I was on the sideline eagerly waiting for Coach Craig to put in my middie line. We had possession of the ball and we were trying to clear the ball up the sideline to the other side of the field. Matt Stover using his wheels blew by the other team so fast that the slow break ended up becoming a four on three fast break in our advantage towards our opponent’s cage. Stover lined up with the goal and contorted his body in preparation for a shot right down the center of the cage. CLANG! The tiny white lacrosse ball had ricocheted off the bright orange goal and was flying towards the opposite sideline. Stover and about half of our team ran to back the ball up. In lacrosse after a shot the person closest to the ball gets the possession. I then heard the harsh sound of the referees whistle, and then gave the call that set our coach off, the ref said “White Ball!”
Then our coach trying as hard as he possible could to hold in his frustration at the refs burst out and said “How can it be their ball, my player was clearly closer to the ball?!”
This frustration had been built up by the fact that all game the referees had been calling the most bogus calls the ranged from funky slashing (hitting another player in the head) to flat out giving the opposing team the ball for some announced reason. The refs then yelled back at my coach saying “the goalie was closest to the ball when it went out!”
You could see the frustration in my coach; the huge vain bulging from his temple was a genuine sign of the frustration building within him. It was only a matter of what would set him off then the fireworks would start to fly. Once the other team started to run the ball up the you could see the fatigue in the faces of the middies, the sweat rolling down their neck from the humid Florida climate and the slow run with the occasional stumble said that coach would have to substitute us in soon. Then the other team came up the center and ripped a shot before the tired midfield could set up on defense. Thankfully, it was one of the worst shots that I have seen to date so of course it missed and went flying towards the back of the field, that’s when Mt. Craig erupted. “ Mr. official that’s my ball my goalie was closest!” said Coach Craig before the ref could even blow his whistle.
The ref then blew his whistle and said “White Ball!”
¬ I couldn’t really understand what my coach said next in his intemperate rage, something about Florida, lacrosse, and that’s why lacrosse has been slow to grow in Florida. Then I saw the ref to a complete 180 on his heel and walk angrily towards our coach and asked in a demanding manner “WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!”
“Nothing, I was talking to my players.” Said Coach in a more relaxed manor.
“Technical foul on the coach 1 minute!” yelled the ref.
“I was talking to my players!” demanded coach Craig in disbelief.
“One more word from you Coach and I’ll have you ejected from the game!” said the ref and walked towards the field to continue on with the game.