Wednesday, June 10, 2009

THE TIMES THEY ARE A’CHANGING

It has been a while since I have written, mostly due to a lack of things that I have had to say.  It has been sort of a hard time for me. 

I have been the head lacrosse coach at CSU for fourteen years.  In that time I think we have built a top of the line program, something much more than just a “club sport”.  I am proud and happy about the things we have done here and the team accomplishments.  We have won four national championships.  We have traveled all over the country, meeting tons of people and seeing many other colleges and universities while on that road.  These are lasting memories of efforts well directed and missions indeed achieved within that framework of time.

It has always been my aim to do what is right for the team and as a coach, but it has also been my goal to always point the program toward the place that it needed to be, and although we are not at the top of the class academically, that also includes academics, off-field behavior, and all the things that bring pride to a program.

It has always been my hope that everyone who has been part of CSU lacrosse will take with them great life lessons that will and in many cases do serve those people well as they move on in life.

In the spirit of trying to do what is right for CSU Lacrosse I am going to take a step back from head lacrosse coach this year.  It has been a very hard decision to make.  Alex Smith has been my assistant for several years now, and I feel that it is time for him to spread his very capable coaching wings and to be even more or officially in the front of the cockpit and flying the program plane.  I will assist him in that as much as I can.

COULDA WOULDA SHOULDA

I am sorry about the way things went this year.  I know I made it hard on everyone, the players, the coaches, and the parents and families with my personal issues.  It was never my aim to bring the program down.  Everyone did a great job, and really we came very close to getting to some pretty lofty goals in spite of it all.  The team improved so much during the season, and I think that was clearly evident by how close we came to beating Chapman, the eventual finalist, at the MCLA championships after losing badly to the Panthers earlier in the year.

So it is with a heavy heart that I write this entrée but with that same heart I feel that the next steps for CSU lacrosse will be very powerful ones and that I will in some way still be a part of that march.  We have some great recruits coming in to add to a very solid nucleus, so the team outlook remains bright.  I know the program, it’s alumni, as well as the team will continue to earn respect as things that strive to be more, to ever over achieve.

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