Eastside Messenger - December 16th, 2018

PAGE 4 - EASTSIDE MESSENGER - December 16, 2018
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Making a run for it at the “A Christmas Story” house
The “A Christmas Story House” in
Cleveland is a wonderful holiday destination…especially
if it happens to be the midpoint
in your first experience in participating
in a 10K run.
Make that the first time ever participating
in any kind of organized running event.
That was me on Dec. 1 when I donned a
full-length elf costume, laced up my fiveyear-old
pink athletic shoes and joined
thousands of others in downtown
Cleveland for a race taking us from the former
Higbee’s department store to the
famed “A Christmas Story” movie location
in the Tremont neighborhood.
I am not a runner, although I am a
swimmer and jogger. I routinely walk three
miles with my dog on the weekends.
When it came time to decide whether to
participate in the “A Christmas Story
House” 10K/5K, I decided to go for broke
and marked the 10K box. After all, my 62-
year-old body was used to working out and
three more miles seemed more of a challenge
than an insurmountable hurdle.
My daughter - who participates in
marathons - my two granddaughters and I
stood at the starting point under cloudy
skies and 37 degree temperatures along
with a group of fun runners, weekend warriors,
elite athletes and a bevy of dogs.
Many of the participants were in costume
ranging from the off-the-shelf onesie
I wore, to handmade costumes honoring
movie moments, such as a group of black
LACROSSE
Continued from page 1
The fun of lacrosse
Kevin Nickerson of the CWLA said
lacrosse encourages team play while also
supporting individual creativity.
“Lacrosse is an excellent crossover
sport, combining many aspects of basketball,
soccer, hockey and football,” said
Nickerson. “Jim Naismith, who created the
game of basketball, was a lacrosse player
and used concepts from lacrosse when
developing basketball. Football greats like
Cleveland Browns running back Jim
Brown and New England Patriots head
coach Bill Belichick grew up on the lacrosse
field and translated those skills to football.
The combination of multiple sports is what
makes the sport so inviting. No matter
your athletic background you’ll bring a
skill that directly translates to lacrosse.”
Nickerson said lacrosse is rooted in its
Native American tradition and is driven by
the motto “Honor The Game.”
“Players, parents and coaches are
encouraged to respect each other, their
opponents and officials,” said Nickerson.
“This is the most important aspect of the
game. Lacrosse is not a sport that can be
dominated by an individual. Teamwork is
key to success and helps form lasting
friendships.”
Lacrosse in Canal Winchester
Home games and practices are divided
between two locations. The CWJRD
Places
Linda
Dillman
and white-striped
pseudo criminals, a
trench-coated Ralphie
wannabe, “fragile”
boxes, angry elves, a
smattering of Santas and two women wearing
faux plates of meatloaf and mashed
potatoes.
If you are familiar with the “ A
Christmas Story” film, you will recognize
the costumes from key scenes. If not, you
really are missing out on a movie that is a
timeless holiday classic. Turn your television
to TBS anytime on Christmas and
watch it–the movie is on a 24-hour cycle
on Dec. 25.
The 10K run stepped off at 9 a.m. and it
took my daughter and me five minutes to
make it to the starting point. Once I
crossed that electronic line, I was committed.
My daughter bid me farewell–she runs
a 12 minute or less mile and I hover around
17 minutes–and took off as I jogged and
walked my way across a windy bridge and
through old neighborhoods to the midway
point.
Many people participated in the 5K,
which ended directly in front of the “A
Christmas Story House.” I was diverted
away from the yellow-sided house and back
third/fourth grade teams play behind the
elementary schools on Gender Road while
the fifth/sixth team is at the middle school
with the CWLA Middle School Team.
“There are discussions about field locations
for the 2019 season,” said Nickerson.
“We hope to locate all the teams at one
location as many families have younger
and older players on multiple teams.”
The CWLA played 16 games between
mid-March and mid-May, including four
games at the State Middle School
Tournament. Practices began in late
February. For the 2019 season CWLA is
working with a local athletic facility to
secure indoor space and those indoor practices
begin in mid-January, according to
Jenn Beckwith of the CWLA.
Malone said, for the 2019 season, the
CWLA will have a co-ed middle school and
co-ed high school team.
“We anticipate between 20 and 25 players
per team and 2019 will also be the first
time the city has seen a dedicated girl’s
lacrosse opportunity,” said Malone. “The
CWLA hosts a girl’s Learn to Play program
open to all ages. Our goal is to field girls’
teams in 2020 if we have enough interest.”
The CWLA plays other school club
teams as well as OHSAA sanctioned school
teams around central Ohio, said
Nickerson.
The CWLA is a 501c3 non-profit organization
funded primarily through player
downtown to the end of the 10K run.
At the start, I was surrounded by thousands
of people and pets, but once I made
that left turn away from the house, the
crowd dramatically thinned out and there
were long expanses of roadway with only
one or two people ahead of me.
As I jogged and walked–very fast,
remember?–I enjoyed seeing the sights
and architecture of a city with a vibrant
core. Up ahead, I knew my daughter and
granddaughters were waiting for me.
I rounded a corner and ahead of me was
the finish line with its electronic timer ticking
away the seconds. I was determined to
finish in under an hour and 45 minutes and
I crossed the line at 1:44:56.
Race volunteers handed out red-ribboned
medals and I happily accepted
mine–my first ever–as my family rushed
out and hugged me. My first response was,
“I did it.”
Elite runners, those who were already
on their way back to the finish line when I
was still more than a mile away from the
mid-point, will not be impressed with my
time, but for me, it was all about being able
to finish a challenge I gave myself.
And the “A Christmas Story House” was
a great carrot to get me to participate in
the annual event. It is a wonderful day-trip
destination. The house, which served as
the family home location for the movie, is
outfitted in a perpetual holiday celebration.
Linda Dillman with three miles to go at
the 10K mid-way point at the “A
Christmas Story” house in Cleveland.
Looking for the Red Ryder BB gun? It’s
behind the tree. A bar of Lifebuoy hangs in
the bathroom and you can pretend to “eat
like a piggy” in the 1940s-era kitchen.
Across the street is a museum that pays
homage to the movie, its cast and creator.
You can even buy your own leg lamp in a
gift shop.
It is a place of memories. For me, those
memories now include a red number 1309
racing bib and a medal that hangs proudly
on my Christmas tree.
Linda Dillman is a Messenger staff writer.
registration fees. In 2018 there were a
handful of small financial donors that
helped.
“We also had a few groups that donated
supplies or helped with food for the end of
season picnic,” said Wendy Rohaly of the
CWLA.
Nickerson said the CWLA is currently
an independent club sport not affiliated
with the schools.
“We are responsible for all of the field,
referees, and legal costs as well as uniforms
and field equipment,” said
Nickerson.
“Our vision is that our program evolves
into a fully sanctioned school sport,” said
Paini. “Lacrosse is the fastest growing
sport in the nation — across all age groups
and new programs continue to start from
recreation programs to NCAA programs.
We’re partnering with Canal Winchester
Schools to build a program that can be
transitioned from club status to school status.
They have been supportive of our
vision as we strive to demonstrate this is a
sport the students and families are interested
in.”
How to join and costs
Registration for all 2019 CWLA programs
is open and can be completed by visiting
cwlacrosse.com and looking under the
“Registration Info” menu.
“As a club sport we are open to all communities
— no experience required,” said
Beckwith. “Our co-ed middle and high
school teams play by boy’s rules and need
full equipment including a helmet, shoulder
pads, elbow pads, gloves, stick, colored
mouth guard and protective cup. New players
can apply for a set of CWLA loaner gear
or there are places like Play-It-Again
Sports have reasonably priced used gear.”
The cost is $230 for middle school
lacrosse and $235 for high school lacrosse,
which includes a U.S. Lacrosse membership.
The Girls Learn to Play is $50 including
a U.S. Lacrosse Membership. For information
email info@cwlacrosse.com
Future of lacrosse in CW
“We’re getting tremendous support from
the U.S. Lacrosse Association as evident by
the thousands of dollars in equipment
given to our program via U.S. Lacrosse
grants, said Paini. “The lacrosse community
is a supportive community and we get
support and advice from the Ohio Machine,
the Central Ohio Youth Lacrosse League
and other established programs. We’ve
grown from 12 players our first year to
what I expect to be close to or over 100
lacrosse players next spring across all of
our lacrosse offerings - and that was in just
a few short years. The future is bright for
the lacrosse in Canal Winchester and I’m
excited about where we’re headed as a program.”