Gait

Children outgrow the vast majority of foot and gait problems, but doctors say several conditions merit consulting an orthopedist.* Children with a difference in leg lengths of more than a half inch to three-quarters of an inch should be taken to a physician, although opinions vary over how great the discrepancy must be before a shoe lift is considered.* If a child's bowlegs or knock-knees are especially severe or affect only one leg, a physician should be consulted. Dr. Michelle A. Larson, who studies neuromuscular development at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, said that many children begin walking with hips and feet turned outward, but that if a child maintains that gait in an exaggerated fashion after six months of toddling, it could indicate hip and joint difficulties that might need a brace or surgery.

UNIONDALE, N.Y. -- The Thunder was met with a rude welcome last night at Veterans Memorial Coliseum, the site of some not-so-memorable finishes for the team.In the past two seasons, the Thunder has experienced a 15-goal blowout loss to the New York Saints and a heartbreaking, 17-16 overtime defeat last year. So last night was the perfect opportunity to wipe the slate clean and erase some of those unpleasant memories.And the Thunder made the most of it, scoring five unanswered goals, capped by Paul Cantabene's unassisted score with 3: 21 left, to earn a thrilling, 15-14 victory that spoiled the Saints' home opener before 7,437 vocal fans.

PHILADELPHIA -- Thunder star Gary Gait can probably relate to the saying "You can never go home again." That's because his return to Philadelphia yesterday turned out to be a day he'd rather forget."

UPPER MONTCLAIR, N.J. - The Baltimore Bayhawks should be counting their blessings after yesterday's 16-14 win over the lowly New Jersey Pride before 1,723 at Montclair State. The Bayhawks did almost everything imaginable to hand the game to Major League Lacrosse's worst team in the opening quarter, but they still found ways to keep their perfect road record (4-0, 4-3 overall) intact and their playoff hopes alive. "There were downs and then ups," said Bayhawks player-coach Gary Gait. "[But]

PHILADELPHIA -- After losing, 16-11, to the Philadelphia Wings last night, the Thunder is still looking for its first win of the season.But at least it's getting a little closer.Up against Philadelphia, MILL titlist two of the past three seasons, the Thunder couldn't match the Wings' experience, but first-year coach John Tucker still liked what he saw."I think that we played really hard," said Tucker. "There were a lot of positive things and we're getting a little better. It's just a matter of time."

IRONDEQUOIT, N.Y. - What they wanted was a tuneup. What they got was a wakeup call. A loud one. But for the Bayhawks, last night's 21-19 loss to the Rochester Rattlers may be just what they needed to get ready for this week's Major League Lacrosse Championship Weekend. "It's a good lesson," said Bayhawks player-coach Gary Gait, "that we have to be prepared and focused for a full 60 minutes." The Bayhawks (10-2), seeded second, will meet the No. 3 Rattlers (6-6) again Friday, in a semifinal at Nickerson Field in Boston.

Losing a player the caliber of Paul Gait would devastate a lot of teams in the U.S. Club Lacrosse Association. Toss in injuries to Mark Millon and Tom Marechek and many teams already would be looking ahead to next season.But not the Chesapeake-Toyota Lacrosse Club.A deep and talented bench enabled Chesapeake to shrug off its breaks and bruises and post a 17-1 record heading into today's South Division championship at 3 p.m. at Loyola College.If Chesapeake gets past the Philadelphia LC as it did during its two regular-season meetings, it will advance to next weekend's Final Four at Cabrini College, near Philadelphia.

Matchup: Bayhawks (3-3) at New Jersey Pride (1-6) Site: Sprague Field, Montclair State University, Upper Montclair, N.J. Time: 4 p.m. TV: ESPN2 (tape delay); Tuesday (ESPN2, 4 p.m.) Outlook: Bayhawks player/coach Gary Gait talked about "going back to the drawing board" after last week's 17-13 loss to Rochester, and he backed that talk up Wednesday by bringing in defenseman Christian Cook from New Jersey. To make room for Cook, attackman Jamison Mullen was waived. Cook helped Princeton win three straight NCAA Division I championships (1996-98)

Remember that top-flight reputation the Thunder had established through the first half of the season?Well, it's at a fragile state right now after last week's loss, and tonight's game against the New York Saints could restore it or destroy it."It's a very big game," Thunder forward Joe Hiltz said. "If we come out and blow another one, teams may think we were lucky at times. Or they might start to think they've figured us out. But if we come out and play offense like we can, there shouldn't be a challenge."

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - The Bayhawks' offense might strike fear into the opposition's hearts, but last night the team rode its defense to a 10-7 win over the Rochester Rattlers that earned a second straight Nationals Division championship in Major League Lacrosse. "We're happy to have that," said Bayhawks goalie Greg Cattrano, "but what we really want is the MLL championship. This is just a first step." The Bayhawks are guaranteed to play host to an MLL semifinal at Ravens Stadium, the opponent and date to be determined.