Detroit Catholic Central Recap

I have always believed in scheduling great competition early in the season.  Those kinds of games give you a clear indication of where your team is at early on, what you still need to work on, etc.  The questions like- is our offense good or do they just look good because our defense is struggling get answered really fast.  I see other teams that schedule well below their capability for the first 3 games of the season (or maybe most of the season)- they score a lot of goals, don't let in many, and never really get tested.  I don't get it- in my experience when you schedule like that, you are never really prepared for that first big test- being able to play at speed and put away those bad habits you can get away with against other programs.   I don't get it- not how I approach things.  

For the last 3 years, we have scheduled Detroit CC in our first one or two games.  The first 2 years, DCC really did us a favor by exposing our weaknesses, showing all of our players that we still need to work hard, despite how good we think we are.  We lost both of those openers in the past season to well coached, well prepared Catholic Central teams.

This year, DCC came to EGR to give us our first big test of the 09 season.  As the head coach, I tend to worry about EVERYTHING- but at the top of my mind was the defense- this would be the fastest, most physical and well coached team we would will see until well after spring break.  Our starting defense is inexperienced and I was, of course, worried about how we would react to the speed of play.  I was cautiously excited about "unleashing" our offense on them and testing them.  With Jacob back from his injury, our offense would have another dimension, allowing us to attack from all over.  

The keys to the game we covered with the team before the game were: 1) face offs 2)transition 3) defensive communication/positioning.  

FACE OFFS: We knew we had to dominate face offs to keep the ball with us as much as possible and break any potential momentum they might get when they did score.  At the end, behind great performances by Joe Glendening and Josh Drummond, we won 66% of the face offs (our team goal is 55%).   

TRANSITION:  As for transition, we are always looking to cross the midline with the ball in our stick and attack the cage- we didn't get any goals on this but we excelled in defending the transition.  DCC has big fast athletes that look to get up and out on turnovers and will create a lot of odd man rushes.  Their goalie is very good at outlet passes and can get the ball over the top if we don't get back.  I was really proud of our attack for slowing their transition game- especially Adam Lohner who had a tough job to prevent the upfield pass by screening the goalie, and then chasing the ball on the first pass.  Adam sprinted all day long and created havoc for their clears.  Mostly, he limited DCC's fastbreaks to just a couple.  Overall our ride was very effective and as a team we created 10 turnovers from the ride (our goal is 6 per game).  That is significant in our sport because those turnovers equate to 10 more scoring opportunities for us- and therefore 2 to 3 extra goals- it also takes 10 scoring opportunities away from the opponent.  

DEFENSE-

We have 12 goals we set for ourselves for a game- statistical benchmarks- that help us evaluate how successful we were.  We do this because we expect to  play at a consistently high level all of  the time, regardless of the strength of our opponent.  If you beat an over matched team or lose to a superior team, can you still be successful?  Of course.  

One of our 2 team defense goals is to have a 60% save percentage.  We consider goalie save percentage as a team defense stat because the 6 guys in front of the goal are tasked with taking away the key shooting areas (like 4 yards in front of the net).  The more successful we are at that, the more successful Cullen and Dan can be.  We did not achieve our 60% save goal, but Cullen was an impressive and much improved 45% on the day.  

Statistically, we are averaging around 40 ground balls/game which is added possessions for our team and can create unsettled (the best kind) offense.  

For his much improved play, we awarded Cullen Haskins with the game ball.

Get on the wall,

Coach V

Don't forget the "thank you"

I was at the East hockey game on Thursday- enjoying not only the hockey, but the chance to spend a few hours with my daughter. Although I am not sure if she actually watched any of the game, she did tell me on the way home- "thank you dad, I had fun at the game." Warms my heart. I was sitting next to a parent of one of our players and she made the comment to me that I was really lucky to have a wife that let me do this (coach lacrosse). It was a pretty good observation- I am really lucky (for a lot of reasons) to have Kate in my life. One reason is that she does know how much I get out this experience every spring- and she makes sacrifices in her life to support me. Being a stay at home mom can be a long day until 6pm, but every spring that turns into an 80 hour a week deal- From March to June her "shift" expands to past 8pm and most of the day on Saturday. I am only pointing this out because I get it: Kate makes this possible for me. If she didn't support me, none of this would be possible. I wonder if I thank her enough.

As lacrosse players, I wonder if our guys realize the sacrifices that their parents make to make this possible for them. I have a hard time remembering my perspective when I was 17 years old, but somehow I suspect I was not thinking in terms of what my parents were sacrificing for me to do the things I wanted to do. I am sure I didn't thank them enough. That's pretty hard to "get" for many adults I know, much less a teenager.

I really hit me this week after the sign up meeting- how much of a sacrifice parents are making for our guys to come together. And those sacrifices come in many forms- the one that hit us between the eyes this Sunday was the financial sacrifice. Every year the cost to participate in athletics is high- even if the sport is "funded", it still turns into a big time investment. I doubt many players get how painful it can be for many. This year with so much uncertainty, fear, and anxiety about our economy, to write that check can be excruciating.

For those players that read this, I would like you to really take a few minutes today and reflect on the sacrifices your parents have made for you. This year more than ever I want you to be aware that all of the things you are enjoying about this spring is coming at a cost. It would take absolutely zero effort on your part to walk up to your mom and dad today and just tell them- "Hey mom, I really appreciate the things are doing for me. Thank you". Go ahead. Get up from your computer right now, or pick up your cell phone, hit that speed dial you normally reserve for asking for money for the weekend and this time tell them thank you.

You want to really honor what they do for you? This week at practice you will be given a chance to sell t-shirts. The money you raise from selling a t-shirt doesn't go to the lacrosse program- each one is worth $10 back to your parents against the money they paid so you could be on the field with us. Go sell 37 of them and give your mom a heck of a mother's day gift- playing lax for free, mom. (how do you sell that many? there are over 200 EGR lacrosse players in the middle school and grade school- I will bet you could get 30 sales in an hour. Oh I dont understand why players never ask me to buy a shirt!)

I guess what I am saying is that the first step is understanding/recognizing what people are giving, investing, doing for you. That's a big step for anyone, but especially for someone young who may not yet have really had to sacrifice for someone else. Once you take some time to reflect on that, making sure that they know you appreciate it is step 2. The ultimate is when you start participating- giving back to those who has given to you. It takes a lot of maturity and no small amount of effort, but it starts with taking a few minutes to reflect on it, and not forgetting the thank you.

Get on the wall.
Coach V

And so it begins...

The sign up meeting is over (kind of), and it's time to look forward to getting the guys on the field together for the first time. For a coach, this period of time right before the season begins is, for me anyway, the most anxious. Last year, right before the state championship game, a parent asked me if I was nervous. I think my answer surprised her- I wasn't. By the time mid June rolls around my job is done- we have taught everything we can, put guys in the best possible position to be successful and now we get to watch the boys pull it all together for one last time.

I get the most nervous now- the past nine months of planning, scheming, dreaming, visualizing, anticipating is about to turn into reality. Will the vision hold true? Will the 30+ names on an excel spreadsheet (that I have sorted and resorted a hundred different ways) become what I thought it could? Will the returning players become leaders? Will they be hungry for their own title? How fast will the new comers acclimate and contribute? Will the schemes that I have been planning on be the right ones for this mix of talent? What challenges will come this year that I haven't anticipated? We are about to find out.

I looked over the guys that signed up and one thing sticks out at me- we are young. Not just in age- but experience. There are at least 3 seniors that didn't play last year that have decided to (re-) join our little family. New players seem to outnumber the seasoned vets 2 to 1. Don't get me wrong there is a lot of talent there and a lot of athleticism- cant get too much of that- but that first time we start up and down the field with Detroit Catholic Central (or Novi CC or whatever they are calling themselves) I think the speed is going to be an eye opener for some of these guys.

So what does being young mean? I think it can be a good thing- it means we can write our own chapter- do things a bit differently. We don't have to break old habits, we can do it our way- our own style. I think it helps guard against complacency- we have been there and done that, but not with these guys. These guys have to go earn their own way.

It also means we need to rely on that small and special group of seniors and returning juniors to lead. To be Leaders. To set the example. Our foundation, our tradition, the good things about where we have been and what we have done- that cant change. It's the way we do things here. For Joe and Mackie and Pat and Josh and Andrew and TJ and Chris and Nick and Jake and Sammy, they have to show the way. Their influence on the team, what they accept and expect from the new guys will quickly become our culture.

Dan Wood was our varsity coach in 2001, right before Rick and I took over the program. I was Dan's #1 (ok his only) assistant in 01. I learned a lot that year- we made our share of mistakes and had some success. One of the best things that Dan always taught (and I still carry with me now) is that state championships/successful seasons are made in the first 2 weeks of the season. I think that is true on several levels. First, at no other time in the season will you have 10-14 practices in a row for pure teaching- it is prime time. But moreover, Coach Wood was really talking about the DNA. I think your work ethic, your attititude, your foundation for TEAM is built in those first 2 weeks.

The first 2 weeks will be critical for this team. Its seems cliche to say "set the tone early", but we really have to, perhaps this year more than ever. Not just how much we work, or how hard-like how many sprints we can actually fit into a 2 hours practice (quite a few, I bet)- but how we do things- communicate with each other, begin to trust each other, how much fun we can have, how willing we are able to put "us" ahead of "me". That's what is built in those first 2 weeks...whether you are aware of it or not, they get built, they become your foundation, your DNA.

How do I feel right now? You know that slow climb the car takes up the first big hill on the roller coaster as it approaches the peak? Thats the next 6 days. Hang on...here we go.

Get on the wall.

V