Coach Daso
I’m not sure Lane Drive is an actual street, but it was on the list that I compiled and Google Maps showed it, so I ventured over there this morning. When I arrived I was unable to locate any street signs, and the short one-block connector between St. Charles and Belle only had two garages and two driveways on it.
What it did have going for it was proximity to some green space in the heart of Lakewood. Glancing across the railroad tracks to the south, Pyke Park was in plain view.
This field holds a special place in my heart. All of my kids played soccer at some point in their lives, and I coached many of those teams. This field was my go-to spot for practice. It was centrally located and had the advantage of being right next to a giant parking garage.
The parking garage was used throughout practice. I would have the kids pass the ball to themselves off the brick wall. We would scrimmage and use the wall to make the game feel like indoor soccer. My favorite part though would come at the end of practice.
The kids would beg Coach Daso to do my “super-kick”. This entailed me backing up a few steps and punting a soccer ball up six stories and onto the roof of the parking garage. Every time I pulled off the feat the kids were elated. Then I would jog up the stairwell and toss the ball back to earth. I still get a childish grin on my face every time I think of this story.
I also snapped a pic of one of the two garages on this street encouraging people to “Come Play Ball, Y’all”. I guess this tiny lane can’t help but have a playful spirit.
