Boys are Boss
by Jonny Glazier
In the history of sports, there have been some incredibly heated and fervently debated rivalries. Red Sox vs. Yankees, Duke vs. North Carolina, and Barcelona vs. Real Madrid to name a few. However, that leaves the question of what makes a rivalry great? Many factors play into the situation, though one constant remains: it is nearly impossible to discern the superior side in nearly all hotly contested rivalries.
When one looks at the boys’ game, the brutal body checks and numbing stick checks add an element of physicality which is simply absent in the girls’ game. The absence of any form of physical contact results in a less skilled and less interesting sport for both players and spectators.
Since brute force cannot be used like in boys’ lacrosse, agility, speed and explosive movements are essential to the girls’ game. Also, deeper pockets on boys’ sticks allow them to control the ball through contact. Meanwhile, we have shallower pockets and minimal protective gear, making it impossible to check like the boys, forcing us to play a game based upon finesse and teamwork.
Due to the rules in girls’ lacrosse we are forced to look for passing options in order to find an open scoring opportunity. To score, we must run plays that move the ball quickly enough to catch the defense off-guard.
As a result, we encourage everybody to score, allowing us to distribute our stats throughout the roster. This kind of teamwork and selflessness contrasts drastically with the ball-hogging cockiness and brutal hitting in boys’ lacrosse.
On the offensive end, boys’ lacrosse turns into a one-man-show that takes the team element away from the sport. Players consistently drive to the goal blindly flinging the ball through defenders, hoping their sheer power will allow them to score a goal.
When watching a Paly boys’ lacrosse game, I saw players taking one shot after another, one of whom missed the goal eight times in a row. So far this season, two players account for 46% of their goals. Any player with this kind of ball hogging mentality wouldn’t last one game on a girls’ team.
Although boys’ lacrosse must be respected for the power and strength it takes to be a good player, it also breeds selfishness and demands less skill than girls’ lacrosse. Therefore, I would just like some respect from my peers for the composure, skill, patience and teamwork required by me and my teammates.