Laxer Sadie Kauffman scores goals while looking for assists

Partisan parents - Chairs rimmed the pitch at Hudson Fields May 22 for the U13 and U15 championship games of the Eastern Shore Youth Lacrosse Association. Everyone had blood in the game, including me, but I’m a professional grandfather with a big camera and my own column. I won’t allow myself to root against the success of young athletes I don’t even know. The first game played between fifth- and sixth-graders was won by Atlantic over Beach 10-9. Sadie Kauffman of Beach, more widely known as “That No. 2,” was a real-deal, fluid, two-handed offensive player who lit it up for five goals. A non-experienced Atlantic fan asked me, “How do you stop her?” I answered, “You can’t let her possess the ball, because once she does you are dogmeat.” Sadie dedicated her spring Beach season to her 38-year-old uncle Darin Phillips, who was diagnosed at the start of the Beach season with leukemia. Sadie had asked through her mom’s Facebook page that everyone donate $5 for Uncle Darin Phillips for every goal she scored over her seven-game season. Sadie scored 26 on the season. Sixty people made the pledge, which totals $130 per person, enough to get your attention. The young player has raised $7,800, and you know what? I’m in. I’m sending a check. I want to be part of the story I covered but had no idea it would cost me time and money resulting in priceless inspiration from a 12-year-old girl. Checks can be made out to Darin Phillips and sent to 10249 Friendship Road, Berlin, MD 21811.

Focused moments - If you are a high school athlete, consider your deer self spotlighted in the community. That goes from on the playing field to the Boardwalk to waiting for your pizza or waffle fries to show up. I pay particular attention to adversity and how it is handled, because most athletes do a good job on the home run trot, but not as good on a strikeout or getting taken deep. All sports have those extreme up and down moments. In the fifth inning of the May 21 game against Saint Mark’s, Cape’s lefty Mason Fluharty was summoned off first base to the pitcher’s mound in relief of David Erickson. Cape was holding a 7-5 lead. Two runners were on base when bottom-of-the-order batter Joey Lungen went deep for a three-run dinger and an 8-7 Spartans lead. Cape still had nine outs to do something about it, but the Vikings eventually lost 9-7. But what I took away was that Mason was solid as a rock. His dad Lynn lays block, and he just lost his grandfather George, a lifelong brick and block guy. I finally understood why his name was Mason and that some stupid home run ball happened, so just go to the next pitch. Mason is rock/block solid – no surprise. 

Snippets - I’ll be honest; I didn’t know there was an NHL expansion team this year – the Las Vegas Golden Knights – even though my first cousins Bobby and Gary are retired casino blackjack dealers and have season tickets. “Hit me!” “You got 20 showing, moron, I can’t hit you!” “Go back east to your family!” It’s a cool story. The Washington Capitals versus the Vegas Golden Knights for the Stanley Cup, the hardest-earned trophy in all of sports. Cape boys’ lacrosse hosts Archmere at 5 p.m., Friday, May 25, in a state tournament quarterfinal matchup. Baseball is home Saturday, May 26, awaiting the winner of Archmere versus Newark. It seems to be Archmere week for Cape. The Cape soccer girls had a great season, making the tournament for the first time in 10 years. Best of luck to goalie Lucy Siranides, who tore her ACL in the Caesar Rodney game and will undergo surgery followed by rehabilitation. I read the book “Warrior Girls” (how to protect our daughters against injury) by Michael Sokolove, back in 2008. I read it and understood it, then experienced granddaughter Anna and later Katie going down with blown-out ACLs. I so admire Katie, who lost her junior year to ACL injury, coming back and being a productive player on a great Cape team. And since I read the book, I could name 25 young women who went down to the ACL/MCL meniscus matrix of tears and ruptures. I also discovered that writing about women when you ain’t one can get you on the wrong side of somebody who is a woman. Anyway, to all the groups and demographics to which I don’t belong, you can all just go on now, git!