http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/lax/blog/ John Weaver blogs about all things lacrosse en Copyright 2008 Wed, 08 Oct 2008 09:32:16 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss JEN ADAMS Jen Adams is my favorite lacrosse player since Gary Gait’s retirement. It is visceral. I like watching men’s lacrosse far more than I do women’s but I will watch Adams play before I watch any men’s team, because she’s always making history when she steps on the field. She’s that good and she makes everyone around her instantly better. She is unselfish but can take you to the cage with ease. It is always a thrill when she has the ball. I recall seeing her play in an NCAA tournament game for the Terps (I won’t mention the opponent) when her team was up by a couple goals near the end of the contest. She had possession of the ball on the left side of the cage against a very good college defender on a very worthy team. Jen worked the defender out of position and bolted for the goal, but at the last minute pulled up and returned to the side where she had started, the defender following her all the way in and then all the way back, panting in exhaustion. Jen then took the defender to the cage again, hard. She beat her again and could have easily scored but again pulled up and returned to the spot. A minute was gone from the clock. To everyone’s amazement, Jen did it again, a third time and a fourth. I am sure it was not Jen’s intention but the defender was in tears by the fourth time back to the sideline spot. The game was over and everyone in attendance knew who the best player they ever saw was. In 2005, the Australian phenomenon led her nation to the world championship in Annapolis. The 28-year-old from Brighton, South Australia, graduated from Maryland in 2001 with four NCAA championship rings. She returned to College Park as an assistant in 2007 with head coach Cathy Reese after assisting Reese for two years at the University of Denver. In 2008, Reese and Adams’ Terps reached a No. 2 ranking and finished with an 18-3 record. John Weaver: Jen, Coaching at Loyola, a program where cancer took one of its great heroes, Diane Geppi-Aikens, is it special to play in a tournament that serves children with cancer? Jen Adams: I think that anytime you are given an opportunity to experience something bigger than the sport, bigger than your team, bigger than everyday life, it is special to be a part of. One of the greatest lessons that Diane instilled in her players was to always live every day and every second to its fullest. We are extremely honored to be able to be involved in such a great cause and I can already tell that the Loyola girls have been touched by the stories and amazing strength of these young survivors. One of the characteristics I hope our Loyola players will always represent is that of being selfless and compassionate. ... This tournament offers us the opportunity to play some great lacrosse, but more importantly to come together to show our support for a truly important and worthy cause. JW: This is the first year women's teams have participated in the tournament. And it's a good field of teams. Is this the top women's fall event already? JA: This tournament boasts not only a top field of talent, but also is supportive of a great cause. That in itself makes it one of the, if not the premier women's fall event. I believe that this tournament has the potential to grow over the coming years into something much bigger, and it will continue to attract interest at every level. We'd all like to thank Missy Doherty and her staff at Towson and Vince Fiduccia at the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society for organizing the event. I know Loyola looks forward to contributing to a successful and profitable tournament this year and many more to come. JW: What are you looking to achieve when you take a team into a multiple-game format like the Lacrosse for Leukemia tournament? JA: Our aim for this tournament is to enjoy the day. With multiple games and being in the fall, it's a great chance to get everyone participating and sharing in the moment. My hope is that our girls will play hard with a ton of passion and spirit to showcase some awesome lacrosse. At this point in the year I'm just looking for things to start to "click" and for us and to play well as a unit. JW: How important are wins and losses in the fall? JA: Wins are not important in the fall at all. Focusing on pulling everything together and getting your players to start to read each other comes from experience. Quite often in the fall we set other goals that we are looking to achieve that do not revolve around winning or losing. It's all about getting out there and playing. JW: How do you like being The Boss? Will your first games be this weekend or have you scrimmaged already? Are you nervous? JA: I don't like the term "boss" at all. I see what [assistant coaches] Kylee [White], Dana [Dobbie] and myself do as a collaborative effort. I certainly couldn't do it without them! They are amazing! We played in a tournament at Maryland against UMD and Oregon last weekend, and had our alumni game prior to that. I would say any fall jitters have passed and I am not in the slight bit nervous. Our girls look great and I am excited about where we are and what we are doing so far! JW: Thanks Jen!

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JOHN VALENTI John Valenti was thrown into the LLS cause when his son, Matthew, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL) at age 2. It could happen to anyone, but most people might not fight the disease on every level like John and his family does. Not only is he involved in the Lacrosse for Leukemia event, but he volunteers for many of the LLS events, gathering sponsors and anything else he can do. He, along with his family and two others have also formed a public charity to help with patients’ financial issues called The Matthews Foundation. One could get depressed reading about this terrible disease that affects so many kids like Matthew Valenti, but remember that Saturday is all about the positive, the successes made by these kids and scientists in the field. Most importantly, it's about you and how, on Saturday, you can help by just having fun. John Weaver: John, We’ve spoken at length in the past about Matthew and ALL. Just to catch our readers up, tell them what you guys are going through. Tell them about Matthew’s illness. John Valenti: My son Matthew was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL) in December of 2006 when he was 2 years old. He is in long-term maintenance now and has about a year and a half of treatments remaining. He is through the worst of the cancer/treatments and is really doing well right now. JW: How long have you been involved in LLS? JV: I have been volunteering with Leukemia and Lymphoma Society for about a year. I have volunteered for the Leukemia Cup Regatta; I am participating in the Light the Night Walk at Ripken Stadium this year and volunteering for this event, Lacrosse for Leukemia. JW: How do the kids get involved at the Lacrosse for Leukemia event? JV: Matthew is an honorary captain for one of the lacrosse teams for the event. He will sit with the team on the bench during the game. I along with my other sons, Zackary and Jack, will be volunteering at the event, helping out with whatever is needed. JW: Does your son have a team that he roots for there? JV: Matthew doesn’t have a favorite team right now; he just likes to watch the game. He is going to be an honored teammate with the University of Maryland women’s team, so he will be rooting for them to win on Saturday. JW: Just so our readers understand, what's a kid with Leukemia going through? And how about a parent of that child? JV: Matthew is taking four different chemos and is on what I call the “calendar” cycle -- he has chemo every day, once a week, once a month, and once a quarter. This is "maintenance." There were more intensive treatment phases earlier on in his treatment protocol, but this is pretty standard practice for a child with ALL. I think that is why this is one of the most difficult cancer’s for a child and a family to endure, because the treatment path is just so darn long. It feels like we have lived at Johns Hopkins for about two years now. JW: How does the tournament help? Has there been progress scientifically? JV: The tournament helps to raise awareness and funds. Funding for research is so important because while there has been so much progress -- the survival rate for a child with ALL has gone from less than 20 percent to over 75 percent within five years -- it is just not enough. We still need a cure. Three and a half to four years of treatments are just so tough on a patient and their family. The chemos and the other medicines that Matthew has to take can have their own consequences and long-term side effects -- both physically and developmentally. I strongly believe that if we cure Leukemia and Lymphoma, which are blood cancers that are very difficult to eliminate, that we will cure all cancer. JW: Can a person who can't make the tournament still help or get involved? JV: Anyone can get involved by either volunteering or participating in events. I feel strongly about this for obvious reasons, but LLS is such a great organization because such a large percentage of every dollar donated goes to research for a cure. If you want to volunteer for the Lax for Leukemia event, you can go to the main tent and they will find something for you to do. If you can’t make this event, there are plenty of things that you can get involved with. If you are into running, biking, or triathlons, LLS also has Team in Training, which raises money and goes out in force to compete in these events. I am going to try to do a 100-mile ride in Lake Tahoe next year with the team. If you aren’t into competing, there are plenty of events that you can participate in or volunteer for. The Lax for Leukemia event is such a great idea and I am into it because I played lacrosse in college for Salisbury University and then for various club teams for the last 15 years. Two of my older kids play and Matthew has had a stick in his hands since he was old enough to walk. Of course, anyone can donate anytime to a great cause through the The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Web site. JW: Thanks John.

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OK, so dry your eyes and collect yourself. There’s a good reason to feel the way you do right now. Your life is pretty darn good and you can make a difference in the lives of kids like Matthew starting this weekend. Come on out to the tournament and bring a car full of people. Print this interview and make someone in the car read it aloud on the way to the tournament. Challenge the people in the car to donate more than the car fee of 20 dollars. Make it a competition. Bet on your favorite teams in tournament with the loser donating more that day. Buy a couple of T-shirts for friends that couldn't come to the event. And then when you get home, or if you just can’t make it out on Saturday, donate to the cause. These sites will help you do that: The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society The Matthews Foundation Here’s the schedule for Saturday, Oct. at St. Paul’s: 8:30 a.m.-9:50 a.m. UMBC vs. Air Force (men) Mount St. Mary’s vs. Washington College (men) Maryland vs. Louisville (women) Johns Hopkins vs. George Mason (women) 10 a.m.-11:20 a.m. UMBC vs. Mount St. Mary’s (men) Air Force vs. Washington College (men) Maryland vs. Johns Hopkins (women) Louisville vs. George Mason (women) 11:45 a.m. Ceremony on field 1 for all teams, coaches, sponsors & fans 1 p.m.-2:20 p.m. Towson vs. Rutgers (men) Delaware vs. St. John’s (men) Penn State vs. Towson (women) Rutgers vs. Loyola (women) 2:30 p.m.-3:50 p.m. Towson vs. St. John’s (men) Delaware vs. Rutgers (men) Towson vs. Rutgers (women) Penn State vs. Loyola (women) ]]> http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/lax/blog/2008/10/lacrosse_for_leukemia_two_interviews.html http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/lax/blog/2008/10/lacrosse_for_leukemia_two_interviews.html Wed, 08 Oct 2008 09:32:16 -0500 Laxtoberfest tournament. It was one of the first fall lacrosse events I ever covered and I love going back every year that I can. This past weekend was a blast as usual with 60 teams playing 132 games on six fields in a two-day stretch -- that’s a lot of lacrosse! Renee has been the Laxtoberfest tournament coordinator since those days when necessity demanded its founding. She runs the Hero’s women’s team, easily the most traveled team in post-collegiate women’s lacrosse. They needed a fall event to play in and there were no women’s fall events, so they invented one. There were only four teams the first year, but it quickly outgrew the old downtown Annapolis location and has been played at Anne Arundel Community College since. Along the way they've added men’s teams and then Masters (over 35) and Grand Masters (over 45) play. About four years ago they added high school teams and the thing exploded. There’s just a great lax vibe at the tournament that is contagious. I love being there. And the tournament supports the Hero’s summer leagues, which host some 4,000 kids and adults every summer as well as providing four scholarships for lacrosse players at Anne Arundel Community College. The original Hero’s women’s team that just needed a place to play in the fall way back when, ironically, does not play in the tournament now. They work and staff the extravaganza to raise money to offset the costs of their trips abroad to help spread the women’s game and represent the U.S. around the world. They have been to London, Holland, the Czech Republic and many more exotic locales over the years, and head off to sunny Hawaii Oct. 23 to participate in this year’s Hawaii Invitational. This year's Laxtoberfest winners were: Women’s elite: Top Shelf/Capital beat Annaplax in the final Women’s college: University of Delaware beat Penn State in the final Women’s high school: CC Lax Brass beat CC Lax Bronze in the final Men’s grand masters: Piv’s Pub beat Geezers/Toyota in the final Men’s masters: Toyota beat Kooper’s Tavern in the final Men’s elite: Black Banana beat Six Shooters in the final Men’s high school: Jags lax beat Team Langley in the final Congratulations to all! Check out video from the tourney: ]]> http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/lax/blog/2008/10/2008_laxtoberfest.html http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/lax/blog/2008/10/2008_laxtoberfest.html Tue, 07 Oct 2008 09:32:27 -0500 Matt Kerwick named JU's first men's lacrosse coach JACKSONVILLE, Fla. With a vast amount of knowledge and experience in and around lacrosse, JU named Matt Kerwick as the school's first men's lacrosse coach on Wednesday. After going through nearly 200 resumes to find the first head coach of the only Division I men's program in Florida, Kerwick's passion and vision to build the JU men's lacrosse program from scratch was infectious. Kerwick will have a year and a half to build the program in anticipation of the varsity team's first game in 2010. "We are excited to name Matt Kerwick as our men's lacrosse coach," said JU director of athletics Alan Verlander. "We had a lot of interest in the position, but we were very fortunate to be able to hire someone with Matt's experience and connection in the world of lacrosse. "Matt knows what it takes to build a successful program and we believe that with his experience, he will be able to mold the program into a nationally respected program." Known as one of the rising stars in lacrosse coaching circles, Kerwick comes to JU with 13 years of head coaching experience at Randolph- Macon, Alfred and his alma mater, Hobart College, where he spent the last seven years. "I would like to thank President Romesburg and Alan Verlander for giving me the opportunity to run the first men's Division I program in the state of Florida," Kerwick said. "With the growth of the game across the country, Jacksonville University will offer a tremendous option for the great group of young men who will put on the first Dolphin uniform in the spring of 2010. I am looking forward to building a top flight schedule and bringing championship lacrosse to the South." During his time at Hobart, Kerwick led the Statesmen to the Patriot League championship in 2002 and two NCAA Tournament appearances (2002, 2004). After leading Hobart to the championship in 2002, he earned Patriot League "Coach of the Year" honors. This past spring, Kerwick was selected East Coast Athletic Conference "Co-Coach of the Year" after guiding Hobart to an 8-6 record including a win over No. 15 Loyola. Entering last season, Kerwick ranked in the top 25 among active lacrosse coaches in both career wins and career winning percentage, sporting a 98-84 career record. JU will be his second stint as a head coach at the Division I level. While known as an outstanding coach, Kerwick also had a stellar playing career. He was a first team All-America selection in 1990 and a second team All-America honoree in 1989. He earned NCAA Tournament MVP honors in 1989 while leading the Statesmen to the Division III national championship four straight years. An all-around athlete, Kerwick was also a four-year letterwinner on the hockey team, serving as captain of both teams during his senior season. He finished his career by being named the William C. Stiles Award winner, giving to the Hobart senior student-athlete for leadership, determination and character. Following his collegiate career, Kerwick played in the Major Indoor Lacrosse League from 1991 through 1996, earning the Baltimore Thunder's "Unsung Hero" award twice and was an All- Star selection in 1992. With pursuing his playing career, Kerwick began his coaching career as the head coach at Randolph-Macon for three seasons before being named an assistant coach at the University of Pennsylvania. He revived the program at Randolph- Macon, leading the lead Yellow Jackets to a 27-14 record, at the time the three most successful seasons in the program's history. After one season at Penn, Kerwick took the head coach position at Alfred University and in his three seasons he led the Saxons to the postseason each year, earning a spot in the 1997 NCAA Tournament field as well as berths in the 1996 and 1998 ECAC Upstate Tournament. Alfred was 25-17 (.595) in his three seasons. Following his 1996 Super Six Lacrosse League "Coach of the Year" Award, Kerwick was named the 1997 "Babe" Kraus Division III Coach of the Year. Kerwick moved on from Alfred to Georgetown as an assistant coach. During his three seasons with the Hoyas, Kerwick helped lead the program to a 36-9 record and the Final Four in 1999 before returning to his alma mater as head coach. Kerwick and his wife Mary have two sons, Thomas and Sean. ]]> http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/lax/blog/2008/10/test_8.html http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/lax/blog/2008/10/test_8.html Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:10:02 -0500 john@tonabricks.com. Sept. 26-27 The 17th Annual NCLL Fall Brawl University of Maryland, College Park All teams interested in playing in the 17th Annual Fall Brawl Tournament should contact the league director at wheel69@aol.com. Games begin on Friday at 5 p.m. (with later times for further away teams) and conclude on Saturday. Games on Saturday begin at 8 a.m. and last throughout the day with a playoff format in the early evening and a championship for each division. Teams in as of Sept. 1: Maryland, TCNJ, University of Baltimore, Slippery Rock, Shippensburg, Kutztown, Richmond, Princeton, Fredonia State and Washington College. www.ncllax.com Oct. 4-5 LAXTOBERFEST 2008 Anne Arundel Community College (Annapolis, Md.) Men’s Grandmasters, Men’s Masters, Men’s Elite, Men’s High School, Women’s Elite, Women’s Collegiate/Collegiate Club, Women’s High School divisions. Time: 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. Contact: Renee Ensor Pope, 410-279-9666 or heros_lax@yahoo.com Oct. 5 Blue Jay Fall Classic St. Paul's School, Baltimore Fans of the Johns Hopkins men's lacrosse team will get their first chance to see the 2009 edition of the Blue Jays in action on Sunday, Oct. 5, when Hopkins hosts the second annual Blue Jay Fall Classic. Head coach Dave Pietramala and the Blue Jays will welcome Harvard, Navy, North Carolina, Penn State and Stony Brook for the event. There is no charge to attend. Set 1 (Time TBA) Harvard vs. Navy Johns Hopkins vs. Penn State Stony Brook vs. North Carolina Set 2 (Time TBA) Johns Hopkins vs. Harvard North Carolina vs. Penn State Stony Brook vs. Navy Oct. 11 Price Modern Lacrosse for Leukemia The 11th annual Price Modern Lacrosse for Leukemia Tournament will be held on Saturday, Oct. 11 at St. Paul's Schools in suburban Baltimore. This picturesque location will feature a field of 16 collegiate teams. For the first time in its history, the tournament will also feature eight women's teams. Women's division: Towson, Johns Hopkins, Maryland Louisville, Rutgers, George Mason, Cornell, Penn State. Men's division: Towson, UMBC, Mt. St. Mary's, Washington College, Delaware, Air Force, Rutgers, St. John's Oct. 26 Howard Community College Fall High School Tournament Boys in grades 9-12. High school teams as well as club teams are welcome. Each team is guaranteed 3 games. The price per team is $700, but space is limited. E-mail mike@410lax.com or call 410-330-8505 for more information. Nov. 9 National Recruiting Fall Ball Lacrosse Tournament St. Paul's School (Brooklandville, Md.) http://alohatournaments.com/Fall-Ball.aspx Nov. 15 Fall Ball II Cedar Lane Park (Bel Air, Md.) http://www.alohatournaments.com/Fall-Ball.aspx Nov. 15-16 Top 16 Fall Shootout Baltimore http://www.universitylacrosse.com/tournaments.html Megalax Cold Turkey Lacrosse Shootout '08 Crown Sports Complex (Fruitland Md.) The Cold Turkey Lacrosse Shootout is a competitive lacrosse tournament for divisions U11, U13, U15, U16/JV and high school. There will be an A & B Division for the high school groups and one level for U11, U13 and U15 and U16/JV. Link for registration: http://www.megalax.com Nov. 22-23 The 7th Annual Fairfax Fall Brawl Robinson Secondary School (Fairfax, Va.) The tournament fills quickly. All teams MUST reserve a spot in the tournament before individual registration can be opened. So act now. http://www.fairfaxfallbrawl.com/ Nov. 23 The 2008 Madlax Capital Classic Episcopal High School (Alexandria, Va.) Varsity, JV high school and all-star boys teams ages 10-18 welcome from the U.S. and Canada. Full 10 vs.10 games. A guaranteed minimum of three full games. At least four teams per division make playoffs and will get more games. We now plan to have five divisions of play; High School Elite, High School, Junior Elite, Super Junior Elite, and Future Elite. Nov. 23 Got Skillz Lacrosse Fall Recruiting Showcase Bel Air, Md. 10 vs. 10, 30 teams, Boys, High School Contact: Shawn Burke (443-865-4460) For more events, check out the full national fall ball schedule at E-Lacrosse! Events capsules contain text written or submitted by event organizers. ]]> http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/lax/blog/2008/09/baltimore_area_fall_lacrosse_s_1.html http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/lax/blog/2008/09/baltimore_area_fall_lacrosse_s_1.html Tue, 23 Sep 2008 12:17:03 -0500 Grand Rapids Press, the lacrosse manufacturer and retailer suing the NCAA over a rule change for 2010 has been dealt a major setback. As we discussed in the last post on this topic, manufacturers will have to go to the molding process soon to make the 2010 retail shelves. Warrior, a Michigan-based manufacturer of lacrosse equipment and Athlete's Connection, a retailer I've never heard of, also in Michigan, wanted to request an immediate hearing on the matter and ultimately a court injunction. Warrior argued that it had to block the rule and get some relief before October to avoid spending millions of dollars to retool. U.S. District Judge Janet Neff declined to hear the request. She evidently noted the same thing some of Warrior’s competitors have said to me -- that Warrior had waited six months to file a lawsuit against the collegiate sports association. People in the industry that I spoke to said they thought that was part of the Warrior strategy – waiting to bring the action until other companies made investments in anticipation of the rule change, hoping to win the case and trump the industry in one big swing. No future court dates have been set but I’ll bet it’s not over. I'll blog more on this when new information becomes available.]]> http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/lax/blog/2008/09/warrior_injunction_rejected_by_1.html http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/lax/blog/2008/09/warrior_injunction_rejected_by_1.html Wed, 17 Sep 2008 10:04:53 -0500 Editor's note: An earlier version of this post incorrectly reported the winner of the Sept. 13 Alumni Lacrosse Tournament at Genesee Valley. Baltimoresun.com regrets the error. I knew when I showed up at the Genesee Valley parking lot for the Alumni Lacrosse Tournament that those color-coordinated argyle shorts worn by both Towson and UMBC were going to be a problem and I am blaming my mistake on them. Not really. I really thought that Towson beat UMBC in their matchup but was wrong. No score was really kept for the fans on the hill but those in the game have informed me that UMBC was the winner of that game, which means that UMBC went undefeated, while Towson split with UMBC and the Terps. Thanks to Zach, Josh and Mike for confirmation and congratulations to the UMBC Alumni. Here's video of the tournament: I am not the official arbiter (no letters please) and everyone out there is just goofing off, having fun with the game. Spencer Ford was certainly the funniest guy on the field. "You are killing us, Hunter!" could be heard even after Lochte's goals. References to the Terps' old college wins over Ford's Towson teams were flowing as the Tigers romped on Saturday. It was lighthearted and lots of fun. UMBC even had a good-luck charm today as coach Don Zimmerman posted to enjoy the action from the hill. There were babies and kids everywhere, as the age group participating is, for the most part, just getting married and starting families. And again, the scenery cannot be topped, even in the most beautiful state in the union, Maryland. While I cover mostly men's lacrosse these days, I can tell you without a doubt that the best player on the fields Saturday was Jen Adams. Every time I pointed the camera toward the women's field, Adams was changing speeds, threading the needle to a cutting scorer, faking a defender out of position or just putting the ball in the net, and I never saw her run full speed. She is, in my opinion, the best lacrosse player on the planet right now. She, of course, played for Maryland back in the glory days of consecutive Terps' championships, but she is the new head coach for the women at Loyola. Good luck, Jen! Got Buggs in my brain I have no idea why I have a mental blockage when it comes to the Combs family, but earlier this year I spelled father Gordy's name wrong and then recently I reported that son Andrew "Buggs" Combs played with Lochte and Ford at Towson, when he was obviously a great Terps star. In fact, one of the greatest impressions I ever had at a sporting event was at the news conference after coach Dick Edell's last college lacrosse game, when the younger Combs criticized his own school heavily for not supporting the ailing coach. The classy coach stopped him politely from continuing, but the love was big in the room that day. It's that love of the “Big Man” by his Maryland players that makes me an even bigger fan of this tournament, as it raises money for two great causes. See my preview post to lend a hand -- and you should. In Grand Masters action (over 45), Team Toyota swept the field at the Blue Crab Tournament on the eastern shore. Congratulations to our many friends on Team Toyota! ]]> http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/lax/blog/2008/09/towson_tops_alumni_tournament.html http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/lax/blog/2008/09/towson_tops_alumni_tournament.html Wed, 17 Sep 2008 08:21:43 -0500 The Grand Rapids Press, Warrior, a major lacrosse manufacturer located in Michigan, has finally begun its legal battle against the NCAA for changing the stick design rules, filing Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Grand Rapids, Mich. The industry knew it was coming for a while now. Over the last decade, the manufacturers, including Warrior, have designed sticks that make the ball harder to dislodge and ultimately warranting more violence to defend against, according to detractors, some of them quite esteemed. It has long been an issue with the NCAA rules committee and it finally did something to make the game safer, in the committee's opinion. Not that there isn’t disagreement on the core issue here – safety. Many feel that the lighter defensive shafts on the market today have already played the role of equalizer on the field. Faster checks, more precision checks and even brand new checks that couldn’t be performed with heavier equipment have made the last ten years a defensive renaissance in lacrosse. The scorers of yesterday would be surprised at how difficult it is today to get through the poles en route to glory. One person I talked to who knows the game as well as anyone on the planet suggested we look at a ten-year-old NCAA game and a random NCAA game from last year, surmising we'd perhaps count the same number of ground balls. This is a stat that would indicate a longer possession time for offensive players and the effectiveness of the defense at dislodging the ball. Of course, you could not just use the paper stats. You’d have to watch the games and compare. Ground ball stats are subjective and kept differently at different schools, even on different days, so it would be a rough barometer, at best. In any case, the NCAA rules committee, which is made up of college coaches, has determined otherwise and made consistent recommendations for years for a change. And they aren’t the only ones. US Lacrosse, the governing body of our game, located in Baltimore, has long felt that action was needed. Steve Stenersen, the president and CEO of US Lacrosse, feels that creativity in design just needs to be balanced by attention to the integrity of the game and the safety of the players. “I am very thankful that the NCAA has started to address the issue and it’s overdue," Stenersen said. "The relatively unchecked freedom the manufacturers have enjoyed in the area of design has been really good for the sport in some ways but it’s gone too far at times”. Stenersen and I agree that the true hallmark of the game, teamwork, embodied by the quick movement of a passing game has been overtaken by the dodging game mentality. More and more, individual stars are becoming more important than the team. Many manufacturers have invested a lot in the more narrow designs, but Warrior is the only one bringing legal action. Warrior is obviously in that situation and has gone to court many, many times to get its way in the industry. It can be said that the stick wars (and they were wars) of the last decade were won or lost mostly in Michigan courtrooms and not on the lacrosse field. The lacrosse business can get very nasty. There are good guys and bad guys, just like the real world. So here we go again, but this time the NCAA gets to visit a Michigan courtroom. This isn’t the first time the NCAA has locked horns with Warrior. A while back, the NCAA outlawed the Warrior goalie stick with the wings on the bottom corners (remember that one?). Warrior threatened a lawsuit and the NCAA folded. That was not, however, a safety issue. We’ll see if the NCAA’s assertion of player safety is as important as its pocketbook. My sources say that the NCAA recognizes lacrosse as a high profile sport, garnering more national attention yearly and will not cave in this case. The NCAA is in a tight spot really, because this rule was passed for 2009 and then postponed until 2010 to give manufacturers some time to move old inventories and get ready for the big change. But in those two years, how much money has been spent throughout the industry in research & development and design preparing for the new rule? If it takes 13 months to get a stick from design to the store shelf, then most companies have already invested quite a bit in 2010 heads, especially given the new changes. We know that one manufacturer, Reebok, has already “cut metal” in the process, meaning they built a stick mold for a 2010 design, costing up to of $30,000 on average, from my understanding. Consider any new company preparing to enter the market in 2010. They would have spent their entire investment on the new design rules and none on the 2009 specifications. Losing the lawsuit to Warrior would mean that the NCAA basically had to buy all of Warrior's old narrow heads out of every warehouse they use at something close to retail, making them the largest lacrosse stick buyer ever. But losing lawsuits to the new guys would leave the NCAA buying entire lacrosse companies with whole lines of obsolete but “safe” product. A few parts of the Warrior argument I’ve heard make no sense. The first is Warrior's concern over the cost to consumers of replacing their heads for 2010. Most lacrosse kids buy a new stick yearly, if not more, these days. The new features and technologies presented every year in the new product are designed and marketed to make the consumer feel like they need a new stick. The manufacturers are constantly seeking that one new idea or innovative approach that will make every kid want to switch stick companies. Last time I checked, that was the lacrosse stick business. The second ineffective argument is that it will impact most players and the major market. The truth is the while most youth leagues adapt the NCAA rules, the bulk of the lacrosse market these days is in the hotbed and future hotbed high school states, most of which belong to the NFHS or National Federation of State High School Associations, which usually takes a few years to adapt NCAA rules, if ever. This means that 18 big lacrosse states will still adhere to the old standards after the NCAA rule goes into effect. There are still plenty of places to sell the old narrow heads, and likely will be for years to come. One of my sources spoke to a Division III coach who told him that he was afraid that the cost of sticks that meet the new specifications might increase significantly because the market for the new design would be so small relative to the levels of play. This is obviously counter to the Warrior argument and indicates how small the college stick market really is in comparison to that of high schools and high school-aged kids. I reached Jason Goger, general manager of Baltimore-based lacrosse manufacturer STX, and he sent me this strongly worded statement on the matter: STX disagrees with Warrior’s charges against the NCAA. First, the NCAA gave all equipment manufacturers, including Warrior and STX, fair opportunities to comment on the proposed rule change. Second, the NCAA has given the manufacturers enough time to make the changes required by the rule change. STX has been working on the required changes and will have its equipment ready by the time the new rule takes effect in 2010. Third, Warrior’s scare tactic claims in the suit about the effect of the rule change on players and retailers are wrong and unfair. Players and retailers should be told the true facts: A much smaller percentage of all lacrosse players will be affected by the rule change than Warrior asserts. Other manufacturers I spoke to assert the same sentiments about the overuse of the courts as a scare tactic and the ample and fair time given to make the 2010 changes. My gut says that the NCAA will fold and drop the rule change. The lawsuit in front of you is scarier than the lawsuit you may face down the road. But I think that other manufacturers will file suit against the NCAA, if they give in to Warrior. I also think that, if this occurs, a player will sue the NCAA one day because they were injured as a result of this rule being dropped or other safety rules not being passed to avoid lawsuits like this one from the same people. The NCAA would be better off fighting the battle now and taking the high road on the side of our kids. Imagine if they fold and kill the rule change. What would happen if they faced a lawsuit by a company that enthusiastically made the changes the NCAA requested and invested heavily for the last two years in the new design? If that scenario played out, the NCAA would actually be in a position of arguing against the changes they insisted were needed, voted and fought for. It would be the ultimate embarrassment. The NCAA would lose that case badly with its own written opinions on the matter serving as their most condemning witness. Stay tuned. We’ll have all the details as they play out. No court date is set yet.]]> http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/lax/blog/2008/09/test_7.html http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/lax/blog/2008/09/test_7.html Sat, 13 Sep 2008 13:18:32 -0500 Below is the news release from the National Lacrosse League giving the rundown of the entire draft for the 2009 NLL season, which will begin at the end of December (opening night is Dec. 27). Some of the draft picks are very familiar to Baltimore fans. Paul Rabil and Kevin Huntley from Johns Hopkins were first rounders and will both be stars in this league for San Jose. Kevin Buchanan from Ohio State via Calvert Hall and Maryland's Joe Cinosky also went in the first round, both to Minnesota. Matt Danowski, who enjoyed national fame at Duke, was also a first-round pick, selected by Colorado. The reason you don't recognize some of the other first-round names is that they played at lesser televised or reported colleges, but the NLL scouts are usually right on the money in terms of talent evaluation. Most NCAA stars wither in this league in a year's time. It's those high picks you never heard of that make up the league five years after each draft. More Hopkins guys went in the second round as New York drafted Stephen Peyser while Kevin Huntley's dad, Dave, drafted Matt Bocklet for Philadelphia. UMBC's Cayle Ratcliff was chosen by Calgary also in the second round. Colorado picked UMBC's Terry Kiminer in the fourth round, shortly before New York selected Ben Rubeor, one of my all-time favorite players. You may not think Rubeor is suited for the indoor game, but, in my opinion, he is the most adaptable player in the game and will be fine. His toughness is not a question. The first pick in the draft was Daryl Veltman, the nephew of Toronto Rock legend Jim Veltman. He was chosen by Tom Ryan and the new Boston Blazers. The younger Vletman has been on the NLL radar for quite a while now and anyone would have guessed, maybe five years ago, that this kid was a first pick. It was just a question of when. In any other pro sport, Veltman would have gone pro straight out of high school. He's smart enough not to have done that anyway and now has a Hobart education to fall back on. If he's anything like his uncle, we'll see him working in the community as a teacher or public servant of some kind as his side gig while he stars in the league 'til he's too old to walk. The Veltman's are all class and a tough breed. Here's the unedited release: *** 2008 ENTRY DRAFT RECAP Daryl Veltman selected first overall by Boston The National Lacrosse League's 2008 Entry Draft took place earlier today at TD Banknorth Garden in Boston. The Boston Blazers held on to the first overall selection and drafted forward Daryl Veltman out of Hobart College. Johns Hopkins University standout Paul Rabil was drafted by San Jose with the second overall selection. A total of 76 players were selected by the league's 13 member clubs. FIRST ROUND 1. Boston - Daryl Veltman - Hobart College 2. San Jose - Paul Rabil - Johns Hopkins University 3. San Jose - Rhys Duch - University of Stony Brook 4. Edmonton - Jamie Floris - Bellarmine University 5. San Jose - Kevin Huntley - Johns Hopkins University 6. Calgary - Curtis Manning - Simon Fraser University 7. Colorado - Matt Danowski - Duke University 8. Minnesota* - Andrew Watt - Robert Morris College 9. Philadelphia - Sean Thomson - Bellarmine University 10. Edmonton* - Ryan Campbell - Dowling College 11. Minnesota - Kevin Buchanan - Ohio State University 12. Portland - Tim Campeau - Notre Dame de Namur University 13. Minnesota - Joe Cinosky - University of Maryland SECOND ROUND 14. Boston - Nick Cotter - Dowling College 15. Calgary - Cayle Ratcliff - UMBC 16. Chicago - Jamie Kirk - Hobart College 17. Toronto - Mike Fleming - Robert Morris College 18. Rochester - Joe McCready - Cornell University 19. Chicago - Geoff Griffiths - Bellarmine University 20. Calgary - Joe Vetere - Burnaby, BC 21. Chicago - Josh Funk - Ohio State University 22. Chicago - Steven Brooks - Syracuse University 23. New York - Stephen Peyser - Johns Hopkins University 24. Minnesota - Tom Michaelsen - St. John's University 25. Philadelphia - Matt Bocklet - Johns Hopkins University THIRD ROUND 26. Boston - Jon Harnett - Adrian College 27. Edmonton - Kelly Kilpatrick - Coquitlam, BC 28. Toronto - Nick Rose - Orangeville, ON 29. Rochester - Kyle Guadagnolo - Syracuse University 30. Rochester - Brendan Loftus - Syracuse University 31. Colorado - Mike Ward - Duke University 32. San Jose - Alex Turner - Simon Fraser University 33. New York - Steve Ammann - University at Albany 34. Portland - Matthew Yager - Victoria, BC 35. Buffalo - Eryn Jones - Six Nations, ON 36. Philadelphia - Mike Leveille - Syracuse University FOURTH ROUND 37. Boston - Dilan Graham - Bellarmine University 38. Minnesota - Ricky Pages - Ohio State University 39. Chicago - Steve McKinlay - Ohio State 40. Minnesota - Justin Haworth - Limestone College 41. Rochester - Jesse Guerin - Peterborough, ON 42. Calgary - Joel Henry - Victoria, BC 43. Colorado - Terry Kiminer - UMBC 44. Boston** - Reed MacPhail - Victoria, BC 45. Philadelphia - Matt Lalli - Colgate University 46. New York - Ben Rubeor - University of Virginia 47. Philadelphia - Jordan Levine - University at Albany 48. Portland - Dayne Michaud - Seton Hill University 49. Buffalo - Tory Gardner - Six Nations, ON FIFTH ROUND 50. Calgary**** - Bryan Johnson - Bellarmine University 51. Edmonton - Myles Kenny - Victoria, BC 52. Boston^ - Chad Henry - Adelphi University 53. Toronto - Derrick Gordon - Orillia, ON 54. Rochester - Logan Kane - Onondaga Community College 55. Calgary - Eric Lamothe - Canisius College 56. Boston*** - Paul Manesis - UMass 57. San Jose - Trevor Wagar - University of Vermont 58. Philadelphia - Jerry Lambe - Georgetown University 59. New York - Mike Ammann - University at Albany 60. Philadelphia - Tony McDevitt - Duke University 61. Portland - Matt Flindell - Victoria, BC 62. Buffalo - Shane Pollock - Wallaceburg, ON SIXTH ROUND 63. Boston - Danny Brennan - Syracuse University 64. Edmonton - Adam Foss - New Westminster, BC 65. Buffalo^^ - Dustin Dunn - Potsdam State University 66. Toronto - Tommy Hurley - Burlington, ON 67. Rochester - Mitch Nanticoke - Six Nations, ON 68. Calgary - Tyler Pridham - Calgary, AB 69. Colorado - Ryan McFadyen - Duke University 70. San Jose - Nick O'Hara - Duke University 71. Philadelphia - Steve Grossi - Drexel University 72. New York - Dan Cocoziello - Princeton University 73. Minnesota - Bruce Bickford - Drexel University 74. Portland - Sean Robinson - New Westminster, BC 75. Chicago^^ - Peter Striebel - Princeton University 76. Chicago^^ - Pat Saunders - Halton Hills, ON *The Edmonton Rush traded the 8th overall selection in the 2008 Entry Draft to Minnesota in exchange for the 10th overall selection in the 2008 Entry Draft and Andrew Biers. **The Boston Blazers traded their fourth round selection in the 2009 Entry Draft to Buffalo in exchange for the 44th overall selection in the 2008 Entry Draft. ***The Boston Blazers traded John Gallant to Colorado in exchange for Jason Bloom and the 56th overall selection in the 2008 Entry Draft. ****The Calgary Roughnecks have traded their fourth round selection in the 2009 Entry Draft to the Boston Blazers in exchange for the 50th overall selection in the 2008 Entry Draft. ^The Chicago Shamrox traded the 52nd overall selection in the 2008 Entry Draft to the Calgary Roughnecks in exchange for their fourth round selection in the 2009 Entry Draft. ^^The Chicago Shamrox traded the 65th overall selection in the 2008 Entry Draft in exchange for the 75th and 76th selections in the 2008 Entry Draft. http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/lax/blog/2008/09/test_5.html http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/lax/blog/2008/09/test_5.html Tue, 09 Sep 2008 17:59:19 -0500 Alumni Lacrosse Tournament will be held this Saturday, Sept. 13! It's just up the road from Baltimore at Genesee Valley in Parkton, so if you're a player or a spectator, its a quick trip and a great way to spend a perfect fall Saturday in a magnificent setting with fun people. Family and friends are, of course, invited too, but please leave the dogs at home. Its a steadfast rule on the property for insurance purposes. There is no charge for parking, but respect the normal local traffic and park in the parking lot, not on the side of the road. There will be food and beverages and for $20 all you can drink Bud and Bud Light. The tournament is a lot of fun and provides alumni players and fans an opportunity to play and socialize, but the money raised goes to two very good causes. On this beautiful parcel, the LaMonicas have established the Genesee Valley Outdoor Learning Center, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit that serves the community at large throughout Maryland and other surrounding states. So part of the money raised helps to support the center, while the rest goes toward a more personal cause for founder Mike LaMonica and many of the Maryland alums. The Dick Edell Gift Trust is a fund set up to help "Big Man," the legendary and beloved Terps coach afford some of the costs associated with the illness myositis, the swelling and loss of muscle, due to largely unknown causes. The LaMonica family have long allowed their lovely Genesse Valley property to be used for lacrosse events. Some of the best college teams have played fall tournaments under the big sky and among the rolling hills. The area is some of Maryland's finest terrain and it's just outside Baltimore. It was Mike LaMonica who thought of bringing alumni teams to the perfect setting and turning it into a tournament. Last year was the first and it was a blast. Towson Alumni was the strongest team with the Spencer Ford-Bugsy Combs-Hunter Lochte combination in effect and they come in as the team to beat this fall. Last year, everybody had a great time playing and stayed around for a while enjoying refreshments and talking to old friends and opponents. The men's teams participating this year are Maryland, Virginia, Towson, UMBC and the NCAA All-Stars. The women's teams are Maryland, Penn State, Temple, Towson and the NCAA All-Stars. Both the men's and women's NCAA All-Star squads are open to those who want to play but couldn't get their respective alumni squads together. So you can still play no matter where you went to school. And you can still get in, if you act fast. If you are interested in playing, please email your name/position/college/year graduated to Mike LaMonica at info@alumnilacrosse.com. You must have attended the school for at least one year to play. The play is excellent so fans should feel welcome too. Bring a blanket and sit on the hill. I'll be right there with you. If you miss the tournament but just want to help coach Edell, I encourage donations to: Dick Edell Gift Trust (Make checks payable to: Dick Edell Gift Trust) Send checks to: Dave Slafkosky 214 Rosewood Ave Catonsville, MD 21228 or email: daveslaf@umd.edu]]> http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/lax/blog/2008/09/test_6.html http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/lax/blog/2008/09/test_6.html Mon, 08 Sep 2008 17:03:44 -0500 "Here it is and off we go, into the baby blue yonder... the official color of the new united organization, FIL, is to be "UN blue" (Pantone PMS 279), and by the way, a new logo is still needed. Anyone who feels up to the job can submit an entry for consideration and if your design is chosen you will get a few hundred bucks for your trouble, plus VIP treatment at the next major world lacrosse event of your choice -- either the senior women's world cup in Prague 2009, or the men's games in Manchester 2010. (Editor's note: In case of interest e-mail Ken at goochtoo@hotmail.com and he'll pass you on from there) The president of the new organization, Feffie Barnhill, is no stranger to international lacrosse, having coached Scotland for many years, and is of course a regular in the circles in and around US Lacrosse. Feffie is joined at the helm by Stan Cockerton, who aside from his many years of dedicated service for the ILF, also shot the game-winning goal in Canada's first World Games win over the USA in 1978. Shelley Maher, from Down Under, will take up the role as women's director. Tom Hayes has simply renamed his already very successful joint development committee and re-upped for another round of boldly going to new lacrosse frontiers as its chairman, and the honorable Ron Balls of England, longtime ILF Competitions Chair will keep a tab on the kitty. And if any of you were wondering "Just where is Jack these days?," look no further -- the legendary Coach Emmer has agreed to head up FIL's men's lacrosse division as director. A party was held to mark the occasion and honor IFWLA immediate past president Fiona Clark and ILF immediate past president Peter Hobbs, both of Oz and both tirelessly dedicated to their work for their respective organizations, but also more importantly in this case, united in their vision and understanding to combine them as well. The unification took years to complete, and was carefully planned out and staged by the Unification Committee. The result is a milestone and at the same time a stepping stone." My thanks to Ken for this report. Contributions and photos by Ken Galluccio]]> http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/lax/blog/2008/09/mens_and_womens_international.html http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/lax/blog/2008/09/mens_and_womens_international.html Thu, 04 Sep 2008 14:17:56 -0500 Question: In the NCAA Lacrosse 2008 Men's Rules and Interpretations book there's a rule: "A.R. 16. The mesh weaving of a crosse must be of one color. Any attempt to mislead an opponent, such as painting a ball, etc., into the weaving is illegal. RULING: Unsportsmanlike conduct, three-minute nonreleasable penalty." Now my teammates and I were wondering if this also means that it's NOT allowed to use colored shooting strings other than the mesh color? Thanks for your time... E-Lacrosse Rules! - Den Haag Lacrosse Answer: For those who don't know, Den Haag is Dutch for The Hague, which is the seat of administrative government for the Netherlands, while Amsterdam is the constitutional capital. The Hague is also the home of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations (UN). If you follow current events -- and you should -- you already know that war criminals from Serbia were tried there recently. The Hague is the third largest city in Holland and a lacrosse town now! Holland is just returning from the European Lacrosse Championships where they stunned the continent with a silver medal. You can see by the question that the Dutch are trying to follow NCAA rules. They are avid followers of NCAA lacrosse and I'd give them a few years, but we will see homegrown Dutch players on NCAA teams soon enough. The Dutch team was bolstered this year by North Carolina goalie Grant Zimmerman, who is a Baltimore kid (Gilman) with Dutch parents. To answer the question, I have to be honest. This rule was put in place because of me. That's right. Well, me and a few other guys I knew who were selling mesh a few years back that was dyed red and blue with a ball-sized white dot on them, so it looked like every player had the ball all the time. We thought it was clever and figured we’d rule the world. We were congratulated by everyone we knew as they told us we could no longer play with the pockets. We got a big pat on the back and a kick in the... . I was actually close to a deal with a big retailer to sell the pockets when I got a call from the actual NCAA rules committee chairman, who was very pleasant but explained the spirit of the new rule and I understood. So I am perhaps the expert on this topic. But, just to be sure, I enlisted help from longtime referee, Mike Ventura. Mike officiated for the Canada vs. Iroquois world indoor final last year and has been a quality official for as long as I can remember. He’s not that old. I just have a fading memory. Mike agrees with me that the rule only applies to the mesh or pocket material itself and really only in the case where deception is attempted. Many white mesh pockets become a combination of white, brown and black after some tough use and muddy games. No one is examining pockets for that type of color difference. Bleach a ball-sized white spot in the middle and see if they don’t toss that stick immediately. It’s about the intent to deceive. It does not limit stringing creativity. Many college players have colored shooters or sidewalls and this is also not illegal. But Mike also says to check the ILF (FIL, as of last week) rulebook for international play, but a colored shooter or sidewall is fine in the NCAA. Mike also said that the new stick check rule in the NCAA makes these types of deceptions impossible to get away with. He says that loose string length is the big infraction now and keeping those strings under the two-inch limit is the key to not running afoul of him in a game. The best deceptive stringing tactic is perfectly legal and is well-known. Goalies will tell you it makes a difference. The trick is shooting a white ball out of an all-white mesh with white stringing. It's just bit harder to see who has the ball when the whole team carries a white pocket and it's harder to read the shot out of a white pocket than it is from a pocket with brown leathers or a red mesh. If you are playing with a red mesh, you are not a deceptive shooter.]]> http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/lax/blog/2008/09/stick_teck_qa_colored_shooting.html http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/lax/blog/2008/09/stick_teck_qa_colored_shooting.html Thu, 04 Sep 2008 12:52:33 -0500 Question: I am just starting lacrosse. I just bought a pre-strung stick and there is a tail of extra mesh. Should I just leave it, or cut it off? E-Lacrosse rocks!! - Dominic Answer: Dominic -- Thanks for the kind words. You can cut some off. Just make sure that the pocket is broken in and throws just the way you like it before you cut. When you cut, leave at least a couple of good rows of diamonds in tact between the row used for the bottom string and the row you cut. It is important to note that to preserve the diamond you need to cut below the bottom point, not on it. As the pocket gets stretched, you may one day want to tighten it, which could mean going up a row of diamonds on the bottom stringing but rarely, if ever, would you need to move those strings down a diamond. Just be sure it’s where you like it before you cut anything. ]]> http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/lax/blog/2008/09/stick_tech_qa_cutting_mesh_off.html http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/lax/blog/2008/09/stick_tech_qa_cutting_mesh_off.html Thu, 04 Sep 2008 01:12:37 -0500 Question: I was just wondering if I went to a college that had a lacrosse team, is it still possible to join? Even though I wasn't offered a scholarship or something? If it's a stupid question, sorry! - T.J. Answer: T.J., That’s not a stupid question at all. Many schools that have varsity programs have some “walk-ons” try out for the team. Now, not too many make the Hopkins or Syracuse squads. But I would say that many teams have a walk-on player or two. I spoke to Binghamton head coach Ed Stephenson and he gave me many more details on walk-on opportunities at Division I schools. Binghamton is familiar to those in Baltimore as they are in the America East conference along with UMBC. Ed may be familiar to many in Baltimore because he was a star defenseman at Dulaney High School and then Towson before coaching at Towson, UMBC, Hobart and then Binghamton. Some schools have a roster cap and that means that walk-ons are only needed if attrition leaves the team heading into the fall or spring season knowing they won’t reach the cap with the recruited players they have on campus. Some kids drop out, transfer, need to hit the books or whatever, but a spot isn’t filled and tryouts for those spots are held. Ed said that it sounds like a rarity, but most years something happens and there’s an opening. Many schools have no cap and they may hold tryouts every year for walk-ons. The key is to walk on, but not be a stranger. Call the coach before the season and ask them if there are walk-ons. He may not know yet, but they will all be honest with you about the chances of tryouts occurring or making the team generally. Remember, he doesn’t know you’re all that, so he will be skeptical about your chances and rightfully so. Making the team is a different story. It’s much harder to be noticed because they did not recruit you, but it is not totally impossible. Be prepared. Show up in great shape and hustle your butt off. Be the ground ball guy on top of everything else you do well. That is something they cannot ignore. It will be every little thing adding up that makes you the guy. And quite often, they only need one guy. This year at Binghamton, Stephenson had one open spot. Eight players showed interest. All were in previous contact with the team. It’s not like you just walk on, by the way. After the proper NCAA forms and clearances were completed and physicals were given, Binghamton was down to five trying out for one spot. By today, after only a few one-hour sessions, there are two young men fighting for that spot. The three cut were, in the Stephenson's words, “fine players." One was an all-county player from a great lacrosse hotbed. But Stephenson also says to “be yourself.” A walk-on player doesn’t have to be a support guy or just a hustle guy. Two years ago, Stephenson had a walk-on score eight or nine goals for the team. He also said that a walk-on player, once he makes the team, is just a player. He is still just as responsible to make grades, curfews, meals and adhere to whatever requirements the rest of the team follows. I asked if there was any stigma attached to being a walk-on once you make the team and Stephenson said there was not. They may respect the effort more, but otherwise the walk-on player is welcomed by the team and treated like any other player. Stephenson said that once you’ve made the team, you are equal, but before that, you are not. If there is no opening, there are no tryouts at most roster-capped schools and a walk-on wouldn’t likely bump a recruited player, even at a school with no roster cap. But they can keep both if they want. It is important to call ahead to the coach before planning a walk-on in any case and at any school. If you are heading off to an NCAA DI, DII or DIII institution or a school with a college club program in the MCLA or NCLL, it is best to communicate before just showing up to even an advertised tryout. If you communicate early enough, you can really get a good impression of the scenario before it’s too late to sign up for the school’s club team, intramural league or even a local club team. You can play some kind of lacrosse at almost any college in America these days! ]]> http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/lax/blog/2008/09/qa_college_walkons.html http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/lax/blog/2008/09/qa_college_walkons.html Wed, 03 Sep 2008 19:57:52 -0500 Ocean City Lacrosse Classic just keeps getting better. This year’s elite field was close to 40 teams and every roster was loaded with talent. Many of the teams looked like a college all-star squad peppered with pros here and there. The others were weathered club teams that usually do pretty well against the all-star squads. This year a top spring club, Smartlink, added the likes of Ben Rubeor, Kyle Dixon and Maxx Davis, and was literally unstoppable. The final against a Jack Lingo team that topped a spectacular field to get there was a clinic at both ends. The defensive squad is like a barbed wire fence. Any point of entry is painful. And when they strip the ball, they get down the field lightning fast to attackmen Bugsy Combs and Spencer Ford, who have been playing together for ages, pushing each other to the highest levels of the game. These two are good on their own, but together they are a great show every time. But this whole tournament was a who’s who of lacrosse. Two of my favorite teams were the Mermen, with Bob Shriver coaching some of my favorite college players, and the Hobbit, who were masters of the unsettled situation with a crafty attack and rockets on the midfield. I’m still not sure if Paul Rabil was on that team, but three guys were his size and shot like him. Team Disrespected featured one of my favorites, Tom Zummo. In the other divisions, Lacrosse Homes edged Li’l Abner’s in the Masters (old guys), while the Grand Masters (even older guys) was won by Team Toyota, which beat Towson Alumni in the final. Glenn Norris (Toyota) and Steve Marohl (Li’l Abner’s) and Spencer Ford (Smartlink) were my MVPs for each division. I met quite a few people at the tournament that came down to the beach that week just to check out the tournament. It’s always a great time, due to the hard work of Steve Pappas and Bob Musitano, and Robb Sartorio and Dave Cottle in previous years. The bayside park that hosts the tournament is beautiful and you can bike or skate around once inside from field to field. There’s a playground for the kids, lacrosse vendors and food, too. There’s great food within walking distance for dinner each day. We happened into Babe’s, The Blue Ox, after the games one night and had a massive and perfect rib eye steak while literally watching half the people I know walk through the door over the course of my meal. Most importantly, the lacrosse is great all week. Be there from about 10 ‘til 5 on Sunday and you will see some of the very best lacrosse games of the summer, one after the other on the main field, surrounded by scenic wetlands, walking bridges, piers, the bay and, of course, the sunset. It’s a one-of-a-kind experience and I highly recommend it. The tournament is held every year on the third weekend of August at Northside Park on the bay side at 125th and Coastal Highway. Check out this video of tournament highlights: Much more video of the tournament is available at E-Lacrosse! ]]> http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/lax/blog/2008/08/test_4.html http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/lax/blog/2008/08/test_4.html Thu, 21 Aug 2008 17:35:06 -0500 ]]> http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/lax/blog/2008/08/elacrosse_wins_scott_boyle_sum_1.html http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/lax/blog/2008/08/elacrosse_wins_scott_boyle_sum_1.html Sat, 16 Aug 2008 17:13:36 -0500