Tuesday, April 30, 2002
Today I got our practice going, and then I left for my son Michael's final home lacrosse game of the season as well as his career in high school. By the way, there has been a Plonkey sighting, which was a relief amidst rumors that he had so much fun at his brother's wedding that he too had eloped. As he was making his usual entrance (late), I was pretty much leaving. Jay took over. Our practice was not going to be much again on this day anyway, and this time it seemed as though "study groups" and other team projects were the priority of the day.
Although I got a rose at "Senior Day", and we were introduced with other parents and sons at half time, the game did not smell as sweet as The Fort Collins Vipers got clawed by the Bruins of Cherry Creek from Denver, 11-4. Jordan and I watched at very close range.
So anyway, WE have basically had two full days off. There was a little work both today and yesterday, but not much either day. Now it is time to get to GET BUSY.
I have no intention of making the next three practices "throw arounds" or "walk throughs". We need to get our skills sharp, our competitive intensity up, and our minds and bodies peaked. I am already talking about drinking bottled water, taking Vitamin C, and urging them all to take a trip to the weight room (perfect world). I want them to take an extra run or two, on their own, outside of practice, for introspective focusing purposes more than conditioning. Clarity is a big part of playing up to your own capabilities, and preparation for a moment in time leads to powerful possibilities. The Real World almost never resembles the Perfect World, but one can always hope.
I do not plan a mini-camp either. Some of them think I have a fairly strong "Hitler" side of my personality as it is, and I do think my birthday is actually close to the Furer's, but I see no point in doing much of anything during practice that isn't somehow very specific to things that happen in a game (therefore very intense) at this point in a season. It's all about practice tempo to me, now more than ever. We will scrimmage a lot from here on out, working on those things that we do, looking for holes, trying to find them before the others do in St Louis, trying to build our strengths into power with the technology that is Team. .
The level we will have to play at in St. Louis for 4 days (in a row) to be successful is a tall order to be sure, but the ultimate goal always requires nothing less than your FULL attention. We have to work towards things at a pace, because all the distractions that are annually part of these two weeks make it virtually impossible to solely focus on lacrosse until we actually leave for St. Louis next Tuesday, and in fact some (more than ever) will be taking final exams there, at the tournament. I'm guessing this is the policy for D1 teams at CSU, and it has finally and completely "trickled down" to us. I have already heard some whining from some unhappy campers about the exam in St. Louis thing, but if that is the price you have to pay to get a chance to play for a national championship, then that is what you do.
There is no doubt that budgeting your time as a student athlete is a key. Everything is happening at once right now. These are the tests that help them prepare for that next part of life, the part that most likely will not include hearing the beautiful (and sometimes ugly) sound of me blowing a whistle every day.
I feel that we as a team, and maybe for the first time ever, have a chance to be a "Three Headed Monster" I have always wanted us to be, where all three units, Defense, Midfield, and Attack all have the ability to leave their tire marks on a game. If all three get rolling down the same road, we could be Hell's Angels on wheels.
We are bracketed to play 2 undefeated teams, Washington and Auburn. This possibility excites me very much. I am not going to lie or be coy. Regardless of what may or may not happen when we get to St. Louis, I very much like our #3 seeding, and the fact that if we stay in the winner's bracket, we will only see Michigan, Sonoma, or BYU in the finals, and not before, while they will have to slug it out with each other to get to the final. As it turns out, "Provo been berry berry good to me".
Monday, April 29, 2002
Last week under the direction of long pole and captain Nick Tabacchi, the long poles all shaved their heads either the night before or right after we arrived in Provo. The thing is that everyone had to shave, but each could make their own fashion statement. So, we have a variety of crew cuts, shaved heads, and then there is that Mohawk (EGB, AKA KKK). The others are growing playoff beards, and they too, are of all varieties. My personal choice is to go for my Muttonchop sideburns 70’s look. It could be a tad whiter than it once was,, and the pony tail is out of the question.
It is retro week at practice, as the white helmets and gold shorts showed up today, flashbacks to a place not far in the past,, but a past that seems very long ago. At the same time, I can’t believe that these seniors are seniors. They just got here.
We had a casual practice/meeting today. The crease on our practice field has become a construction site. We will practice on our game field for the remainder. Tomorrow we begin to prepare for the University of Washington Huskies, our first round match up, and thankfully a team we haven’t yet played. I like playing new teams, although I admit that I know very little about them. I have some work to do.
We go to "nationals" as a #3 seed. It is a seed that everyone on the team seems pleased with, too. I went to Provo hoping that we could hold our #4, and I am more than grateful to move up. That (#3) is our ranking in the final USLIA top 25 poll as well. It is how I voted us as well. Our record overall is 14-4. The seeds in St. Louis and the poll are Sonoma #1, Auburn #2, Michigan #4, BYU #5, and Stanford #6.
Where’s Plonkey? It would seem to be the mystery of the day. Please come home. Should I put out a reward?
Monday, April 1, 2002
We lost to CC on Saturday, 15-11. We have some "finish" problems, and we made way too many mistakes both physically and mentally. If our communication on the field was as good as it seems to be off the field, we would be on a roll, but we are just not playing as a team, trusting each other, communicating consistently. We need to be tighter, more resolved to a refuse to lose team attitude. I suppose that this must come from me, but I just can't seem to push the right combination of buttons right now. We need some to step up and play above their current level to inspire us all.
I hope that April brings a renaissance to this team that seems so close to getting it together, but just hasn't yet. Usually, after a game win or lose, I want to talk to certain people about little things and big in order to keep them on their individual tracks. Now my thoughts are mostly on how to get the team to define what our goals are and things like that. So many of our problems seem to stem from a lack of individual or team focus at the really crucial moments of the game. We need to catch the important pass after we created a turnover, and not just return the favor. We need to finish the beautiful plays where 5 or 6 people touch the ball, and we are not. Consequently we energize the other team at that crucial moment instead of ourselves. Confidence breeds confidence and all that.
Tonight we have a scrimmage with DU Club, and we leave Thursday for three big games in Michigan.
Tuesday, April 2, 2002
We played DU's Club team last night and won 13-5. It was a game I wanted us to play because we hadn't played under the lights in almost a month, and haven't played on artificial surface yet at all. Even though the surface in Michigan will be different it is still valuable to have this "scrimmage".
I can guarantee that the other team didn't treat it like a scrimmage. They, as most everyone else, wanted badly to beat us. There were hecklers at the game and everything. It's been a while since I had experienced Rock-it Pocket heckling. In other words, every time we drop a pass they are screaming about how much the Rock-it Pocket sucks.
It was a fun game because, although they were not really a great team, they had several excellent players, refugees of one sort or another from the DU varsity Division I program. Many of them had quickness and skills. We handled them well. Now we have to get better at playing teams that do play well as a team, and do have specific game plans for us. We have been exposed this season, but now I think we are starting to get a handle on ourselves. We are starting to find an identity on the field.
In the first quarter we went up 6-1, and for maybe the first time this season we were really fun for me to watch. I am finally encouraged about the possibilities of the next 6 weeks, even though injuries, weddings, and other hurdles loom, trying to kill me. I always learn more and feel more inspired after a game when we do play well. So often when we lose my attention turns to the one or two parts of the game that we didn't do well enough. I get stuck on how to not let "bad" things happen, how to make less errors, When we play well, I can always see many ways for us to build on momentum in more creative ways. Playing well for me means playing at a fast pace, but with few errors.
Now we prepare for a true business trip, leaving on Thursday for Michigan. Three huge games, Michigan, Texas A&M, and SUNY Buffalo. We play Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
BYU got smoked by Sonoma State last night, 16-9. I know that Sonoma is really good, with great coaching, but I also think it speaks to how much more BYU wants to beat us than any other team. What a wild year. I make no bold predictions. I just say don't pronounce us dead yet.
Friday, April 5, 2002
It's put up or shut up time for CSU lacrosse 2002. I don't think this weekend is a complete "make it or break it" trip, but it certainly is a pivotal part of our season. We need to get up and get on a roll. All three opponents that we will face this weekend in Ann Arbor are either in or very close to the top ten in the most recent USLIA top 25 poll. Tonight we play Michigan, and I am concerned with their speed and quickness to be sure. More than that I am concerned with us, our ability to work together, and even more than that eliminating our propensity to not take care of that little white thing that is so important to me (ball). We have been having good runs within a game, but then sometimes we lose our focus, so much so that when I think of an upcoming game I think more about us than I do about the opponent. It seems almost pointless to worry about what offensive set the other team uses or where they slide from right now, or even who on their team might hurt us in various ways. I am concerned with us catching the ball, us protecting the goal and the goalie, us connecting on the field.
Welcome to Michigan. Now that we arrived it is below freezing, while at home it is supposed to finally get up in the 70's. I am sure that by Monday it will be lovely in Detroit and a new Arctic storm will arrive in Colorado. I feel like I can't get a break, timing wise. Not to mention the fact that injuries are really changing the make-up of this team as the season moves along..
My best friend in life and lacrosse will be inducted in our college Athletic Hall of Fame later this month on a day when it will be impossible for me to be there because I will be in my "favorite" place on earth, Provo, Utah for the RMILL championships. There is no way around this, and I have known this for six months, also knowing that there was nothing I could do about it. Another friend from college gets me tickets every year for the Phillies one trip to Denevr to play the Rockies. I remain a Phillie fan, even though I have not lived in Philadelphia since the 60's (1960's that is). Guess what? Same weekend. Then, of course, for the cherry on top, one of our stars has a brother or sister getting married that weekend, too, and will not be able to go. I point all this out as only a sample of the way the 2002 season has been for me. Last year every punt seemed to be a towering spiral, and now they are nothing but tumbling end over end dying ducks. Guess what? I shall keep kicking on this freaking door.
The Courtyard by Marriott we are in is much nicer than the rat infested Red Roof we stayed in last year. Each room is furnished with the Book of Mormon, so we all feel right at home. I wonder if we should go back to staying in dumpier places, because I wonder if we play better when we stay in places that have cockroaches the size of small cats (LA). Nah, I'd rather try to figure out a way to live well and play well. There should be no reason that these two things need be mutually exclusive. It's not like we travel by charter. In fact, we had a plane change in Chicago yesterday, and though I was a little nervous about the connection, it was all fairly smooth. The airports seem to be getting back to a pace that I have not seen in the last 7 months. Chicago O'Hare was rockin'.
We are going out for a chilly throw around in a half hour. Later we will watch tape of Michigan. We need to play relentless and smart defense. We need to finish and take advantage of opportunities. We need to get on a roll.
Most coaches tell their players not to drink/get high the night before a game. For me it is the day of the game. What am I doing here? I am the Swamp fox leading the rebel troops, and the Red Coats are everywhere right now.
Saturday, April 6, 2002
We lost to an inspired University of Michigan team last night, 13-9. We gave up 5 goals in the first quarter, and we never really recovered. There are a lot of unhappy CSU lacrosse players right now. We are just not putting together a full game, and we are not matching up very well with anyone these days. Michigan out hustled us, they beat us to almost every ground ball, and they controlled a lot of the game. We couldn't get the ball on face-offs, and with the Wolverines deliberate style of offense and ball control, we just didn't have the ball enough. Our stars are not making big plays, and sometimes not even the little ones, and I am not sure that I have the tactical answers to reverse this funk we seem to be in. Teams are holding the ball and just throwing it around the perimeter, making it hard for us to get the ball, because our defense is not really designed to have individuals pressure and play take-away. It is designed for slides and creating confusion when the other team attacks the goal. Perhaps we will need to start coming out and putting pressure on the ball carrier, no matter where he is on the field, because I am tired of just watching other teams hold on to the ball for extended periods.
We are making mistakes and drawing penalties at crucially bad times right now. We are a team divided on the field and off, and, win, lose, or draw the most important thing for me is that we remain united as a team, and as a family. Ultimately I don't care nearly as much about winning and losing as I do about how we play the game. We have cliques and in fighting right now, which have supplanted our normally universal resolve. I have tried to shake things up. I have told myself that it is me. That I am somehow not teaching the right things, and that I don't seem to put in adjustments that make a difference at the right times, but I am afraid it is not that simple either. There is something missing in the approach that this group takes to preparation. The love and the working hard because you love playing the game has been somehow supplanted by a feeling that we should just win because that is what we do here, and that is what we have been doing for years now. I am tired of blaming myself whenever we don't win. All I want from this group is for them to shut up and get to work, and follow the "lead" of some of our younger players who do just that, because one thing this team does do extremely well is talk.
This season is wearing me down. I have always believed that for a "club" lacrosse team to be successful, they all have to be part of the big picture, the functioning of the organization. Right now I see that from the players who never get to play, but I certainly do not see it from many of the ones that do play a lot. One of the pitfalls of success is thinking that it becomes somehow your right. This steals the hunger from a team. We are not hungry, and worse than that, people don't seem to hate losing enough to really think about how to change it. They seem to expect that I will have the answer, because they perceive that I always have in the past. Well, the "wizard" doesn't look so clever right now.
I am ready to give young hungry players more opportunity right now. We have nothing to lose.
9:00 PM the same day
This morning we had a meeting before practice, and I guess I preached. I talked mostly about family and how much we are not one. I talked about how I ultimately don't care about winning and losing nearly as much as I care about some other things, namely a feeling of togetherness that is not always accurately reflected by any score of any game.
After that we played baseball with lacrosse sticks before going to the brunch that was set out for us by the Naab's, who live in Brighton, twenty minutes from the hotel. It actually takes almost an hour to get back, however, because we always get lost trying to retrace our route. It was very nice, and of course the players got that all important free meal.
We got behind the University of Buffalo Bulls by a score of 3-0. I was kneeling and stressing, saying to myself, "Here we go again." It seemed as though no matter who we play, the same game pattern tries to develop. Our only short stick face-off man hurt his knee on the first face-off. This is almost getting funny. We continued to give the Bulls momentum well into the second quarter, and in fact they scored at the end of the first half to go up 8-7 at the break.
I did not go ballistic, but I felt like I could explode. Who knows when I will at half, because I never do. We had started to move and play in the second quarter, so I was somewhat encouraged. Anyway, I was clear and succinct about what I wanted to see happen next. At some point something happened, because they (we) came out and just started looking like what I perceive CSU lacrosse to look like, something I had not seen for a very long time. We ended up winning 20-9, outscoring them 13-1 in the second half. I want very much for us to not feel great about today, but rather fuel ourselves to continue what we started . A fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth quarter would be a nice birthday present on what will be my 50th birthday. For the record, it is no big deal for me. I have felt 50 since 1998.
Sunday, April 7, 2002
I really don't have any time right now, but since I know there are some that depend on this to see how we did, we beat Texas A&M today, 14-4. They made us work, and the Aggies had some skilled players, but we are finally beginning to come along a little bit. All in all the weekend was a lot of fun. We are certainly clear on the fact that no matter who our opponent is our biggest enemy is often ourselves. We have potential. The only problem is that the bud of potential has only 5 short weeks to come into full bloom.
Monday, April 8, 2002
"IT'S NOT GETTING WHAT YOU WANT, BUT WANTING WHAT YOU GOT" Cheryl Crowe
I had a great birthday. Sunday was a big long day right on top of losing an hour of sleep by "springing forward" into daylight savings time.
9:00 am - Wake up the team for continental breakfast. We had finished the Buffalo game only 14 hours ago, barely time to eat, wind down, and sleep.
10:30 am - Leave for Oosterban Field house for 12:00 game with Texas A&M.
11:45 am - As I warmed up a goalie, the first cake showed up on the field, compliments of our lovely scorekeepers, Andrea and Faith. I was sung Happy Birthday to while corralled in the crease by the team for the first of what would eventually become I think about 100 or so times that I would hear the song (2 languages) over the next two days.
12:00 pm - We played the 12th ranked (I think) Texas A&M Aggies, and while playing well at times, but certainly not all the time, we pulled away to an eventual and systematic 14-4 win. Buffalo and A&M were ranked adjacent to one another in the poll. A&M beat the Bulls, but I actually think that Buffalo seemed like a better and certainly deeper team. We had 12 penalties, and a few holes in the D, but we have begun to squeeze it tighter. Certain youngun's played terrific. I went only semi-ballistic at half-time.
2:30 pm - Return to hotel, shower, and attend brunch sponsored by the Krceck's. Included was pizza, and several more rounds of cakes and happy birthday singing. I am party, the verb.
3:45 pm - Leave for Airport, following our fearless travel leader Charlie Brown. CB does everything for us. He is our agent, booking engagements and scurrying around to make our travel all work, and making sure that we get the things we need. He is called Charlie Brown because he is "a good man to have around". I'm not sure how many vans we had, but there were plenty. At times, with parental entourage, we conjured up images of Wagon Train. .
6:46 pm - After taking care of all that it is to get this F Troop on the plane and settled we take off for, of all places St. Louis as the rain starts to fall.
7:15 EDT to 7:15 CDT - "Collaborate" on paper due last Friday. It was on some relevant questions concerning the Ibo society in Southern Nigeria at some apparently unknown time in history, although it was during the period of British Imperialism which lasted God knows how long. Anyway, it was nice to know that college paper writing never changes, and that it really doesn't take very many facts to fill two double spaced pages.
7:30 pm - We land and change planes in St. Louis.
9:00 pm - Take off for the very colorful ride home to Colorado, an experience that was almost surreal as its events transpired. Suffice to say that we are "tweaking" some of our travel rules so that we are always perceived as fine young men (well, not me of course), and never as Barbarians raiding their way home.
10:00 pm - MDT Arrive in Denver. End up accidentally leaving the only really good cake of the 6 total for the whole birthday experience in the airport right on top of the $3.00 luggage cart dispenser. Bummer. I am sure it became one of those items that they confiscate and destroy in some furnace somewhere. I carried it all the way to Denver.
12:00 am - I arrive home, and gratefully crawl into my own bed.
YOU CAN'T TELL THE PLAYERS WITHOUT A SCORECARD
Alex was back playing fairly strong in the goal after the roller coaster of the last month, but at half-time against Buffalo I was going to pull him and put in Kevin. I went up to him and said, "Alex, I'm going to have to pull you", fearing that he was not quite yet 100% back from his injury. I explained that he had not made a save in the first half. With pleading eyes he looked at me and showed me 3 fingers, representing the three saves that he had made in the first half. I smiled, thinking of the 8 goals that they had. He begged, I let him stay, and he had a stellar second half. It continued vs. A&M.
Bo came out in the first two games and played like a man, and then was gracious enough to share opportunity with another at a time that was very important for that individual. Bo knows lacrosse. Bo also understands team.
Jared was Jared. Thank you Mr. and Mrs Katz. If ever the cliché "I could coach a million guys like that" fit someone, it fits Jared. All he does is make me glad I coach, and any team he ever plays on in any sport will be lucky to have him.
Joe has done everything I have ever asked since a certain moment in time a couple of years ago when his stick flew like a helicopter off the field and toward the street in what was the defining instant in our relationship. He was solid all weekend. I am living in a world where solid is probably what I want more than anything else, so that means everything.
Kale is starting to play the kind of lacrosse that he is capable of. His work habits are beginning to show and pay off. He represents me on and off the field. I am proud to be his coach. It is getting fun to just watch him play and lead.
REFLECTIONS ON A "BUSINESS TRIP"
I knew Michigan would be improved over what we saw on tape before we played them. They are young and hungry, and teams like that just get better. I wish I could convince this team of these things better sometimes.
I have a group. This group spends way too much time counting their points (goals and assists). If they would focus on how many ground balls they picked up or how many turnovers they forced on the ride we might really get somewhere. If they would hate getting turnovers as much as they love counting their points, they would have a lot less of them (turnovers) to my way of thinking. If their goal was to never get a penalty but always hustle and be a force, I would be happy. If they did all these things the points would pile up faster than a flash flood fills a river bed.
We are retooling, and might be for the rest of the season. I hope this is not true because SOLID is what I seek. We have long sticks moving around. Our face-off situation is a grab bag. I have disbanded midfield lines and gone back to the rotation that I much prefer for a variety of reasons. The actual rotation is always a work in progress. Even the attack is getting re-sculpted as I search for a unit, not just 3 starters. In Michigan it was goalie du jour, but I hope that will return to normalcy soon.
We are getting killed on man down, and our man up is not consistent enough to make up the difference. What on many teams is too many slashes, for us is a lot of illegal body checks, sometimes I have mixed emotions about these because I want us to be physical, and we are. Many of these have been bad penalties, though. I do not want to get into penalty fests, if for no other reason than the pure aesthetics of the game.
We need to get in much better condition as a team, and we are running out of daylight. We need the "Eye of the Tiger" in a way we never needed it before. Talent is never enough, and, in fact, at times in my opinion it is way overrated. You can never overrate heart or desire. If you have talented players that ooze heart and desire, then the sky is the limit.
Onward and Upward.
Wednesday, April 10, 2002
DON'T WORRY, BE HAPPY, OR PANIC: INSTINCT OR LEARNED BEHAVIOR?
I feel a sense of urgency that I have not felt for a long time, but I also feel a surge of energy that has been a long time coming as well. I basically think we must raise our overall level of capability to a game playing plateau far above where we have played for a whole game all season. We must do this in the next two weeks to just have a chance at dreaming a dream. How do we do it? As always I attack practice and try to control as many things on the field as I possibly can. There is no longer time to address or even worry about those things about which I can do nothing. There is time to learn more stuff as a team, and to understand situations better, and, I think I saw a light. There is time to turn it on, but only they can do it..
We still can really happen as a team because we have seen glimpses of how it might look many times, and now I would like to see that lit up look all the time. They really do have their finger on the switch.
JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH
There is a "chemistry" that must exist to really excel as a team. It is always just within many teams' reach. Only a few, on any given year, can dig deep enough to find their right mixture of ingredients and compression to become igneous, molten, relentless, and hot at the right time and in the right place, a lava flow. We all want it, but it only comes from deep inside team terra firma. It can all become metamorphosed into something far more powerful than any single part of its molecular make up, but it is hard to get just the right mix, and of course, there is always the possibility of explosion and fragmentation, followed by rapid cooling. I am the mad scientist this week!
INCOMING
On Friday night we play a much improved Utah program. I have known their coach, Mason Goodhand, since we competed against one another in college. He was a Zoomie (USAFA). He is a great coach. It is our first home night game since I have been here (7:00). The following day I will get to see my son Michael play, finally, but only because his team plays a high school game on our field right before we play CU, at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Friday, April 12, 2002
I am eager and excited to see how we play this weekend. With 2 important league games, we are also looking at another night game (tonight vs. Utah) followed by an afternoon tilt (tomorrow vs. CU). These are our final 2 home games. Time flies regardless of how much fun you are having. This weekend and next week's game in Durango against Fort Lewis will determine where we are seeded in the RMILL championships, which begin 2 weeks from today.
My thoughts for the team right now are
:1) We still have time to put it all together, because we know how. A dash of intensity, a sprinkle of good choices, a dollop of whoopass, and we are Victory stew.
2) Face-offs, face-offs, face-offs. I'm not sure how to get them, but I am sure I want them. We start by contesting and giving ourselves a chance to fight for the ball on every one.
3) We have shown ourselves to be, shall we say, not the force to be frightened of that we might have been in the past. Coaches ask me about teams we have played, like Sonoma (#1) in such a way that it makes me think that people around the USLIA have already made up their minds that we can't do it this year. We definitely are only a long shot to be in the top 4 seeds in St. Louis, so I can see why they feel that way. All that matters to me is how we feel about ourselves.
4) Practices have been very intense this week. I reined them in pretty good. Tonight I will give them their head, let them run. I want to motivate, not dominate. I want to help, and be an 11th guy on the field, and not Bobby Knight. They need to control their own game. I just need to have a good idea or two. We all need to have fun every time we play a game.
Next week I will do some research and try to figure out what is really going on around the different leagues of the USLIA to get a further idea of where we really stand. It is a topsy turvy kind of year. We have played all the top teams with the exception of Auburn and a surprising Arizona team, so it is not as though I am clueless..
We haven't lost 4 games this early, and we didn't lose 4 total in 2001. Life is full of little challenges. I guess I wouldn't have it any other way. So many variables, and ultimately so little control.
Saturday, April 13, 2002
Although we got off to a slow start against Utah last night, leading 3-1 at the end of one quarter. We rolled in the second, and led 11-1 at the half. All dawgs played in the second half en route to a 19-3 final.
We really are beginning to be a continuation from one game to the next. We are playing well for longer stretches, and our pace of play is finally starting to look right. Our rate of improvement is better than it has been all season long. Our stars are making some plays, and our defense is getting tighter, though certainly a work in progress. We finished a lot of chances last night, and we owned the ball for the entire game. Granted that the Utes are not as talented as we are, but we had shown the ability to self-destruct against great teams and weak ones, too. Last night we stepped on their necks and we never let them up.
As a team we now have a lot of options within a game. Almost everything is in, look and basic strategy wise. Now we have to improve our execution, and, of course, auditions for the face-off role are open to all at this time and for the foreseeable future.
It is key that we sustain today what began in the second half vs. Buffalo last week in Ann Arbor. We should have no problem with a day game after a night game, but it is something I always worry about. It is not easy to play this very intense game every day. The rivalry with CU remains intense and bitter.
LATER THAT SAME DAY
Saturday, April 13, 2002
On the warmest, most beautiful afternoon that 2002 has had to offer we beat CU 10-4 in the final home game for us this year, and for 9 seniors in their career. Although the ten goals we scored were far fewer than I was hoping for, the four that we allowed reflected the kind of defensive effort I wanted and that we need in order to be successful. We outshot them by a huge number, like fifty something to about 20. Their goalie, Chris Bluse, was fantastic, and more than that, he just feeds their whole team with energy and life. He must have had close to 30 saves, and it wasn't like we were just taking poor shots.
Our record is now 11-4, including the DU "scrimmage".
We were down 1-0 on an EMO goal for them after a stupid penalty by "us", before going scoring 8 unanswered goals over about a two quarter span that gave us an 8-1 lead midway through the third quarter. The Buffs eventually closed to 9-4 late, but could not find the back of the net again. Our midfielders picked up much of the scoring load today, led by Jared's 3. He's a one man track meet sometimes. It is fun to watch him skate, er, I mean run. Mr. Garbage, Mike Hamm chipped in with two goals. He scores the prettiest garbage goals you'd ever want to see. Somehow when he scores I am happy. It's like it is part of us. When he scores a goal or two we look like us. We didn't have enough assists today. We broke down the CU defense but the wall in their goal seemed to have an answer for just about everything we threw at him.
It was a fun day, and once again the crowd was remarkable. We have a bit of a cult following I think. Maybe there are just lots of folks that like to drink and watch lacrosse. Whatever the case it is fun, and you can feel the support.
Again it was not easy to play the afternoon after a night game against a team that was pumped to play us, and who had not played a game the day before. We withstood the challenge. We played with heart and for the most part poise, and we controlled the game all afternoon. We are certainly "back to back" tested, as we have now had a bunch of these. I should be flogged for the schedule I made. Now comes the "road warrior" stretch. We go all the way to Durango for 1 game next Saturday against Fort Lewis. It is so far down there. Then we turn around and bus eight hours to Provo the next weekend for the RMILL championships Then we are home for only10 days, mostly exams and other "distractions" before we fly to St.Louis on May 7.
This is the time of the year that we spend the rest of the year getting ready for. I feel so alive.
Tuesday, April 16, 2002
I have another player that I could "coach a million" of. He has come to practice and checked the message machine pretty much every day of his four (eight, including fall ball) seasons here. If he ever had a conflict there was always a message waiting, even if I was a day late in hearing it. As a player the only things he has ever asked from me as a coach have been questions about how he could be better, or how to find his role. When he has a suggestion it is always comes from a thoughtful place, something that makes me always listen to try to hear what he really has to say. He has folded jerseys, carried water, collected balls, and written newsletters about the CSU lacrosse program. He has always paid his due$ on time.
Always ready at 3:30 (4:00 after DST), no one tries harder to do exactly what I say more than this guy. He always moves to the ball. He always jumps into every drill with both feet, willing to play in a dreaded green (defense) shirt well before I made it "fashionable". When he plays in a game he always plays up to his capabilities. He has never underachieved on the field because he knows his strengths and he understands that knowing his limits is the key for his success.. This is a rare quality in an individual or a player, if you ask me. When this player has not been in the game often or at all, you will often hear them (fans, and or players) chant his number, "30, 30, 30!" They want to see him in the game because everyone can see plainly that no one has wanted to win this or any game more than #30, and that he represents the heart and soul of his team. He cries when we lose, and wonders what more he could have done. He is our true spirit. He embraces all that is good in sports, and maybe just people in general. I am the proud coach of Matt Hamm. I only wish I could have given him more.
SOMETIMES THE BEST THING I COULD EVER SAY MIGHT BE, "YES, WE DON'T SUCK!"
I apologize for this. I really am deep down a half full kind of guy.
I believe that all on this team like my plan or the way I think and approach the game (though not always my moods or the negative spin I put on shall we say, "playing below our capabilities".) I do believe in them and us as well. We have greatness in there somewhere. I'm sure of it. I feel like I am fiddling with a key chain, and the key to get inside is on here, and the one that will fit and turn the last lock has got be coming up soon. At the same time, someone I was hoping not to see is hurrying up the stairs behind me.
As a coach it means everything to see players working on drills to make them special to that team. I am seeing some of that. I don't know what it means, but with luck it represents their passion for playing. Almost any drill can be expanded. The motions and offensive looks and sets that we have for CSU 2002 are pretty much in now. The defenses are in place with a new wrinkle or two, and, as always in progress. Now, as a team, they are hopefully closing in on making the reads and finding some magic between one another on the field. My wish is that we are tweaking the level of communication and understanding so that on offense we can open the same holes (pour in goals) that our defense will keep closed (get that out of here). .
Everyone prepares for us. I just want to prepare for us, too. I apologize for the fact that I often don't even want my team thinking about specifics of another team. I want them (us) to execute our will first and worry about the rest later. Sometimes I even think that watching tape gives us a false sense of reality as well. Remember always that it is the truth that will set you free, and not simply a perception of how you would like things to be. Sometimes nothing could be farther from the truth.
Thursday, April 18, 2002
I think everyone has been praying for snow so that we won't have to drive to Durango this weekend, and it looks like their prayers might be answered as it is supposed to snow for the next 4 days. What month is this? With our timing and luck it will only snow an amount to make the drive more miserable and not enough to cancel anything.
We are into the home stretch now. They are counting the number of games left. They know that each game is precious at this point in time. Last year I felt like I knew almost exactly how everything was going to go from here on out, although I never foresaw the "Ambush in Durango". This year I have no idea what will happen. I have not even seen more than a glimpse of our true potential in 2002. I know it is high, but with changes and injuries and other things to knock us off center here and there, it becomes hard to predict how well we can play.
We are travel tested, and we have three tough trips back to back to back now. We have played 3 games in three days a few times. We have played teams that were more rested than we . We have seen many teams' best efforts. Michigan, BYU, and Sonoma all played great against us, although it would seem that Sonoma plays great against everyone. Even though we have lost four games, and were outplayed in all of those losses, we have had some sort of "look" at each game, tied in the second half or whatever. The difference between us "going off" or not would often appear to be separated by a very small gray area. Back to that "lights on, lights off" metaphor, I want see "teamsahn" turn light on.
I am all thinking about defense now. We have got to play great defense for things to work right. I think this is how every team is for me. I don't want to get into a shootout or a track meet with face-offs. We have to hold down the other team. We have to make them (other team) unhappy. I want the opponent to have to work hard to get a clear or a shot or a ground ball. When you don't let things come easily to "them", then good things will tend to come easier for "us". We have to work as a unit, from in the goal to the other box to keep other teams at bay. We can't worry about match ups. We have to communicate well and keep things simple.
I am going to a luncheon today at CSU where, among others things, they will recognize the accomplishments of the lacrosse program to all those who give money to the university. I will wear a tie, and hopefully my new pants will fit.
Friday, April 19, 2002
It snowed a trace last night, but we are out of here like a herd of turtles. Many players are driving to Durango on their own, including me. I pray that all travel safely and smartly. We are getting no compromise from Fort Lewis College, as they would not even change the game time to help us get back earlier. I hope our team is as motivated to play well as I am to see them play at a high level. I want to go strongly into the RMILL championships.
I know I put the "Hater's Revenge Tour" to bed last May, but I am feeling a little angry right now. Maybe I need to wake up that part of me (bear) and us. I haven't had one parking ticket to rage about this spring, but there are plenty of other things that are really beginning to get on my nerves. I do not want us to "go quietly into that good night". I want us to fight and play with passion every second that we are in a game. We will have to earn anything we get this season, and that is fine with me. I want to start by going to Durango and pounding a Skyhawk into submission. After that it is off in quest of that Holy Grail, trying to put a dagger in one mascot at a time. If we ultimately become Ram stew, it must never come easily or cheaply.
On a lighter note, we are still ranked fourth in the nation (USLIA), behind Sonoma, BYU, and Auburn. Way to go Tigers. They seem to be the real deal, adding something extra to the USLIA championships upcoming. This might be the first time an SELC team is ranked in the top 3. St. Louis is only a couple of weeks off. What a strange season this has been.
Monday, April 22, 2002
Sometimes I can't believe how long it takes for me to get caught up after I am out of the office for 48 hours or whatever.
We went to Durango Friday, won a very stupid game on Saturday, 24-6 over Fort Lewis College. It was, as Alex reported, a blustery day. Actually, that might be an understatement. It was actually freaking windy and cold. They ran the clock after the first quarter. We were eating lunch a little after 3:00, and the game started at 1:00. I treated the trip as I had the one to my nephew's Bar Mitzvah, which was also a quick turn around; to me the point of embarkation and destination were one and the same. When we were in Durango we were halfway home. I was ready to give the other team a cheer after the third quarter.
I did not get stopped by the police because I carry radar detector. Still, I almost got nailed twice. The vans carried things like TV's, DVD's and couches, and I think most of them got stopped and or ticketed somewhere along the way. One of our speeders (campus crusader) did get some divine intervention and was not actually cited. As I passed one of our cars that had been pulled over on the way home I thought to myself that the trooper was the one committing the sin. We were in the middle of nowhere. We were surrounded by God's country. We should be allowed to go as fast as possible without being blown off the road. Don't these guys have wives and families? Why are empty 2 lane roads in southern Colorado so heavily patrolled? I think we know the answer to this question. I'm thinking all those speeding tickets did not make the trip very cost effective for the team.
Preparations for our trip to the RMILL championships probably will not go as planned, and, in fact I have already received a call with a case of the flu, but I feel like I am clear about exactly what we need to do and work on. Those things will be the focus for the next 3 practices. One good thing about the long ride was that I had a long and quality coaching session with one of my assistant coaches. We went over a lot of stuff, and I planned this week’s practices.
The bus leaves Thursday at noon for Provo. I am off to go to a lunch concerning our summer camp.
Wednesday, April 24, 2002
aMAYzing GRACE
and chuck it in the goal
I can't remember ever feeling the power of the following affirmation any more than I do right now: All that is important is how we play. The score will then take care of itself. For this team that is the absolute truth.
Since it is almost May, and I have already talked about affirMaytions, I would like to continue the theme; these are ten of my spring wishes in no particular order.
1) May we act well at all times on the field; this is one of my Mayjor concerns.
ps) Why give other teams any more reason to beat you than they May already have?
2) May we always move to the ball; like Mayple syrup moves toward the plate..
3) May we always move without the ball; keep the other defense in disMay.
4) May we build and Mayntain a wall in front of our goal; Maysonary mayde with bricks of hearts and smarts, bonded together with the mortar of communication.
5) May we get fast breaks and never give them; force THEM to play 6 on 6 offense and work for everything, while WE mayke something from nothing.
6) May we be virtually penalty free; Penalties create Mayhem for our defense.
7) May we play smart; a Maynstay for playing good ball of any kind..
8) May we find our true potential; Mayne focus this week.
9) May we always play like Mayniacs; with passion and pride.
10) May we travel well and travel safely; Maybe this will be a Magic Bus.
We leave in 19 hours. I gotta get us ready.
Friday April 26, 2002
Sandy, Utah.
One of the great things (for me) about doing a journal (besides the fact that I can put commas and quoutation marks wherever I want) is that when I sit down to "write" (see?) I often have no idea what subject I am about to explore. I always try to keep this journal under some sort of lacrosse blanket, but nonetheless I learn much truth about myself by not only writing, but also by examining the way I feel ABOUT writing at that moment.
This year writing has been hard at times because last year this part was so easy and fresh, and this year the season in general has been difficult and a whole different kind of test. In terms of the pure lacrosse part and the team, I relish pretty much any and all challenges, and this year has had a cornucopia of tests. The things that go on, mostly off the field and outside of my control are definitely wearing on me. These include everything from "fans" who yell obscenities at the BYU bench all afternoon, to non-believers who come to practice more or less every day and think that I have no idea what I am talking about. Sometimes I might even agree, but ultimately I know exactly what I want from a team and its performance during a campaign, and it is never the same things as the year before..
No two teams are the same. It doesn't matter if every single player is back from the prior year. Everyone "evolves" in some way and so does the team. As always, to me what is most important is how we relate on the field and the themes that we cling to and rally around, and not how well we get our long sticks in and out of the game, or whether they run some perfect play that coach almighty drew up. I want to build a machine that runs great. I want them to "drive", and not be always waiting for me to control everything. When players create something fresh and special together, way past whatever I had drilled into them, that is when I am most proud as a coach. When they take little things that I "put in" or suggest and make it more on their own, that is when I know we are headed down the fun road, the road that, wherever it goes is someplace you wanted to go.
The non believers and the "traditions" here are definitely steering me in a new direction. I never wanted to be like everyone else. I want us to be special. I guess ultimately it is the team's team. That is the reality of club sports. That and the fact that if something negative happens with anyone or anything that might remotely involve our team, it ends up on "my desk". Yet I am not even recognized by the university as anything. I have no office and I have no power. If my family knew how much $ I have spent on this team, they would certainly lynch me, so I will never tell.
I told the team the other day that I am not sure what I am going to do next year. As I thought about it I realized that wherever I will be remains a question. The fact is that I am still excited to coach. The truth is that if I am going to baby sit, however, I want it to be my 2 year old Jordan, and not 40 testoserone-crazed, college-aged males. I am a coach. If being a baby sitter and a drill sargeant are prerequisites to being a good coach, then I will never be one, because that is not what I do.
Friday, April 26, 2002
1:00 a.m. (technically Saturday)
We played CU this afternoon at South Field on the campus of BYU. We went up 3-1 in the first quarter, and then laid dormant offensively for a seemingly endless period of time. We led 3-2 at the half, but it was a very confident CU team at the other end during halftime. Meanwhile I was raging about all the things we weren't doing. Apparently it didn't help as it wasn't that far into the second half that CU went ahead and led 5-3. We clawed our way to a 6-6 tie, but then they got two easy ones right back to lead 8-6 after 3 quarters. I was worried because I had hoped that once we tied it we were over the hump. When they got those next two it stung, especially since we worked so hard to get back, and considering the type of low scoring game that it was. We came out in the 4th, however, and played hard and with tremendous resolve, outscoring the Buffs 3-0 to win the game 9-8. Our D held firm for the last 3 minutes, even though we had to play the last 58 seconds a man short. After the game I said something I have not said all season, and that was how proud I was of the way they hung together and played hard, and instead of floundering in the crucial moments of a game, we emerged, refusing to lose. It was a great game. We got a lift on their final shot attempt as time expired.
One thing about the game I didn't like was other people's reaction to the game, wondering why we only beat them by one goal. Well, we aren't always going to beat them 14-7 or whatever. We have beaten them many many times in a row, and I am sure they are getting tired of it. They have some good players and a great goalie, and to me CU is a much better team than some of the teams we have played that are ranked above them. I was not surprised that they gave us a great game, and I am not disappointed that we only won by one goal. In fact I am very pleased that we won at all.
Tomorrow we play BYU at 7:00 p.m. On BYU TV for the RMILL championship. I am sure that BYU will be feeling very confident after spanking Utah in the other semi-fimal by the score of 22-8. I watched it on TV and didn't end up finishing this until now, almost 2:00 a.m.I am pretty sure that they think if they shut down #13 Tim Farquhar, who had five goals for us today, that we will curl up in a ball and go away. They might be right, but it is not my plan to go quietly into that good night. It is, however, my plan to go quietly into this good night.
Saturday, April 27, 2002
I checked out of the hotel at 7:00 a.m. to go to an early morning league meeting I had been dreading. As I was chatting with the hotel clerk about our upcoming league championship game against BYU wishing that I was still asleep up in #424, he said something very interesting to me. He was young and shall we say looked very at home in Utah in the same way that Karl Malone doesn't. He said, "I really hope you win. I hate BYU." (I am just reporting the facts). I said thank you, and the fact that he would be pulling for us somehow meant something to me for the simple reason that he said it with some passion. It was also interesting because after all, this was a Courtyard by Marriott, with A Book of Mormon in every room and in UTAH. Anyway, as I stood outside, pounding as many little styrofoam cup coffee refills from their lobby hospitality set up as I could before my ride showed up, I began thinking to myself. I actually love BYU, though perhaps not my trips to Utah.. I love BYU because they give our team some kind of "evil Empire" to rage an ongoing battle with. I love playing BYU because they raise the bar in our division all the time with TV, quality of players and coaching, all of it. I love them because they allow me to coach at a level of competition and in the type of league that I perceive to be a perfect fit for me.
It began to rain, and I thought, oh goodie. Slugging it out under the lights in some kind of slop 12 hours later actually sounded good to me.
As a footnote, I was very impressed with CU yesterday; their youth, and their team play, which may or may not get them to St. Louis, but there is no doubt in my mind that either way, they belong, and my vote in the USLIA top 25 poll will reflect that.
Sunday, April 28, 2002
I am home. We are the RMILL champions. We beat BYU on "national" TV last night (last night?) 16-7. Wow! Uh, yeah, it's all just like I planned it, and........ The truth is that I wanted to go and play well, even though I had the only "plaque"(League defensive MVP Mark Plonkey) that any player on our team got at the RMILL banquet (many got certificates) in my briefcase because he was not there to get it himself, but actually had really gone to his brother's wedding in Taos, New Mexico. I don't think I really believed Mark would not be with us until he ordered the tux a week before. Anyway, I figure he owes us now.
I wanted us to go to Provo, show well, act well, and build some momentum for the grueling two weeks ahead, the windy road to St. Louis. The actuality was that we played with heart and incredible passion, and we hustled and we took over the game early and never let go. In the second half, we began to really put our stamp on the game. We have an identity now. I think we finally know who we are, warts and all. I had seen glimpses of this potential, but this was a complete effort, and truly the definition of a team win. There was no CSU lacrosse Ram who did not contribute last night, and it doesn't matter if he played or if he did not. By the way, all the seniors did play. As Hammy pointed out on the almost pleasant bus ride home, we scored 4 goals in each quarter. I would like to quote one of my favorite alums, Ryan Ferrin when I say, "Now that's what I'M talkin' about".
Our defense last night in metaphorm: Alex was the keel (in goal) of a defensive vessel that is beginning to be seaworthy. The mates are getting their "sea legs", adjusting to all the chaos that has been me trying to figure how to not have 20 goals scored on us, as, defensively, we had all season been adrift in what felt like an "angry ocean", and the "perfect storm" seemed always nearby. We weathered the BYU wave pretty well last night, but the "boat" still needs some fortification and a few patches."
Offensively, it was as if they (we) had all gotten engaged to each other recently. They weren't perfect, but the chemistry and excitement was their for all to see and feel. The magnitude of that vibration is really quite strong. The "relationship" between them has boundless room to grow now, as long as they remember how much they love one another, and what we are really trying to find.
In this case perhaps I save the best for last, because finally, at long last, maybe we have built the kind of midfield "platoon" that I had always hoped for. Last night we couldn't win a face-off early on, yet time and again the midfielders one way or another got ahold of and brought the ball cleanly down field to the offensive end. We kept pounding away at the face-off, eventually got a few, and that is when we really began to put some distance between our score number and theirs. We contested and fought for ground balls all game, as if each was to be to the death. They (our midfielders) contributed in every facet of the game, and in every corner of the field. I think BYU worried all about one of our midfielders (Tim, and his 5 goals vs. CU), and not "Team Midfield", which is who I hope we really are.
At one point during a time out I told the team that they were doing a great job "running the game". They were controlling and communicating in a way that made me want "them" to be in charge of this game.
Game balls: Alex. Stellar, and at times spectacular. Plus he ripped the cast off his hand after the game. Jeff Schmid: The big man has a huge heart and skills, too. Rex (#40, BYU) got his points, but he had to work extra hard for them on this night. Mike Napolilli: However many points he did or did not have (actually 2 goals and 4 assists), last night was by far his best game of the season. Doug Priebe and Mike Hamm: These two were fantastic in their roles. Thank you, Jesus. The bench: The non-players were awesome. Maybe I should have one more for Mark Plonkey, too, because now we know that we are a real team. Do not get me wrong. I have no desire to play another game without him.