What is it about a Lacrosse stick that, when you’re just standing still with one in your hands, you have to twiddle, worse than that, it seems if you have a Lacrosse ball as well you just have to do tricks.
The master of tricks in Bath is definitely Lloyd Butler, it’s almost impossible to imagine him just passing the ball about, there has to be a flick, a balance on the side wall or some sort of spinning throw, not of the ball, of the stick, apparently one catches it without the ball falling out.
Names are also important after all what’s life without a “double round the rainbow”??
Frankly I was sceptical, how can this skill be of any use, barring some improvement in the handling skills. Then at the National pop tournament, where Lloyd was a willing helper (referee and scorekeeper) I watched in amazement as a gaggle of 10 yr olds gazed, open mouthed as Lloyd did his stuff. A quick flick and the ball sits on the side wall, another flick a couple of rotations of the stick with the ball in the air and the ball lands back where it started. The ball was thrown behind the back, flicked soccer style off the floor into the stick, lobbed, with the stick, spinning several feet into the air, all to the gasps of the watching kids.
Ten minutes later they were all trying to do the same thing with the pop sticks, much to the annoyance of the teachers, who were trying to get them to focus on the games in hand. All the kids were a little bit more hooked into the game, that can’t be a bad thing.
I even found myself trying to think of the impossible trick just to see if it could be done; “chuck the ball up, bounce it off the butt end and catch it in the pocket without dropping it” Ha that’s got him. Two weeks later the new trick is demonstrated, obviously too much time on a teenager’s hands.
Now they all play a game called “Horse” trying to outdo each other with tricks,
I used to worry; now I find myself trying to catch a lacrosse ball on the side of my stick, let’s hope I don’t do that in the middle of the game on the crease. Anyway, it gives the club the chance to give a new nickname to Mr Butler, Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Coco the Clown.