After spending a few hours in the office on Saturday morning, I drove out to Camillus to watch my youngest cousin, Anthony aka “Beans” in his Pop Warner football scrimmage. I’m not just saying this because he is my cousin, but he will be an up-and-coming athlete for West Genesee in the future. A talented young jock in baseball, basketball, football and lacrosse, he shows incredible promise.

He is always on the go, chumming it up with his fellow friends and doing what young gentlemen do best. The youngest of five and only boy in the family, he holds his own among his sisters, Ashley, Stephanie, Gabby and Kara.  

My fiance Wes enters his second year coaching Anthony and first year as the offensive coordinator of the team. Last year I went to every home game and away game and observed as both a casual fan and cheerleader of Anthony’s. On the way to games, Wes would game plan and speak of the opponents strengths and weaknesses, bringing his expertise as a former collegiate football player to the forefront. As an admissions councilor at Syracuse University, the time he spends with the kids is something he always said he wanted to do—give back—as well as infuse knowledge about the game to the youngsters.

Over the past two summers, I have joined several lacrosse leagues to break up the monotony of work and to keep busy. I have been out of college for roughly two years and every once-and-a-while I travel back to the days that were: lacrosse practices, dining hall excursions and late-night studying with my good friends Molly and Mary. Wes has also been to a good chunk of my recreational games, too. Whether we won by two or lost by 10, he was there to support me.

“You’re getting old,” he said one day. “You can’t run like you used to.”

Honest, but true. After four years of playing Division II lacrosse, my body has taken its lumps. Instead of sprints, casual running consumes my evening.

Through it all, though, Wes and I have supported each other no matter how big or small the activity, event or task was. It will come in handy when we tie the knot next July.