Coach Flip Naumburg's Journal

Thursday, December 7, 2006

I feel like I'm all over the place.  I have lots of subjects, but not much substance to my descriptions.

WHERE THE HELL WAS I?

Tonight we had a two-hour session at the Edge (our) indoor facility.  Part of that time for me was a 30-minute chalk talk with the defense.  Another 30 minutes was a similar styled session, only more or less for the offense.  A funny thing happened on the way to those forums, however.  We got not much X-ing and or O-ing done, but we did get to some.  Everything on this night was predicated to philosophical points and or approaches. 

EMANCIPATION PROCLOMATION

What happened was that I think it became a night of declaration of who we are philosophically, and all the philosophical implicating and searching began right at the beginning with "Where do we go from here?" Now is very much of a defining point in time for us as an entity.

We went on and defined our intended 'steps' off the field, and eventually we got to the "Who do we want to be on the field?" 

I am now beginning to get excited because I think we sort of have that idea of who we want to be on the table and well defined.  I believe we have the talent, the skill, and the attitude to achieve a lot.  How much hunger do we bring to that same table?

If we all start on the same page as churchgoers of the same faith, well, that can only help us. It can propel us in good times and shield us for some of the bad moments. Being truly together helps us heal if we are hurting and to progress whenever we have the power to do so (every day). 

HEART TO HEART

We had some powerful moments tonight in the old chalk talk room. I did some 'preaching' for sure. They got involved, too. Family business was flowing in, out and all around.

Do we have the individual, self, and collective discipline to get through all the necessary steps?  Some (parts of the way upstairs) aren't as much fun as others.  I have to keep pushing towards getting the answer I want on that one.

IT COULD BE, IT MIGHT BE,….IT ISN'T

To sum it all up this Fall, Autumn, whatever was another one that just wasn't to be without struggle and strain on team (injuries/eligibility) and program (martini-gate).  This eventuality (bad things happening to good people) for us in the first months seems almost ugly trend now.  How hard can I hit myself in the face before I get started?  Here, you club me one, too, just for good measure. 

Oh well, onward and upward.  Things aren't as bad as they might be after all.  Sixty-five years ago today was when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, a day that does in fact live in infamy as Franklin said it would.  Things could be worse. 

I do wish that our Iraq war veteran would find his way back.  Lee, come home.

PARTY SOFTLY AND CARRY A BIG STICK

The banquet for Fall Lacrosse is tomorrow, Friday night.  We are combining two events, Christmas Family Dinner with Team Banquet.  The timing couldn't be better, especially after the uplifting experience that was tonight's practice.

WHAT IS A QUALITY PRACTICE?

I do believe that we are getting to the point where we are using the hell out of our 55 minutes on the "field" (actually half of a field) two nights a week.  I never thought 110 minutes could be that satisfying, but they often are.  Of course you must add the other two 'coupled' hours a week with Brian the trainer.  That time that makes the total work week 4 hours (two two hour sessions), Brian's time, does make a huge difference.  I used to think that those two hours with him were more or only supplemental, but I now think in many ways for many of the things they do it is almost sufficient.  He works their asses off, and then the have a couple days to recover and build a little.  We are starting to work a rhythm, Mr. Trainer and our team.

FAMILY FIRST HAS GOTTEN A BAD RAP for the word "family"

We have been recently and often crippled in many ways as a program.  I am not paranoid, much.  Individuals seem to be having some personal hard times more than usual, too.  We are still standing, however, and the time has come for me to rebuild this team's ego.  It took a hit, but we are done. They need some good stuff to happen.  They work hard enough to deserve a little karmic love once in a while.  It is my plan to create the scenario where the cosmic love overflows the cup for a bit.

If I ever I saw a team that will have to survive on less of the star system itself and more on a arrangement that allows stars to emerge and hopefully converge a-field, this one is it. I know that sounds like coach speak.  Much of my 'family ideals' rants probably read like I copied it all from somewhere, but I can't help what I feel.  I treat the family with respect, and the family always comes first.  It is bigger than all of its parts, yet it always represents each molecule that makes up that mutated organism known as the CSU lacrosse family.  For better or worse I am the Family Guy.

THE NATIVES ARE RESTLESS

The flow of things is starting to speed up, headed quickly, but then all at once slowly toward 2007 and the lacrosse to be played when we get there (soon).  For the seniors the finality of what is about to happen is beginning to sink in.  Before now it seemed that college would go on forever.  Deep down they knew it wouldn't, it couldn't, and real life will be along in just two shakes of a…... And by the way I can't wait for that place to put some energy into. There are many things useful to a team that are hidden in the motivation of finality. But then that is no revelation either I suppose. Get to work, Coach.

DON JUAN, ETC.

This is the type of place where coaching can come in and make a difference.  I too often see seniors not enjoy the most or play their best in that last semester, the final 'quarter' of athletic eligibility.  This not peaking at the end can come about for a variety of reasons.  Whatever the reason I believe it is my job to 'read and react' and not let it happen. It is my job to try to facilitate good things happening for them.  This includes me having interest in class loads, girl friends, whatever. I want these seniors to lift off at the end, not fall off.

THE NUT NEVER FALLS FAR FROM THE TREE

I need to watch for what is going on with a senior sometimes as much as I might a freshman to make sure that he doesn't get a little or a lot lost without me noticing.  It's easy to find a misplaced freshman, but a senior out of sorts is not always as obvious.  I cannot assume too much about what the veterans are capable of either.  I have made the mistake of thinking they were more mature than they actually were just because they were older in the past.  What I want to do as coach is use our experience and never abuse it by putting too much responsibility on certain guys or whatever.  The more that can we can spread out the sharing and the bearing of the team load anyway, the easier it will be to work together, and we will look stronger as the result.  That doesn't seem like genius-like thinking, but I think it is correct none-the-less.

TIME TIME SEE WHAT'S BECOME OF ME

This next month or two when we are most separated can become the most important, but if so-and-so, and you know who you are, doesn't go to the wall and work on his individual stick work (by hisself!) over Christmas break then there will be that much less for me to be excited about when I see him first next year.  All of them have something they can bring back for 'me' after break.

YOU CAN'T FLICK THE WALL SWITCH AND LAND IN BED BEFORE THE LIGHTS GO OUT

I truly believe that if we limit unforced errors and any kind of the thought or the spoken words like "MY BAD", for example, where it becomes okay in everyone's mind to screw up, then we will be on the right road for this team.  This team needs to be led by the nose and occasionally rapped on it (nose) when naughty or non-conforming.  Yes, they need to be housebroken just like a puppy, that's it. This is my dog team.

Screwing up without provocation is not okay, and if it keeps happening when it doesn't need to you will spend more time behind me than you ever will running around in front of me.  If you don't know how to catch, then by all means come on over here and I'll show you…..  I want to control the things we have control over in a very positive way.  Seems logical, doesn't it?

NO JOKISCH

The news is that Pete Jokisch (CSU Goalie/Captain 2006) is doing well with the professional Colorado Mammoth of the wildly popular NLL indoor lacrosse league during their pre-season activities.  So, CSU has reason to crow with not one, but two professional lacrosse goalies.  Now I just gotta get us goalie good for 2007 CSU.  Read the line again before you get too excited.

HAM OR ROAST BEEF

I am very excited about tomorrow night's banquet and family dinner.  Have I mentioned that?

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