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The Big Question

Miles Harrison on his son, all-American Kyle Harrison '05, the nation's best midfielder. A full partner in Sinai Surgical Associates at Baltimore's Sinai Hospital, the senior Harrison was a founder of the Morgan State University lacrosse team in 1971 and co-authored a recent book about the experience, Ten Bears. Like his son, he was a face-off specialist.
 
Q: Does being a Hopkins lacrosse dad give you ulcers?
A: "Kyle is the culmination of what we all wanted back in the Morgan State days. There are two former teammates of mine who also have kids playing in Division I, and Kyle made it to where we all wanted to be: in the best lacrosse program in the nation, on the biggest stage. It's an exhilarating feeling to see my son reach that goal. "When he was a freshman, it was very nerve- wracking for me, but he hit the ground running. In his first intercollegiate game, he scored twice and got 14 of 17 face-offs. That just floored us all. Then, as the year wore on, I became frightened when opposing teams decided, 'We can't stay with this guy, so we're gonna knock him down.' I went from exhilaration, to fear for him, to the comfort that his skills were going to take over, which they did. "When he was a freshman, people said, 'My God, he has ice water in his veins. He's always so calm!' That personality you see? He got that from my wife. There's no question. She is the most calm woman under duress that I've ever seen. That's why I married her. Most athletes, like myself, respond to the moment emotionally. He does not, and that comes directly from his mother. All of the cool comes from that side. "I'm gonna miss being an integral part of what's going on. But once a Blue Jay, always a Blue Jay. There's no greater gift a jock son can give his old jock dad than a chance to live vicariously through him."

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