his brother flush a deep red. He felt a stab of pity for Todd. Then Michael called to him again and the moment passed.
“Okay, listen up and follow my commands,”Coach Hasbrouck called when everyone was in line. “Ready position!”
Garry snapped his stick up, holding it with the head upright and the shaft angled across the front of his body. One gloved
hand gripped the stick beneath the head. The other rested near the end. His feet were shoulder-width apart.
The coach handed out balls to everyone in Michael's line. “I want you to do a top-handed cradle, then throw the ball to your
partner, who will do the same. Keep going until I tell you to stop.”
Garry bounced on his toes, ready to capture Michael's toss. Michael cradled the ball as instructed, rotating his top hand
back and forth to keep the ball in the pocket. His bottom hand held the stick steady so the shaft wouldn't swing around. Then
he lobbed the ball in a smooth arc across the field to Garry.
Garry automatically pulled the head backwhen the ball landed in his pocket, softening the catch so that the ball stuck instead of bouncing out. Judging from the number
of balls that fell to the ground, others in his line either forgot to soften or didn't know they were supposed to. Across
the field he saw Michael shake his head. Garry concentrated on cradling the ball and throwing an accurate toss to his partner.
He breathed a sigh of relief when the ball zoomed directly toward the head of Michael's stick.
Coach Hasbrouck had them continue the drill for fifteen minutes. He made sure they caught the ball three different ways. First
he called for stick-side catches—when the ball came to the head of the stick without the players having to move it much. Then
he had them catch on their off-stick sides. This was a little more difficult because the catcher had to sweep the stick across
his face to make the catch.
Last, the coach had them try over-the-shoulder catches. Those without the ball turned their backs to their partners and held
their sticks in ready position. When the partners threw, each receiver looked over his shoulder, twisted the stick so the
pocket faced the ball, and caught it without turning around. The trick was realizing which side the ball was going to, the
right or the left, and making sure the stick was over that same shoulder.
Garry dropped a fair share of over-the-shoulder catches, but not as many as some of his teammates. Michael, on the other hand,
mishandled only a few. It was obvious to Garry that Michael was a very good player, maybe even the best on the team. The fact
that he had chosen Garry for his partner made Garry feel good.
The coach called for a two-minute water break, then told them to find new partnersfor the next drill. This time Garry was paired up with the coach's son.
“Hi, my name's Jeff,” the boy said, holding out a gloved hand. “I just moved to town a month ago.”
Garry shook it. “I'm Garry, Garry Wallis,” he replied.
“Oh, Todd's brother, right?” Jeff said. “I was with him on the last drill. He's new to lacrosse, isn't he?”
Garry looked at Jeff quickly, unsure if the boy was taking a jab at his brother's lack of skill. But he simply seemed to be
making an observation. “Uh, yeah, except for throwing the ball around with me in the backyard a few times, he's hardly ever
held a stick before,” Garry finally said.
Jeff shrugged. “Well, if he's worried he won't see any playing time, tell him not to be. My dad's big on making sure everyone
gets into every game.”
They stopped talking to listen to the coach explain the drill. “We're going to work on cradling the ball while running. One
player will be the ball handler. The other will try to get him to drop the ball by chasing him around the square.” He indicated
areas he had marked off with orange cones. “There is to be no, I repeat,
no
contact between the two players. Ball handlers, focus on cradling and
“Okay, listen up and follow my commands,”Coach Hasbrouck called when everyone was in line. “Ready position!”
Garry snapped his stick up, holding it with the head upright and the shaft angled across the front of his body. One gloved
hand gripped the stick beneath the head. The other rested near the end. His feet were shoulder-width apart.
The coach handed out balls to everyone in Michael's line. “I want you to do a top-handed cradle, then throw the ball to your
partner, who will do the same. Keep going until I tell you to stop.”
Garry bounced on his toes, ready to capture Michael's toss. Michael cradled the ball as instructed, rotating his top hand
back and forth to keep the ball in the pocket. His bottom hand held the stick steady so the shaft wouldn't swing around. Then
he lobbed the ball in a smooth arc across the field to Garry.
Garry automatically pulled the head backwhen the ball landed in his pocket, softening the catch so that the ball stuck instead of bouncing out. Judging from the number
of balls that fell to the ground, others in his line either forgot to soften or didn't know they were supposed to. Across
the field he saw Michael shake his head. Garry concentrated on cradling the ball and throwing an accurate toss to his partner.
He breathed a sigh of relief when the ball zoomed directly toward the head of Michael's stick.
Coach Hasbrouck had them continue the drill for fifteen minutes. He made sure they caught the ball three different ways. First
he called for stick-side catches—when the ball came to the head of the stick without the players having to move it much. Then
he had them catch on their off-stick sides. This was a little more difficult because the catcher had to sweep the stick across
his face to make the catch.
Last, the coach had them try over-the-shoulder catches. Those without the ball turned their backs to their partners and held
their sticks in ready position. When the partners threw, each receiver looked over his shoulder, twisted the stick so the
pocket faced the ball, and caught it without turning around. The trick was realizing which side the ball was going to, the
right or the left, and making sure the stick was over that same shoulder.
Garry dropped a fair share of over-the-shoulder catches, but not as many as some of his teammates. Michael, on the other hand,
mishandled only a few. It was obvious to Garry that Michael was a very good player, maybe even the best on the team. The fact
that he had chosen Garry for his partner made Garry feel good.
The coach called for a two-minute water break, then told them to find new partnersfor the next drill. This time Garry was paired up with the coach's son.
“Hi, my name's Jeff,” the boy said, holding out a gloved hand. “I just moved to town a month ago.”
Garry shook it. “I'm Garry, Garry Wallis,” he replied.
“Oh, Todd's brother, right?” Jeff said. “I was with him on the last drill. He's new to lacrosse, isn't he?”
Garry looked at Jeff quickly, unsure if the boy was taking a jab at his brother's lack of skill. But he simply seemed to be
making an observation. “Uh, yeah, except for throwing the ball around with me in the backyard a few times, he's hardly ever
held a stick before,” Garry finally said.
Jeff shrugged. “Well, if he's worried he won't see any playing time, tell him not to be. My dad's big on making sure everyone
gets into every game.”
They stopped talking to listen to the coach explain the drill. “We're going to work on cradling the ball while running. One
player will be the ball handler. The other will try to get him to drop the ball by chasing him around the square.” He indicated
areas he had marked off with orange cones. “There is to be no, I repeat,
no
contact between the two players. Ball handlers, focus on cradling and
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