As a parent, coach, or player in Holt Lacrosse, I have had the privilege to experience the power of teamwork and community in a sport that is on the rise in visibility and popularity across the nation. My role in this team has taught me that community and support are not limited to the field of battle but are also at work in the business of law, particularly in the building of strong partnerships in relationships like marriage and domestic partnerships.

Understanding the basic agreements of these partnership laws in Florida can promote strong partnerships in the workplace, at home, and on the playing field. In this article, I will relate how cooperation, support, communication, responsibility, decisions and compromise, trust, challenges, conflict resolution, and modeling adult behavior can be applied to both Florida domestic partnership laws and the world of lacrosse.

Florida domestic partnership laws are intended to build strong marital-like partnerships for those who are not married or have otherwise avoided the traditions of marriage and civil unions. These laws model the co-mingling of assets and the devotion to care for one another as well as the obligations they owe to one another that is superseded by neither one in importance. Just as I trust my teammates to perform their duties during the game, so too do I trust my domestic partner to keep his/her side of our partnership.

Cooperation, support, and communication are key. Like the ways in which players cooperate with one another during any game, domestic partners are expected to cooperate and support one another within their partnership. Just as one player can only score a goal with the assistance of others who assist in the defensive and offensive plays of the game, so too do domestic partners rely upon one another for their ability to buy a home, raise a family, pay their bills, and take care of one another even after divorce or separation.

As with any successful team, there is a need for communication with one another. Whether it is the goalie communicating with his defensive unit by calling out numbers or the team captain cracking jokes in practice, communication is essential to domestic partnerships just as it is to the successful completion of any game strategy. Everyone involved in a partnership must know what is expected of him/her and the duties that must be fulfilled under the law. All of this is communicated just like a true team communicates with one another.

Cooperation, support, communication, and the division of responsibility are responsible for why and how teams win games. If everyone performs their required duties, then there is the potential for success. Just like I must trust my teammates to fulfill their roles during any game in order for the game plan to work, so too do domestic partnerships rely upon the division of responsibilities amongst those involved.

Within any strong partnership are also the unique decisions that the partnership makes on a regular basis. Maybe one partner loves movies and the other one despises them. How does this affect their ability to enjoy life together? Just as I must make the occasional personal sacrifice for the good of the team or the victory of the game, so too must domestic partners make compromises as part of their agreement to support one another. There are certain things that I like about the game, and certain things that I dislike. Likewise for Holt who must balance the likes and dislikes of all players in order to win during the upcoming season.

Florida domestic partnership laws provide a framework in which partners can establish a legal and binding agreement to which they must abide. All members of Holt Lacrosse are expected to abide by the rules, principles, and practices that make the game great. Such is the spirit of Florida domestic partnership laws in which all parties involved must honor the parameters established under the law in order to establish and maintain a successful partnership.

Without an established trust in those around me, I cannot fulfill my role within Holt Lacrosse. Similarly, without the establishment of rules, responsibilities, and the ability to rely upon one another within the partnership, the partnership cannot succeed. Some types of partnerships – like lacrosse – can be fun and rewarding, while others can be useful and practical. With a strong partnership, each party fulfills their roles as expected and respected and are therefore free to enjoy the game.

Like any relationship, there will be challenges in a domestic partnership. Just as I have faced challenges at school, work, and in life in general, so too do partners face obstacles within their agreements that they must resolve. More often than not, there are disagreements between partners that require the help of a third party to aid with their resolutions. Even as we lose games and lose our battles at times, partners must be willing to accept the outcome of the game/life battle and move forward with one another. Just like with any loss, there are times when the lessons of the loss outweigh the importance of the win.

Like any successful team, there is the need for conflict resolution within domestic partnerships and Florida domestic partnership laws. Just as the referees often make judgment calls that force us to accept penalties and consequences for our actions within the game, domestic partners must also abide within their agreements and abide by the law.

Encourage your children to play a sport (whether it be football, baseball, soccer, basketball, or something else entirely) and help them to realize that the lessons learned from the team and the games played are applicable to all aspects of life – including understanding domestic partnership laws and playing for Holt Lacrosse. Just because we are younger than our parents does not mean we must duplicate their behavior when it comes to establishing and adhering to our own agreements. I recommend that all adults serve as examples to their children so that those children can learn the lessons of the day and apply them to later victories they might have in the game or in life.

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