This story appears in the February 2020 edition of US Lacrosse Magazine. Don't get the mag? Head to USLacrosse.org to subscribe.

A year ago around this time, I was having a heck of a time getting my then-5-year-old son to show any interest in lacrosse.

He had taken a liking to sports, generally, but not the stick-and-ball game. For some reason, he found it boring and baseball exhilarating. (I know, that’s blasphemy in these pages.)

Everything changed when we came up with Roof Ball. Here’s how it worked:

We have a raised ranch-style home with a fairly steep roof in the front and back. From the front, one of us uses the lacrosse stick to throw a tennis ball toward the peak of the roof. Bonus points if you hit the brick chimney on the fly.

The other guy has to track the tennis ball as it rolls back down the roof, sometimes hitting a chimney or the flashing to give the game a Plinko quality. Just where will it land?

The object of the game, of course, is for the opponent to catch the ball in his stick.

Sometimes, the thrower underestimates the strength of his toss and the ball flies over and bounces down the other side of the roof. Then it’s a foot race and an egg hunt.

The kid couldn’t get enough of Roof Ball. Heck, I’d even find myself gasping for air after a few of those sprints. Plus, I felt like a hero, the way he looked at me when I’d meet his dare to heave the ball from across the street while hitting the chimney on the fly.

None of this, of course, resembles real lacrosse. But that’s OK. It moved him to pick up a stick, sometimes on his own. Now this spring, using a regulation ball, we’re keeping tabs on how many consecutive passes we can make to each other or how many times he can snare the ball off the bounce-back.

There’s still baseball, and I’m minorly apprehensive about a spring schedule with sports obligations every Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday — especially given my line of work. It’s remarkable how quickly these commitments pile up even at the rec level.

Most importantly, I want to continue to carve out time for Roof Ball, for no reason other than it’s really fun for both of us.

Coaches: Do yourself a favor and check out the Lacrosse Athlete Development Model resources at uslacrosse.org/athlete-development. Click “Coaching Tools,” and you’ll find age-appropriate practice plans that include lots of drills disguised as games like Hungry Hippos, Hula Hoop Passing, Sharks and Minnows and Cone Smashers.

Build skills and have fun. The kids will be better for it.