Sunday, August 19, 2007

I suppose “blogging” my mother’s death on here was somewhat akin to “trolling for sympathy” in the minds of some.  It was in reality quite an attention getter, even if not by design.  I must say that I was surprised, lifted, and indeed grateful for the amount of ‘attention’ I got from emails and cards from people expressing their sympathies.

We have Dorothy’s ashes here at the house now and we are turning it all into a little shrine for Ma.  Maybe I do have some Catholic in there somewhere.  I certainly do not get the internment part, though.  I digress. 

By the way, looking through all the old pictures (in little closets in Mom’s house) was really cool.  I only found (sister found it) one picture with my mother actually holding me.  I was like pushing two years old and already an obvious squirmy pain-in-the-ass.

MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE – OR NOT

A long time ago when I was about to move to Colorado State because I was so convinced that I was dovetailed (good fit) in life to coach what we know as CLUB lacrosse, a colleague (coach at other college) who competed against CSU in the late eighties and well into the nineties had some words for me to ponder.  I hear them echo to this day.  What he had said was something to the effect that there were always some good kids (lacrosse players) on the campus of Colorado State, but that perhaps in the grand scheme of things the boys doth party too much, and more specifically put bottle to lips on a grand scale.  The part unsaid would be something like that is the reason they hadn’t really done much of anything in the league, which at that time also included D.U. and C.C.

ONWARD THROUGH THE FOG

I have no problem with the 2007 team in terms of starting in one place and ending in a very different, much higher team place by the end.  We very much did that.  However, we still fell two steps short of our real goal.  We tripped on the first of those last two.  That somehow hurts even more than just tripping on that last step, the one I have not taken three times, in 2000, 2002, and 2004, when we, of course, lost that final game of that absolute last day of the season.  It is ever my goal to play in that game, however, and for more reasons than one might think.  Not getting to it was extremely disappointing for me.

ANGEL IS A CENTERFOLD – GAG ME WITH A SPOON

Let me give an example or two of the cause effect things that have tormented me over these long summer nights that are rapidly shortening and cooling as Fall ball rapidly approaches.  I have had a rule for years that girlfriends, parents, etc. are welcomed to travel with us, to be part of our family on the road, but they are not to stay or be in our hotel.  To keep it short and my blood pressure down, let’s just say that I did not do a good job enforcing it to the point of ridiculous, and this sort of stupid thing became a real problem for me, especially in Dallas, where I least want it to be a problem. 

…………There is no way a group of 20-year old pretty/party-girls are going to spoil the taste of my Tex Mex again, at least not that way.

ROAD HOUSE BLUES

There was also a very important road game and I wrongly assumed everyone really understood how important it was.  We had a big win on Saturday and had another game to play on Sunday, fairly early, but apparently my message on the importance of not partying that night was not heard.  We won Sunday as well, but were tested and humbled that next day by a very inspired ‘underdog,, and I’m not sure if we ever got “IT” back all the way after that team breakdown.  It will not happen again that way if I can help it.  Preparation is everything.  It certainly is for me as a coach, and I guarantee I felt even more strongly that way as a player.  At 55, if I’m going to go down to defeat then let it be happening in front of my eyes, and not while I’m snoring away over in room #232 the night before the game.

YOU CAN’T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT, BUT IF YOU TRY SOMETIMES…

In some/many ways I think we got what we deserved in with our “3^rd place” finish in 2007.  We couldn’t finish the deal because our team astral plane had not reached its proper elevation.  Or something like that.  We were not true to some rules because I did a terrible job of enforcing them at times, and if nothing else some of these “little’ things nearly drove me insane, regardless of whatever short or long term team ailment they may or may not have caused.  Some didn’t always do what should have been done, and then it was thought it was enough to apologize for the transgression and move on.  NOT!

Others on the team thought that certain rules pertained to others more than them, and of course that won’t work either.  It also points to poor leadership on my part.  Delegation is okay, but only to a point.  My message must be sung much louder in 2008, much clearer from now on.  I hope I have some voice left to sing the good/right song for the season.

I am not a big rule guy.  More of them is not better. I am a rebel.  However, it is my intention to have a few things clearly written and understood in terms of team play, behavior at all times, and road actions as the bottom line of who we are.  I want us to have enough charisma to finish every minute, every play, every game, and even every drill in practice.  Last year I said the words “Don’t quit!” during a drill in practice far too often.  We will be hungry dogs or we will be nothing.

DEAR TEAM

So, HEAR GOES:

Let’s play Q and A.

17. QUESTION

    Coach, what type of offense will CSU play this year?

    ANSWER

    We will play an attack, team style of passing/reading game while looking for dodging match-ups on the side where the dodge is designed to be only the beginning of the options we want to become available.  We will have two ‘TRIGGERS’ based on something we started last year, but only scratched the surface of possibility.

    Players must do two things in order to play when we have the ball.  They must move towards the ball they want to receive, and they must actually catch it when it arrives at just the right instant.  CLEARING is very much a part of OFFENSE.

    QUESTION

    What kind of defense will CSU play?

    ANSWER

    We will play an aggressive, team style.  Takeaway emphasis is focused on forcing mistakes and double-teaming with fast, hard body checks.  Stick checks are reserved for those with special skills.  I would rather SLIDE AND RECOVER more than I care how well they decide weather to slide or not.  I want to attack offenses, forcing them to execute at a high level. 

    All long poles will be expected to have excellent stick work in place. I look at Long poles all as a special force with interchangeable parts, depending on team and match-up needs.  RIDING is very much a part of DEFENSE.

    QUESTION

    Coach, will you be running and playing with the team in practice?

    ANSWER

    No.  If you need a coach that can still play better than you, you have come to the wrong place.  Warming up goalies is as ‘large’ as I get.  However, I might still treat you like I’m a better player than you, and that is just part of who I am and you will have to put up with some/lots of me.

    QUESTION

    What is the foundation of your team?

    ANSWER

    Without a doubt it is that WE ARE FAMILY.  This has always been who we are and what we try to be and become.  This year the focus really will be on the family.  We will have a ton of new faces and it is fully my intention to find the ones that have the love of the game and not scare them off.  I want to nurture more than go into a survival-of-the-fittest mode. 

    This team will start as all equals.  We are in fact “REBUILDING”.  We will not be RELOADING.  Therefore it is extremely important that players who do have a clue welcome and bring into the fold the new ones or ones who don’t.  There will be no things based on tenure.  Your time already spent here is not important to me.  What you do from now on is.  How long you have waited to play does not matter to me either.

    QUESTION

    How hard is it to make the team and when are tryouts?

    ANSWER

    It is not hard to make it, but it is really hard to stay on the team.  You must have a high commitment level that is reflected more or less every day in some way.  You must be able to budget your time in a way that allows the lacrosse commitment to stay at a very high level.  To play on this team you will have to be careful making class schedules.  We will have rules about practice and playing in games.  You must have enough class hours to be eligible and your grades must be decent.  These are things that are a necessary part of a successful student athlete experience, but I might as well just go ahead and ‘blog’ them out for all to see.

    It is not free ($) to play on the team, but you’ll be amazed at the bang for your buck, and you will more or less only ever have to pay for your own travel expenses and nothing more.  That seems fair to me.

    QUESTION

    What are your expectations for this year?

    ANSWER

    Same as they ever were.  I want us to get to be more and better every single day by mixing the work, the play, and the love into a big bowl of ball that is the CSU lacrosse family.

    Our spring schedule is exciting in scope of teams to play.  We will be tested early and often.

    QUESTION

    How serious is fall ball?

    ANSWER

    As ‘serious as I can get it.  We have to make hay, because we often lose so much practice time during the spring, which really starts while it it still winter.

    Things are never the same after Christmas break, but I guess I have to keep trying to get more out of Autumn than I ever really do.  It’s all just one big project to me anyway.  It starts in August and it ends hopefully somewhere in Dallas and well into May.

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