Here's the email our Editor-in-Chief received from Robert Daniell:

Dear Carl,

My assignor just introduced me to our new AssignbyWeb officiating website, and one of the links was to Officiating.com. I saw immediately that you have lacrosse as a topic and was ecstatic that you wanted to "resurrect" the sport. Here are my credentials. You decide if you think I can be of use to your cause.

The subject of his message was: "I am willing if no one else steps up."

Here are those credentials:

1967 - Started playing lacrosse in Massapequa, New York

1993 Founded Lightning Lacrosse Club

Coached Youth lacrosse for 10 years. Several of those players have now graduated high school and college, having earned Academic All American or All American honors at both high school and college levels. Two sons play lacrosse. One has been named Captain of his High School South Team, All-State NJ, played D1 for University of Hartford, Oxford University Varsity Blues Team. The other is currently going into his senior year as Captain of our High School North Team, four-year starter on Varsity and made all Division. Both have been recognized as leaders in their student bodies and by the communities in which they live.

From left to right:

Jordan, Bob, Matthew

2000 Co-owner MLL New Jersey Pride; I still retain minority ownership in the team.

2002 Became certified NJ Lacrosse official. Did 25 games first year at junior high and middle school level. 73 games second year with half at high school level. Also did some club college games.

2004 Regional newspaper did a three page article using my activities in lacrosse to highlight the challenges and rewards of officiating in today's modern world.

That was pretty impressive. Then he submitted his first article. We read just the grabber and knew we had a live one:

It was a sunny and very cool Saturday morning in central New Jersey in late March, 1995. My twelve-year-old son Jordan and I were heading to Chamberlain Park for his first ever lacrosse practice. While enroute Jordan asked me again, for what seemed like the 100th time: "Dad, why will I like playing lacrosse?" Immediately my thoughts flashed back thirty years to Massapequa, a small town on the south shore of Long Island, and to the first time I held that old wood and gut stick in my hand ... and it seemed as if time had stood still.

You can reach Bob at robertdaniell@officiating.com.