Worldwide Hockey and Lacrosse

When I was a kid, getting into the big leagues meant competing with players from the northern states and most of southern Canada. In hockey school in Canada we were shown film footage of the Soviets playing hockey. That was the future of hockey we were told, and we’d better learn something from watching these guys move the puck and skate. As you see now, hockey is a worldwide game. We have players from Europe, Canada, and the US making up our NHL rosters. I believe that in the future we will see players from Asian countries enter the lineups as the game continues to grow and develop worldwide. I hear a lot of US lacrosse players refer to the northeast as the only place to play lacrosse. When I mention Canada, everyone usually thinks it’s all box. When I add Europe and Japan, I get looks of disbelief. Lacrosse is pretty strong in the north east, but it is growing in places you might not expect. I know that when I saw those Soviet films, and later the televised games against the NHL, that things were changing. Of course I thought that Canada would always be the leader in the sport. My dad knew the game was changing, and that I would learn a lot from the Canadians as well as the Soviets. My sons played hockey for me in the Upper Canada League, and it was a great experience for all of us. The game is part of the culture and I believe it was an experience that added to their growth and development as both players and individuals. Now I bring this up because I think as lacrosse spreads and develops we will see different styles and talented players emerge from teams all over the world. As hockey has developed and grown, so has lacrosse. It truly is a worldwide game. There may be a lot we can learn from other countries lacrosse teams. I am sure they are watching and learning from us. Keep your head on swivel and your eye on the ball. This isn’t just a phenomenon that is limited to hockey and lacrosse. In fact it’s been part of business for years. One minute you think you have the best product or service, the next someone else has copied your idea and become your competition. Now you end up seeing your idea modified, and possibly improved on. If your smart you pick up a few ideas from studying your competition. Even if you came up with the original idea or product, someone else will always try to improve upon it. This is the same for sports. Know who your competing against, and learn a little from them. If you want to be the big dog, keep working on your game. One way to do that is to learn from watching others. If you don’t see it coming, you’ll never know what hit you. It’s not all about competition. There are other things we learn from playing other teams. One is good sportsmanship. That’s something the world could use a little more of.