Coach Flip Naumburg's Journal

Monday, July 18, 2005

Ah, summer. Can’t you just smell it? Let's talk about the camp last week. Okay.

THEY’RE DANCIN’ IN CHICAGO, PHILADELPHIA, PA. DON’T FORGET THE….

Lacrosse Camps that we do at CSU, on the other hand, are good to reflect upon before coming to some sort of conclusion in written reflection form. Our 4-day camp this year worked out great in spite of the fact that it was hot enough to kill, and, if that wasn’t enough heat, there was a high school girls cheerleading camp at CSU which "overlapped" our time there.

There seemed like thousands of them (cheerleaders) coming from everywhere in every unified color combination you could imagine, like some kind of low budget Disney movie. The strangely wonderful sound of choruses of high-pitched screaming-in-unison pierced the air from every direction, and almost constantly for the first day or two, and certainly to the point of major distraction for our "boys with sticks". Who plans this stuff? I mean they have meetings to decide when to have meetings. How can they not catch on to this little oxymoron?

Okay, they housed the girls and boys in dorms far away from one another, not a bad plan for starters, The fatal flaw could have come, however, when they had them all (mostly post pubescent lacrosse lads and budding and bold cheerlead chics) eating together at the same cafeteria. Lax boys tend not to be shy. These "little" girls have not exactly been hiding in a closet either.

Somehow and thankfully if anything I don’t want to know about "went down" in the dark, it fortunately hasn’t come into the light. I think I digress. It was a little scary, though.

CAMPTOWN FACES SING THAT SONG – DOODAH, DOODAH

The staff was great. I love the fact that we (CSU people and players) staff our own camp. Teaching taught me more about lacrosse than I could have ever imagined when I still played. Why wouldn’t it do the same for these kids, especially if they believe in the main plan of attack? In my mind it’s like super-sizing my own coaching capabilities.

One of my main objectives in running a camp is to never leave the younger or less experienced kids left out of things. It can be difficult when all the counselors fall over one another trying to coach the best and brightest ones, while the little ones stand over there in ground ball lines or whatever. I have seen that and it is ugly.

COLONEL CATES CAN or, the TATTOOED BOYS OF SUMMER

To get the young ones what they need you need someone I might term as a "wrangler" type, good with "people" by nature, a patient and caring herder. Since our cowboy has tattoos all over his body, Wrangler just doesn’t seem to fit the two-time Iraq visitor quite right. Lee Cates (#18 CSU ’08 - M) took charge and had his pre-teen kids really playing something resembling lacrosse really fast. I was impressed with that and how easy he made it look. It was as if he were the Pied Piper. The kids loved him. By the way, what does "pied" mean in that context exactly and what kind of pipe was he piping?

ROAD WARRIORS?

My question is what will become of us (CSU) if he (spiked hair and tattoos) has the same affect on his team? Instead of having a most "decorated" boy-scout type as captain and leader, we would then lead the league in piercings. Anarchy will reign. It could never happen, right? I’m sure I worry needlessly.

HEIL JOKISCH

The Hitler youth concept was propagated under the liquid hot sun in the form of our ongoing goalie clinic within the camp. It was run expertly by our own goalie Furor, Pete Jokisch (#3 CSU – 06). He put the kindergoalies through some rigorous tests and drills. He demonstrated and he instructed. He sent them all home with written evaluations, too. I will say that, as an observer, all of those goalies present absolutely improved over the four days, both in confidence and technique. Pete will make a fine coach someday, and in many ways I already view him as an assistant coach. I always like to have "playing" assistants, and if one of them is the goalie that is really a good thing.

I feel fortunate to go into this season with Pete. This will be his third year starting at goalie here at CSU. In my time we have never had the same goalie start for us three straight years. That experience could be huge.

I think I am not done with camp yet, but for now, that’s it.

Next Entry | Previous Entry


Flip Started Blogging Before it was Cool, Read Over 400 of His Entries Since January 2001
Jump to a Period:
2006: Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov
2005: Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
2004: Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
2003: Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
2002: Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
2001: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Sept Oct Nov Dec