Memory of Beach dad revives passion for lacrosse

VIRGINIA BEACH

At an age when many boys cringe at the thought of hanging out with their parents, Bishop Sullivan Catholic senior Jake Lindsey regularly bonded with his father.

Throughout his teen years Jake eagerly spent countless hours with Scott Lindsey, riding the ocean waves and working on lacrosse, the sport they both loved.

So when Scott Lindsey died of a stroke on Nov. 13 at age 57, Jake lost more than a dad. He also lost one of his best friends.

"Jake and Scott were like two peas in a pod," said Ann Lindsey, Jake's mother.

Jake also lost his lacrosse mentor. Scott, a retired Marine colonel who played at the Naval Academy and was a Bishop Sullivan assistant coach, introduced Jake to the sport at age 8.

Back then, Jake preferred soccer, and thought he was too slow to excel at lacrosse. But his father kept working with him, in one-on-one practice drills, on club teams and in the back yard.

Jake made varsity as a freshman. This season, he is a co-captain and leading scorer for Bishop Sullivan, which opens play today in the Tidewater Conference tournament.

"My dad means a lot to me, to this very day," said Jake, 18. "I played for him every day. He taught me the game. Without him, I don't think I'd be the lacrosse player I am."

Two weeks before he died, Scott Lindsey was voted most fit at a reunion of company mates. His death was a shock to everyone who knew him, and Jake admits he lost his focus immediately after it.

He never considered not playing his senior season, but, while mulling college choices, he stopped thinking about continuing his lacrosse career.

"For a minute there, my mind got a little clouded," Jake said. "I thought about partying too much.... But it came down to, Division I, if I don't do this I'm going to look back at this my entire life and probably curse myself."

But by accepting an offer from VMI, Jake gained the chance to follow in his father's footsteps in playing Division I lacrosse. So he recommitted to excelling in his senior season and preparing for the next level.

Bishop Sullivan's players wear a decal with Scott Lindsey's initials on the back of their helmets. And though the Crusaders have struggled with an inexperienced roster, Jake is their leading scorer with 24 goals, and ranks near the top of the TCIS with 28 points.

"His dad loved lacrosse, and that was infused in Jake," Bishop Sullivan coach Brian McCaskill said. "I think that is one of the reasons he's so good. He is self-motivated. He's all business when he's on the field."

Jake's most proud of the work he's done this season as a mentor to younger players. As one of his top highlights, he lists seeing sophomore Matt Jost score his first goal of the season in a game April 15 against perennial conference power Norfolk Academy.

"I don't think I was naturally a team leader," Jake said. "At first I thought team leader was just an important person on the field, but my dad taught me it was a lot more than just that."

On March 28, Bishop Sullivan trailed Norfolk Collegiate by two goals late in the fourth quarter when McCaskill called timeout. During the break, Lindsey gave an impassioned speech urging his teammates to play harder.

"Like something out of a movie - real inspirational," junior Andrew McCrite said.

The Crusaders rallied to tie the game at the end of regulation. Before the overtime started, Jake gave another spirited speech. A few minutes later Bishop Sullivan scored the winning goal.

"A lot of guys on our team are young and new to lacrosse," McCrite said. "He's like one of our player-coaches. He brings us together whenever we're down."

After attending VMI, Jake plans to again follow in his father's footsteps and join the Marines.

For now, he's focused on making his father proud by closing his high school career with a flourish.

"I always play for my dad, and I always play for other people," Jake said. "Without him, I don't think I'd really be much."

Mike Connors, (757) 446-5434, michael.connors@pilotonline.com

At an age when many boys cringe at the thought of hanging out with their parents, Bishop Sullivan Catholic senior Jake Lindsey regularly bonded with his father.

Throughout his teen years Jake eagerly spent countless hours with Scott Lindsey, riding the ocean waves and working on lacrosse, the sport they both loved.

So when Scott Lindsey died of a stroke on Nov. 13 at age 57, Jake lost more than a dad. He also lost one of his best friends.

"Jake and Scott were like two peas in a pod," said Ann Lindsey, Jake's mother.

Jake also lost his lacrosse mentor. Scott, a retired Marine colonel who played at the Naval Academy and was a Bishop Sullivan assistant coach, introduced Jake to the sport at age 8.

Back then, Jake preferred soccer, and thought he was too slow to excel at lacrosse. But his father kept working with him, in one-on-onepractice drills, on club teams and in the back yard.

Jake made varsity as a freshman. This season, he is a co-captain and leading scorer for Bishop Sullivan, which opens play today in the Tidewater Conference tournament.

"My dad means a lot to me, to this very day," said Jake, 18. "I played for him every day. He taught me the game. Without him, I don't think I'd be the lacrosse player I am."

Two weeks before he died, Scott Lindsey was voted most fit at a reunion of company mates. His death was a shock to everyone who knew him, and Jake admits he lost focus immediately after.

He never considered not playing his senior season, but, while mulling college choices, he stopped thinking about continuing his lacrosse career.

"For a minute there, my mind got a little clouded," Jake said. "I thought about partying too much.... But it came down to, Division I, if I don't do this I'm going to look back at this my entire life and probably curse myself."

But by accepting an offer from Virginia Military Institute, Jake gained the chance to follow in his father's footsteps in playing Division I lacrosse. So he recommitted to excelling in his senior season and preparing for the next level.

Bishop Sullivan's players wear a decal with Scott Lindsey's initials on the back of their helmets. And though the Crusaders have struggled with an inexperienced roster, Jake is their leading scorer with 24 goals, and ranks near the top of the TCIS with 28 points.

"His dad loved lacrosse, and that was infused in Jake," coach Brian McCaskill said. "I think that is one of the reasons he's so good. He is self-motivated. He's all business when he's on the field."

Jake's most proud of the work he's done this season as a mentor to younger players. As one of his top highlights, he lists seeing sophomore Matt Jost score his first goal of the season April 15 against perennial conference power Norfolk Academy.

"I don't think I was naturally a team leader," Jake said. "At first I thought team leader was just an important person on the field, but my dad taught me it was a lot more than just that."

On March 28, Bishop Sullivan trailed Norfolk Collegiate by two goals late in the fourth quarter when McCaskill called timeout. During the break, Lindsey gave an impassioned speech urging his teammates to play harder.

"Like something out of a movie - real inspirational," junior Andrew McCrite said.

The Crusaders rallied to tie the game at the end of regulation. Before overtime started, Jake gave another spirited speech. A few minutes later Bishop Sullivan scored the winning goal.

"A lot of guys on our team are young and new to lacrosse," McCrite said. "He's like one of our player-coaches. He brings us together whenever we're down."

After attending VMI, Jake plans to again follow in his father's footsteps and join the Marines.

For now, he's focused on making his father proud by closing his high school career with a flourish.

"I always play for my dad, and I always play for other people," Jake said. "Without him, I don't think I'd really be much."

Mike Connors, (757) 446-5434, michael.connors@pilotonline.com