Opening the Door
Thank you for the recent articles on African-American players in lacrosse. This has been a struggle for my son. As a father seeing the lack of color in lacrosse, I tried to redirect him back toward football, basketball and track. He is all lacrosse.
I’m proud of how he has handled the difficult situations that come his way. Whether it’s a parent yelling he doesn’t belong, other coaches insisting they see his birth certificate, receiving cheap shots, kids saying things during the games or being told to go grab a basketball, he has used his passion for the game to stay positive and to keep pressing forward in a way that only shows me he is stronger than I give him credit for.
Thank you again and thank you for opening the door to allow true change to grow the sport for everyone.
— Jim Tucker, Bothell, Wash.
Sticking With It
I was beyond impressed that you were willing to tackle race in lacrosse. As the white mom of a black youth player, I remain so confused why more boys of color don’t play, especially given the growing concerns about youth football.
What I don’t love is having to drive him out to the all-white suburbs to play among mainly white kids — even though many are his close friends — not to mention the assumptions and stereotypes that come along with having a dark-skinned black boy from the city dropped into the wealthiest suburb in Pittsburgh. He plays basketball with all black kids and soccer with a mixed group, but the sport he loves the most doesn’t reflect his lived experiences, which are much more diverse.
That said, he is sticking with it. His first game is this coming weekend, and I am excited to show him this cover story when he gets home. It would be easy to cover the fluff stories, and in today’s climate, your story will no doubt make some people uncomfortable. But you did it anyway. Kudos.
— Cate Reed, Pittsburgh
White Guilt
I’m new to US Lacrosse, waiting for my 12-year-old to get off the bus, just in time to have a conversation with him about the ignorance and racism in his new sport — to address with him that because he is white and plays lacrosse, he has to be a racist. I feel sorry for your white guilt. I have no doubt that the black players in the articles were victims of racism, but to castigate an entire race is in itself ignorant.
— Michael J. Sanguigni, Lexington, Ky.
What It’s Like
My son has been discriminated against in this sport both directly and indirectly since he started playing when he was 4. Recently, during the whole first half of a game, a little white kid taunted my son and repeatedly called him a [N-word]. During halftime, my son approached the referee and informed him of the situation, and was told by the referee to “stop complaining and play the game.”
Sadly, this is just one example of many of what it’s like to be black in this sport. Thank you for your interest in this very important social issue that has been harming the game we love for far too long.
— Terry Dorsey, Randallstown, Md.