Coach Flip Naumburg's Journal

Monday, April 4, 2005

A FORTNIGHT BEFORE THE FRONT RANGE FIGHT

We have almost two weeks to prepare for our annual war with C.U., which will take place on Saturday evening, April 16, at 7:00 p.m. The game will be played at the neutral site of Shea Stadium, the same place we played last year. This is on the south side of Denver, in Highlands Ranch. Last year the game, which is and was coordinated and promoted by the CSU Ram Lacrosse Alumni Association, drew almost 3000 fans. Those folks definitely got their money’s worth with a real heart thumper of a game. It was complete with miracle saves, gusty winds, and fourth quarter comebacks. We have not played the Buffs yet this spring season, but we already know the coming game will be a tough one.

THE WAR OF THE ROSES (or is it Columbines?)

I must remind myself before we play the actual game that CSU and CU could compete in tidally winks (?) and something strange and highly emotional would more than likely happen during the struggle. I have to pay attention. This is a bitter rivalry no matter where the schools meet or what they are competing in. I can still recall being startled by discovery of this acrimonious fact of Colorado life the very first time I coached in one of these C.U vs. C.S.U. deals. I don’t think I had ever before been a part of something quite as intense in that "Hatfield v. McCoy" sort of way. Being a preppy from Colorado College made my rivalry experiences in college somewhat different. Air Force was our one and only Evil Empire, but it wasn’t like this.

TWO WEEKS

We (lacrosse team) have in fact had a little time to heal and recover from and since the Sonoma State siege at the Fort last Tuesday, but there is an urgency issue in my mind in terms of our overall conditioning. It becomes one of those deals where as a coach I just want to quickly get the train or bus moving in the intended direction. Then I will start hoping like heck that everyone is healthy enough or strong enough to get on the moving vehicle and to stay on it for the course. As stated, I have a feeling we are going to need most all of us before it’s all over.

I do think these two weeks will give us an ample window of opportunity to build in and from. We will need to have a team-sized tank of strength to survive the days and gut checks just down the road. I'm all about this bit of extra time we have for preparation.

SAMPSON?

I'm not a doctor, but I play one in practice sometimes. I do know that the 21 year-old (etc.) male body is physically capable of doing and or becoming many things one might not have thought possible. I won’t say they can always overcome any injury or whatever, but youth certainly does carry with it some fantastic characteristics for young people to make use of if and when they can. It is my (the coaches) job to create the right scenario, a "fertile field" for them to grow (or rehabilitate) in so they can effectively use some of that "right stuff" that they have so much of.

Two weeks has historcally proven to be, on occasion, a very powerful and significant period of time. I hope to now tap into that possibility.

JUST BUDS

I want very much to ripen this team on the spring vine (May), and not to leave all or the best part of us on winter's floor like we might have done last year. If ever there are times that careful practice planning can pay off, to my way of thinking it is the times like now.

FUTURE GAMES

Yes, I am thankful to have these next 10 practice days (snow is supposedly on the way, so I offer this possibility only with hope, and not with certainty). We also have a league game with the Utah State Aggies (A Division, but not ranked) at home next Saturday night. That will help us in our preparation for one more Saturday Night that comes the week after. The Buffs (C.U.) are ranked 6th or so right now, and are one of the few top teams we haven’t yet played.

Michigan would be the one conspicuous major national power foe that we will have not played when our "regular" season is completed on April 16. In the case of Colorado, we could be playing the Buffs just the once, perhaps twice if we were to play them at the RMLC championships in Greeley later in April, and conceivably three times if we somehow got "bracketed" with them again in Minnesota in May. The possibility also exists where we could easily end up playing BYU as many as three times total this year.

MINNESOTA FATS

As I view Michigan from afar, they appear to get stronger as the season goes on. I look forward to the chance to play them if and when it comes to that. The Wolverines appear to have the "goods" champions might be made of. We would and could only meet them in that "second season", at some later date in Blaine, Minnesota.

The other Minnesota "Fatties", the contenders for the crown that we HAVE already played this season are of course UCSB, Sonoma, and BYU. I don't pretend that we are done with any of these great teams.

Arizona, Florida State, Oakland University, and maybe even Boston College look like the others on the outside that will be trying to get near the front of the hunt when we all get to the land of 10,000 lakes. The fact is that the way most "experts" see it is that there are really no more than 8 or ten teams that can or could, and that might be stretching it. We shall see about all that now won’t we?

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