Coach Flip Naumburg's Journal

Thursday, June 29, 2006

FO' GO'S SAKE

I am in Vail at the Shootout, doing Vail Lacrosse Shootout things, but because of the 2006 calendar and where days and dates fall this particular year we are in a calm part of things before the storm of 'Eliteness' to come.  There is a bit of a lull.  I even went home to play with the kids and wife for a day yesterday.

So, with no raging tournament flames to douse here my mind automatically starts to collect kindling for the CSU 2007 fire I want to build.   I need to somehow tackle head on the biggest problem 'we' have had for the last two years, which has been getting the ball on (winning) face offs.  Even against Colorado U. in the game that gave us the championship last month we basically got killed on the 'draws' until the final part of the contest.

Maybe it's my fault, because I have been trying to find a face off guy and then when I do or did, I just forced the F.O.G.O. position upon him.  A Fogo is a player that faces off and then goes off; the command is to face off, and then get off the field.

The problem the last two years has been that I have tried to sell the FOGO concept to some guys who have shall we say 'higher' aspirations.  I don't know what can be more important than gaining clear possession of the ball, but what it means is that they want to be full service (scoring, etc.) middies, and not just specialists in one facet or part of the game.

We have not dominated face offs since the Dave Clark years.  He was gone after 2004.  He was a F.O.G.O., but I think at times he hated me for making him be that.  He did score some big goals for us, too, mostly right off of the face off, but I never put him on a "line" as it were.

Unfortunately I, as a coach and with my own personal agenda for the team, think it takes great and constantly focused energy to be a great face off guy.  It is indeed hard to face off and then also do more.  To make a long story only slightly shorter I am hoping that Santa will bring me someone who craves the face off as his sole reason to be.  I want that he embrace the physical demands, the emotional challenges, and the psychological battles that come with the job.  I want that he revel in getting the ball, giving it safely to our offensive 'staff', and getting the hell off to recharge for the next one.  If we find that he can do more, great, but for starters we just need to have the ball more after face-offs.

WINNING IS NEVER ENOUGH

Winning the draw is not enough.  We have done that a lot.  For us to win a face off we almost need to get a quality shot on the opponent's cage from it.  For me that is almost the definition of winning a face-off.  You must have some sort of dominant offensive moment come from it or it is a waste of good ball getting.  Again this is just one man's opinion.  Aggressiveness in style for me includes much less and less of a 'helter skelter' attitude than it used to.  I know how I want us to attack the game in general more than I used to.  Before it was just enough to attack.  At least that is my perception of me: then and now.

I HATE TECHNICAL FOWLS

Speaking of face-offs, I believe the refs have gone overboard with calling technical fouls on face offs.  We will work hard on being more than barely legal when it comes face off set up procedure.

HONEY, WHAT WAS SANTA'S EMAIL ADDRESS AGAIN?

Last year Santa brought me Treece and more after Christmas, and as unexpected gifts, so it is possible to get what you want once in a while.  I guess that this HAPPY fogo request is my letter to be sent to the North Pole for this year.  Maybe if I let him know early enough he will be able to bring me one by next January.  Remember, it is a happy FOGO, not just a FOGO, big difference.

DEEEEEEEFENSE

I was talking to someone today about defense.  I was thinking something to myself that I didn't say out loud.  I'm glad I didn't, because it is an arrogant, almost pompous thought.  The flash was that I think I can put my finger on what happened (under our system of thought) that allowed a goal to go in during a lacrosse game of more or less any kind.  Our basics of goal guarding have become simplified to the extent that there is almost no doubt in my mind about what the breakdown was, and even more than that, A + B always predictably will get you C.

PUNKS

The high school (U 19) tournament up here is great.  It brings out a cavalcade of future Division One-ers.  The high school championship here has become something much coveted by almost all of the major geographic lacrosse locations in the country.  It is good, at times great lacrosse.

The thing is that trash talking, fighting, and all that ugliness have crept in.  When I see great and athletic kids playing the game of lacrosse in a beautiful way, I hate to see it get messed up with extracurricular junk, especially when the game allows for so much of the positive burning of the negative/violent energy. 

Today in one game there were so many whistles that if I would have closed my eyes I might have envisioned a women's lacrosse game was going on.  Then I would have opened them and seen a sound bite moment from a WWF pre-match oration spectacle.  There was even one kid (what is he, 17 or 18?) out there who already referred to himself in the third person.  Does he have an agent yet?

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