Comment left by Ferd:
This time of year also sees the start of that most Prep of all Preps sporting event, New England Small Athletic Conference Men's Lacrosse games at venues such as Williams, Bowdoin and Trinity. These events typically attract more dogs than spectators but once in a while you will spot Mummy and Daddy standing quietly on the sidelines watching their son, who is inevitably named Philip or Charles, play America's oldest game.
They will stand out because of their attire. He will be wearing his father's Camel hair overcoat and corduroys, finished with #8 Alden half strap loafers that have seen better days a very long time ago. She is a size 2 and will wear her younger son's Andover Hockey jacket over khakis. Her footwear, incongruously, will be Belgium loafers.
Attached by needlepoint leashes will be two Golden Retrievers always named Honey and Bear.
Most noticeable however is that they never cheer, certainly never scream at the referees in the manner of parents from Long Island or New Jersey and, in fact, rarely watch the game itself. He will often leave his spouse to walk over and greet another parent with whom he went to Groton. She too will wander about chatting with acquaintances, especially her friend with whom she just had been shopping with at Eye of the Needle.
This couple overall will display the casual, calm attitude of today's American aristocracy. When the game is over, they will approach their son on the sidelines but never hug him. The father might shake hands if the son's team had won. The couple will not linger as they will have already done all the socializing they need to do during the game. The Retrievers jump into the Defender and off they go to West Hartford, or Darien, or Boston.
With deep regret, I must report that the pandemic has either cancelled this experience for the Spring of 2021 or drastically reduced the number of games to be played. Bowdoin, for example, is not playing at all this Spring. Perhaps it is resting on its laurels after being ranked the #2 small college in the country this winter, but then I really don't know.
