The Webster Box
The true origin of Smokey Tom
As I mentioned last week, I got my start playing with the Rochester Krewhawks. And it’s from playing with the Krewhawks I was introduced to some of the Webster box crew, and ended up being asked to play out there. But it was the Webster box that made me the goalie I am today, and also provided me with the “Smokey Tom” moniker (you can read that here if you’d like a refresher on that one).
If you don’t know where the Webster box is, you probably don’t know that it exists. It’s not exactly hidden, but isn’t really in plain sight, either. Turn at the AutoZone, go around the curve and into the parking lot, and you’re at Ridgecrest Park. And honestly (no disrespect to the Webster Parks department), calling it a park is kind of generous at this point. I’m sure it was probably more of a traditional park at some point, but now it’s primary purpose is serving as the home of the Webster Lacrosse Club. There’s A small playground, a basketball court, a small skate park, and a splash pad, but the rest of it is lacrosse - the box, a field, and the equipment shed. Oh, and a concrete wall for wallball. There is a backstop in the field, so I assume that there was a baseball field once, but there’s no sign of base paths anymore, so it’s probably been a long time.
The box is a bit smaller than regulation (according to Google Earth, it’s about 150 feet long by 70 feet wide), compared to a full-size rink being 200 feet by 85 feet. To accommodate the smaller size, play is generally 4v4 as opposed to 5v5. Depending on the number of runners that show up, sometimes it will be 3v3, or, like it was last night, 2v2 half-field with one goalie. Those nights can get brutal - that’s a lot of shots with not a lot of breaks.
But it’s the players that make it what it is. I still remember my first time there a little over 6 years ago. I was overwhelmed at the level of competition there. Again, not to speak ill of the Krewhawks at all, but this was an entirely different world, and a different game. It’s generally “just” pickup lacrosse, so guys aren’t always playing full speed, but it’s a lot different than Fann Cup rules - there’s more contact, more slashing, and shots don’t always come from an open lane. Sometimes (even though it’s technically against the “rules”, not that I’ve ever seen them written anywhere), someone new will try a dunk or a dive from behind. That’s not at all allowed in Fann Cup, where the crease is a “cylinder” - offensive runners aren’t allowed in the crease at all.
Most of the players I’ve played with at the box have some pretty decent experience playing lacrosse - nearly all of them played in high school, I’d wager well over 50% played college, and a handful of them played (or continue to play) professionally. I’m certainly in the minority in my lack of experience, but then again, that’s the case with most lacrosse players - I’m part of the rare group that tries it for the first time in their late 30s.
Despite feeling like I was out of place that first time out, I enjoyed it. I also knew that if I kept going out there and playing with them, I’d get better - I’d need to or else I wouldn’t be asked back. Players of that caliber want to be challenged. If they didn’t, they’d just put a garbage can in front of the net. But also, I was still new, and bound to get better just by virtue of getting more experience. The first time I played there I had been playing for less than two years, and I didn’t play with the Krewhawks in the summer because it conflicted with the softball leagues I was in at the time (this was before I knew any better), so it was really a little over a year of experience.
This was also long before I ever considered playing lacrosse competitively. It was just pickup, sometimes once a week, sometimes four times a week. And it was fun - I very quickly grew to truly love playing the game, and generally took advantage of every opportunity I could to get out there and play. And every time I did, I improved.
And while I refer to is at “Webster box” and the “Webster guys”, it wasn’t always at “the box”. On a few occasions we ended up in Macedon at Tri-County (generally when there was more snow on the box than anyone wanted to shovel), once in East Rochester at TSE, and during the COVID summer a lot of time was spent at Rothfuss Park in Penfield. I’ve also ended up in Penn Yan a couple times at their outdoor box - that’s where I got firsthand experience in just how good Blaze Riordan is.
I’m definitely thankful that I got in with the Webster box group - for many reasons. Certainly the skill aspect - playing with those guys definitely helped me improve, and I wouldn’t be where I am without them. But also it gave me more opportunities to play, and eventually led me to the NABLL (and, unofficially, a cameo appearance or 2 as a Can-Am backup, but don’t go looking for it…). But I’ve also met a lot of people as a result of the Webster box, many of whom I now consider friends. And that’s always a good thing.
Thanks for reading, and follow along on my lacrosse journey on Instagram at @smokeylax. And be good to each other!