Coach Flip Naumburg's Journal

Sunday, June 25, 2006

FOR THE NEAR FUTURE I'll BE AVAILABLE ONLY IN VAIL

I have been in the mountains for two days.  Things are moving at a masterly pace for the most part here at the Vail Lacrosse Shootout, Masters and Supermasters Division.  The weather has been almost perfect, in the seventies and with barely a few of those scattered afternoon showers we hear so much about.  There is no warm summer rain round here, however, and that memory was renewed today when the shivery sprinkles started to land on my skin. 

The central Rocky Mountains surrounding Vail appear as majestic to me as ever, and this year they have retained many of their high elevation snowfields well into the summer.

NO WORRIES, MATE

I try to stress less here and about the event than I used to. My intention is to be much less 'physical' at this tournament; as in don't move that box lest I tweak my back and mess it up for the next month.  Then there is that how long until he (me) bleeds thing that is a constant possibility with all the things that need to get relocated, stacked or fixed.  It is hard because I am one of those "if you want it done right then do it yourself" types by nature.  The art of delegation to me is never that simple and certainly not a joke.  I foolishly think that I am the only one who can do things like pack a truck or string a lacrosse goal correctly.  Delegating up here is an important responsibility. Things need to get done and done right.  I look at it as being somewhat akin to rotating individuals in and out of a game as a coach.

Player rotation is a huge part of the coaching life, by the way, and so are all of the ramifications of how it is done.  No matter how many players a coach has or does not have, there remains an infinite number of ways, times, and means to use them.  That just seems like a basic fact, and in my opinion, anyone who says that the player rotation and usage don't constantly impact the team functionality and effectiveness in continually changing ways doesn't understand the basic team dynamic.  Timing, chemistry, attitudes, and energy are just some of the elements always at work in some form or another.

VAIL RULES

The difference this week is that instead of doing this coaching stuff in a game situation as is usual, I am here doing the directing inside some differently styled, not-so-strict party lines, as in, "hey dude this tournament is one great party".  Club lacrosse up here actually means, "What club are we going to first?" 

GREASED LIGHTNING

So far things have gone mostly according to plan.  We have had one lightning delay and that was probably a direct message from you-know-who.  This 'electrical' stoppage came right in the middle of our very first ever Grand Masters (over 50) tournament games.  The thunder might have been a warning.  I wouldn't want to see multiple heart attacks at 8000' I can tell you that.  I know we have all the insurance and everything, but I'm talking about karma here.

We are running out of age level delineations that sound the least bit dignified.  I shutter to think what might be next.  Will there be an over 60 division one day soon?  The Sextenegerian Masters?  These 50+ "Grand Masters" guys are already nuts.  I guarantee that it (lacrosse) doesn't look better with age, and that is all I have to say about that.  I know they have fun.  God bless them, but I cannot watch.

One of my AARpeers was egging me on to play in these games going on here.  He was giving me a hard time because I don't really want to play.  I'm sorry, but coaching thrills me, whereas the thought of playing no longer really does.  I do still have an occasional dream about playing though.

THEY SHOOT HORSES, DON'T THEY?

Warming up young goalies that don't mind being warmed up by me and my 54-year-old shot does still get me pumped up now and again.  I love to work with goalies and I always have. 

I am quite sure that the speed of my shot is pretty close to my age and that puts no fear in a goalie's heart or anywhere else for that matter, but  what it does do (shot by me), however, is really piss them off when they have to turn around and get ball from the back part of the net, as in, "I CAN'T BELIEVE I LET THAT OLD (fill word here) GOT ONE PAST ME! I hate myself.  Try that again old man." 

Besides, playing is not an issue for me.  I have a "no compete" rule in place for myself. I made a pact with me, a serious one.  I can play around at competing, but I am not allowed to partake in the fruits and failures of keeping score.  This self-imposed rule has served me well ever since my final basketball moment in this life, when I ruptured the Achilles in 2000, got the infection, and struggled with that nightmare for most of a year before it was done.  Beyond all that, however, the vain truth for me in Vail is that I do not enjoy being feeble and terrible at something I used to do pretty well.  I don't want to look the way I picture Tommy Lasorda would as a lacrosse player.  People who can barely walk should not try to run.  As far as I am concerned you have to run for the game to look right to me.  Lacrosse is far too beautiful of a game for the likes of me to play it. 

I do know what I want it (my lacrosse team) to look like, however, and the annual pursuit of that picture seemingly (hopefully) never gets old. 

I PRETTY MUCH CAN'T DO ANYTHING, but I know someone who can

I think I have regained a new love for running this tournament over the last few years.  The friendships and family feeling among the leadership is part of it.  We 'four laxmen' have been working together on this deal for a long time.  I revel in the doing a good tournament together thing.

I have never lived here, but in a ground hog day sort of way (every year on July 4^th) I have spent over a year of my life in Vail over the meandering course of these XXXIV years.

Part of what has given me renewed tournament life is that I do less these days and get much more done.  That pleases me. I am not discouraged by getting too old. Not yet, anyway. The staff and the way we do this thing as a team/family goes to a higher level every year for the most part.  It wouldn't be worth it to me if we didn't.

THE CAPTAIN AND TENILE 

We do get maybe just a little better every year in some ways because we never have to start over.  Energetic volunteers are the cogs turning the tournament wheel.  These are lax lovers who want to be wherever the lax is happening, and I am grateful for them and what they bring every summer.

We always have a legacy to build on here.  When blended with fresh and bright ideas tradition and legacy can only become bigger better and stronger.  I still take great pride in how this tournament looks and works in the simplest ways.  I know it is not earth changing to put on a good lacrosse event, but I guess that drive to get it right will never change.

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