Mea Culpa a bygone?

[3rdPersonPlural]

When I started playing, a player who got a penalty would raise his stick over his head at the whistle and trot off the field. This was a symbolic way of saying 'sorry' to the ref and acknowledging a mistake.

This was not just a New England prep school thing. Everybody did it.

Is this practice still in effect elsewhere, because no California kids make the slightest effort to behave in a gentlemanly manner (anymore).

[Formerlaxdemon]

3rdPersonPlural,

Some of my players have done this in the past. Usually they raise their crosse up in a form of salute to the rim of their helmet and leave it at that. I plan to have all of my players do this from now on though.

I find that with some of my more immature players, they look at the ref as an adversary- a member of the other team to some. I do my best to discourage this way of thinking, but it is hard to undo what years of experience has imprinted in them at this point.


Thank you for reminding me of one of lacrosse's honourable traditions.

FLD

[cali feeder]

When I started playing, a player who got a penalty would raise his stick over his head at the whistle and trot off the field. This was a symbolic way of saying 'sorry' to the ref and acknowledging a mistake.

This was not just a New England prep school thing. Everybody did it.

Is this practice still in effect elsewhere, because no California kids make the slightest effort to behave in a gentlemanly manner (anymore).

I haven't seen it. I doubt kids on my team would make the effort either. I'll make an effort to remember though, and try to do it. Wilson better give me props for it :grin: !

[EHSLAX12]

i should tell some people about that...i knew there was something, but what i was told was they put the stick across their body and walk off. not put it straight up.

[3rdPersonPlural]

Cali, it's not your fault as many of the more elegant traditions of the game have fallen by the wayside as the game snowballs. I'm not even sure that Mike, and his Delbarton pedigree. is steeped in the better traditions. He's a turn of the century guy. A lot has happened since the early '80's.

FLD is apparently an ambassador from 'the time', and I am heartened that he is going to try to imprint the 'respect' logo onto his team.

Are there any other teams or regions that still adhere to the old practices?

[3rdPersonPlural]

i should tell some people about that...i knew there was something, but what i was told was they put the stick across their body and walk off. not put it straight up.

Nope.

Grab your stick by the butt end, hold it straight up above yor head, and trot toward the box.

After 10 steps or so you can lower it, but the point is made that you acknowledge your violation OR that you are honoring the more senior opinion of the official.

[cali feeder]

Cali, it's not your fault as many of the more elegant traditions of the game have fallen by the wayside as the game snowballs. I'm not even sure that Mike, and his Delbarton pedigree. is steeped in the better traditions. He's a turn of the century guy. A lot has happened since the early '80's.

FLD is apparently an ambassador from 'the time', and I am heartened that he is going to try to imprint the 'respect' logo onto his team.

Are there any other teams or regions that still adhere to the old practices?

Not that I know of. Showing class isn't exactly something that is stressed in the SCLA. And Mike hasn't really spoke of any type of traditions of the sort, so if anyone is gonna start doing it, it's just gonna be us players.

[gigo567]

Um... I have never heard of that, I bet almost every kid in California hasn't heard about that.

I don't think its kids in Cali misbehaving but they don't know what it is. And if you told kids to do it out here most of them would think they would look like a complete idiot(no offense)

[SilverZeppelin]

Um... I have never heard of that, I bet almost every kid in California hasn't heard about that.

I don't think its kids in Cali try to behave but they don't know what it is. And if you told kids to do it out here most of them would think they would look like a complete idiot(no offense)
i havent either

[czechinthepipes]

Um... I have never heard of that, I bet almost every kid in California hasn't heard about that.

I don't think its kids in Cali try to behave but they don't know what it is. And if you told kids to do it out here most of them would think they would look like a complete idiot(no offense)
i totally agree, id feel like an idiot if i was the only one doing it or even knowing about it.
i have heard something like that, i never new exactly what it was or how to do it. my coaches dont stress taht, i doubt they kno since they are only like in there early 20s and have only been playing lacrosse for like 10 years in socal. but they dont talk about taht. in the future i may do this. i usually make a point in any sport when i do wrong to say something to the ref just to let him know that he was right or is like the head guy.

[aussielax]

We do it here, I think it's just as much to help the scorers so they know which player actually has the penalty just in case their is some confusion with another player that is running in the same direction to sub of the field.

[eme]

It is a part of the international game and mechanics since there is no horn in international play and I'll bet in the early days of club/college play in this country there wasn't a horn as well. Subbing done all "on the fly."

It lets the bench-side official, the benches, the players waiting to sub in, and the table personnel know who has the penalty as several players sprint towards them after the penalty has been announced.

[Longpole5435]

3PP, do you just mean hold your stik vertical, perpendicular to teh ground with the head above your head?

Traditions are cool. I'd like to try and keep this one alive.

[BlueJaysLaxFan]

So this is a tradition born out of necessity. Even today this makes sense so that the coach knows who to send in.

[ColtsLax]

i always do that. if i hit a kid in the helmet, as soon as the ball is dead, i trot off and give a little salute, i know i was in the wrong, im not going to argue. I find that ref appreciate this and give me a little more leeway because they know im not just trying to break skulls,

[cali feeder]

i always do that. if i hit a kid in the helmet, as soon as the ball is dead, i trot off and give a little salute, i know i was in the wrong, im not going to argue. I find that ref appreciate this and give me a little more leeway because they know im not just trying to break skulls,

Right. Well look at your location. I live in Southern California. Your lacrosse tradition spans back for many generations, while ours is what, 10 - 15 years old at the MAX? There just isn't that much history down here, so we therefore lack much tradition in our play.

I'm sure if you went back east, you'd find that many more players do it. And I'm sure conduct would be much better back there...but thats a whole different issue.

[rjattack19]

When I started playing, a player who got a penalty would raise his stick over his head at the whistle and trot off the field. This was a symbolic way of saying 'sorry' to the ref and acknowledging a mistake.

This was not just a New England prep school thing. Everybody did it.

Is this practice still in effect elsewhere, because no California kids make the slightest effort to behave in a gentlemanly manner (anymore).

its not that were not gentelmen, its just that most of us have probably never even hear of it...like me

[marflax33]

Works in all sports. I do that in basketball, When i either score, or foul, i raise my hands up in order to make it easier for the scorekeeper to identify my number and tally either the foul or points scored in my column.

I am yet to see anyone do it in a lacrosse game around here, So looks like i will have to start the trend.

[LaxRef]

The trend in sports these days is for athletes to question every call, no matter how obvious or blatant. Flagrant foul against the shooter in the NBA: "What?! A foul on me?!"

For those of you who are old enough: Bill Laimbeer didn't invent this, but he perfected it. Never committed one foul in his entire NBA career, according to him.

[roycegracie47]

For those of you who are old enough: Bill Laimbeer didn't invent this, but he perfected it. Never committed one foul in his entire NBA career, according to him.
Funny for a guy to claim he never committed a foul, yet had his own video game: Bill Laimbeer's Combat Basketball.

That crazy Bill Laimbeer, now to duck out of the way of his oncoming elbow...

[3rdPersonPlural]

Upon review of my OP, I regret that I implied (errr.....stated, actually) that California kids are not gentlemen.

As has been pointed out with muted indignation several times, ignorance of this little flourish of gracious behavior is not an indictment of the quality of play in general. I blame the coaches, most of whom are from back east, for not teaching this gesture to their kids.

Or maybe I blame the passage of time from my playing days to today.

Naw. I ain't THAT old.

[pantherLax]

Well today in my indoor, i committed a penalty. As i ran to the penalty box i said a little 'sorry' to the ref. And then later on I checked a player (legally) but my hands were a little apart so i kind of crosschecked him. He was in pain and i said 'sorry' and he was cool about it.

Anyways, not to sound like such a great kid, but i wanted to say this because i want to give my thanks out to everyone in this thread and 3PP for making me a better sport!

[3rdPersonPlural]

Well today in my indoor, i committed a penalty. As i ran to the penalty box i said a little 'sorry' to the ref.

See? Kids KNOW when the make a boo-boo. I've officiated prep school alumni games where the alumni team has no numbers and I throw a flag and at the whistle declare " the guy who caught number nine in the chin on the face off needs to sit for a minute! Lift your stick and mosey off!"

They always do. Nobody wants to look like a cheat in the eyes of their teammates.

And then later on I checked a player (legally) but my hands were a little apart so i kind of crosschecked him. He was in pain and i said 'sorry' and he was cool about it.

See? If everybody approached the game as a gentlemanly endeavor, there would be no fights and stuff.

Anyways, not to sound like such a great kid, but i wanted to say this because i want to give my thanks out to everyone in this thread and 3PP for making me a better sport!

It goes way deeper than me. Respect for the game is an articulated goal of every lax organization. That panther 'gets it' is a baby step forward, but not an apocalypse.