By: Rachael Rennie
Frankie and Joe Ryan weren’t able to get a team together in time to register for last year’s Boston event, but that didn’t stop them from coming and competing. Joe heard through a friend that there would be an open time slot for players to come and compete in the zero dark thirty hours of the event. So Joe and Frankie woke up at 2:00 am, and made it to Harvard in time to compete in the 3:00 a.m. game.
Joe describes Frankie as a “student of the game”, at age 8 Frankie loves studying the history the sport all the way from the Native American roots. Frankie’s love for the game matches his love for his Papa, Edward J. Burke a Navy veteran who served during WWII as well as the Korean Conflict.
“The kids gain a lot of respect for people who serve in the armed services, and knowing the sacrifices that they make, its makes them aware of it because it’s not something they see in everyday life,” Ryan said.
Frankie’s Grandfather, Navy veteran Edward J. Burke
Frankie also has a few cousins that have served, or are currently enlisted in various branches of the service. Inspired by playing in last year’s event, Frankie made his 3rd project all about Shootout for Soldiers and the awesome time he had at the event. “Most of the guys who play are also youth lacrosse coaches so we have the opportunity to be around our sons on the lacrosse field, but no one [in Boston], besides Frankie and me, has ever played in a game with their boys,” Ryan said.
Frankie and his father pose for a photo at #SFSBoston
“The kids gain a lot of respect for people who serve in the armed services, and knowing the sacrifices that they make, its makes them aware of it because it’s not something they see in everyday life.”
Joe and his son, Frankie, take in the event air at #SFSBoston
Inspired by the experience of playing lacrosse against his son, he spread this message to the other members of his men’s league team. One night after a game the group went out for a beer, and started to try and plan out how they would field a team. The answer soon came to them, a father son game. The two teams are made up of coaches and fathers, while the “sons” team is made up of kids starting at age 7 all the way up to some division 2-lacrosse players.
“Most of the guys who play are also youth lacrosse coaches so we have the opportunity to be around our sons on the lacrosse field, but no one [in Boston], besides Frankie and me, has ever played in a game with their boys.”
