A Mammoth Opportunity

Last weekend, the National Sports Center for the Disabled, in conjunction with the Colorado Mammoth lacrosse team, hosted a free 2-hour lacrosse clinic. When I told Ethan he was going to participate in it, he asked how lacrosse is played.
“It’s like soccer, only you catch and carry the ball with a stick,” I said.
“How do you catch a ball with a stick?” Ethan asked.
Oh, yeah—I forget to mention there’s a net at the end of the stick. Shows you what I jock I am. No worries—those Mammoth players can fill you in on the details.
And two Mammoth players—Nick Carlson and Tom Ethington—did, along with a host of local college and high school lacrosse players whom volunteered for the event. The volunteers drilled the participants on the basics—passing, cradling the ball, and scoring.
But having fun was the clinic’s biggest priority. Even when a participant dropped the ball or missed the goal by a mile, the volunteers cheered them on.

In addition to learning lacrosse, Ethan got to speak with “Wooly,” the team’s mascot. I can’t think of a better lacrosse team for Ethan to root for, since, for him, prehistoric mammals rank right up there with dinosaurs.
At the end of the clinic, the participants had a Q&A with Carlson and Ethington. Ethan raised his hand. I held my breath.
“Do we get an award now?” Ethan asked.
“We’ve got snacks and goody bags for you,” said Carlson.
Hey, that’s much better than an award.
I give the NSCD and the Colorado Mammoths an award for hosting an event that gave kids whom struggle with sports a chance to shine.