Jim Shaler: Charlie Guy, Jr.’s 1st Night at Tampa Bay Lacrosse Club Practice
In 1995, I took over running the Tampa Bay Lacrosse Club. Our numbers were a little on the light side and I had a friend at the Tampa Tribune run an add looking for experienced players. Charlie Guy, Jr. called me and said he was interested. He said that he was a little old, but that that he was willing to contribute wherever he could. (He was 71 years old.)
We practiced on Wednesday nights at Campbell Park in St. Pete. It was a rough part of town at the time and I think we timed our games by how many police sirens we heard. Charlie showed up for his first practice in his gold jaguar (He claimed that his wife, Marcia, had handed it down to him when she got her new one.), smoking one of his hand rolled expensive cigars, and wielding his defense sticks. At the entrance to the field were 20 of St. Petersburg's nicest youths blocking the gates. Charlie was oblivious to them and walked right through the entire gang and onto the field.
We started out most practices doing 4 on 3 fast break drills. I explained the concept to Charlie that he should force the onrushing middie into making a pass to the point attackman. Instead of doing this, Charlie proceeded to hurl his body into the oncoming middie. I tried to correct Charlie, but he would have none of it. His rationale was that the offense had not scored and that he would stick to his oldtime methods.
Charlie continued to practice with us for the next 18 months. He attended most games. We always sought the right opportunity to get him into every game. I remember his last game, although I don't know the date. My best guess would be that it was April of 1996 or 1997. We had a playoff game at Orlando, our big rival. Charlie and Marcia came over, but unfortunately, there was not an opportunity to get him into this game. I think he then realized that our league was a younger man's league.
I believe Charlie came to the odd practice here and there later in the Spring. He always claimed to be getting in-shape for the Navy Old Goats Tourney in Vail, CO. Although I have had the privilege and pleasure of playing against the Old Goats in Vail for the last 6 years, I never did play against Charlie as he had played his last lacrosse game in Vail game in 1999 at age 75!!
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About Jim Shaler:
Jim is one of Tampa Bay's leading supporters of lacrosse, both youth and competitive adult:
- 1978-1981 Defense Williston Northampton School
- 1983 Assistant Coach Williston Northampton School
- 1984-1985 Midfield Denison University
- 1986 Head Coach Denison University Junior Varsity
- 1986-92 Summer League, Boston, MA
- 1992 to present, Defense Tampa Thunder
- 2003 to present, Defense, FROGS
- 2004 to present, Head Coach and Board Member, South Tampa Sticks
- 2008 to Present, Senior Lacrosse Official, Tampa, FL
- 2010 Hall of Fame Committee Chairman, Gulf Coast Chapter of US Lacrosse
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