Guiding City Kids Into Lacrosse

Attorney General Gansler Coaches A League Of Tykes Age 5 And Up At Carroll Park

"I'm finally getting into it," he said, as though the goals had been flukes. "It's challenging, the way people have to get the ball. I gotta work on spinning around to get away from 'em."

Earlier, the players got a pep talk from Miles G. Harrison Jr., chairman of the new league's board and author of Ten Bears, which tells the story of the birth of the lacrosse team at Morgan State College - as it was then known - in the 1970s. As the players ran off to practice, Harrison explained that inner-city kids rarely play games like lacrosse "because of their environment" and expensive equipment.

Gansler aims to change that and is casting about for ways to raise money so that future players will have all the equipment and motivation they need.

"Do you have a dance for when you score?" he asked one little boy. When no answer came, Gansler wiggled his hips. "Like this?" he asked.

Still nothing. "That's OK," he said, patting the boy's helmet and sending him on his way. A few minutes later, when the practice was over, Gansler assembled the players and bellowed, "What's everybody's favorite sport?"

Amid the chorus of "lacrosse!" one boy shouted, "football!"