Is This For Real?

(c) JUDolphins.com/JU Sports Information

Jacksonville, Florida - Is this for real? Seriously!? There is going to be a lacrosse game in Florida that is between two Division I programs?

Wait a minute Paul! We’ve been having college games for a long time in Florida. Gene’s Spring Flings started in Panama City Beach back in 1996. You coached there in 1998 and 1999. Other companies like World Class Lax have been hosting college programs for a long time. Disney has had teams down and the US National team has been playing games in Orlando.

And don’t forget the Wounded Warrior Project who sponsored DI teams to play in Jacksonville in 2007. Maryland alumnus Jack Francis and a die-hard group of lax-alums made it all happen. Some pretty big name schools have been down here. Nearly every top-10 men’s and women’s team has played in Florida over the past 15-years.

So this is nothing new, right?

Yes it is.

Not only is it new, it is monumental. We have a Florida team with Florida blood playing in the games. Not even a college program from Central or Southeast Florida where lax has been around for over a decade, but a DI team from an area that six years ago no one thought had serious lacrosse. But for the efforts of Mr. Francis, a contingent from Bolles, and several area people who had lax-on-the-brain, the area has become a 20-high school, 1000+ youth participant hot-bed for growth in the state. And Jacksonville will be the site of the first-ever Division I games by a Florida institution.

But the vast growth in north Florida is not the story. Growth in Orlando, and West Palm Beach has been around and been a great story, with many people deserving credit for building the state. This is nothing new and it will continue. People have been doing right by building the sport for a long time. And unlike Saturn cars, lax is here to stay.

The Division I programs that play this Saturday have sprung from the fertile beds of Florida. From the very ideas at local US Lacrosse meetings to the blood, sweat and tears that the players who forged the game in the state over the past 20 years have left behind, these teams come. No other DI programs in the nation have more Florida prep players (16 between the two teams) than these two teams.

None. Zero. No other teams!

It’s not even close to be honest. Yes, Jacksonville University which is in the Sunshine state is loaded with up and coming Florida-based talent. But just because a team is planted in Florida does not mean that 90% or more of the rosters would come from out of state (note Florida’s women’s team roster). Both of these teams are strongly rooted in Florida and the south (11 players from other southern states) and strike a balance between Maryland (16), New York (17), and other traditional areas (13). That is quite a mix of players for both programs.

“We have a great class coming in here next year and the roster I recruited in just a few months is what I had hoped. In a few years I think we will be a top-flight program and be the leader in lacrosse in the south as it continues to grow,” Coach Matt Kerwick said. “It is not hard to recruit at Jacksonville University.”

And Coach Kerwick’s team is playing some pretty stiff competition in year #1. Try UNC, a top-5 team in the pre-season. Try Duke, pre-season #1 and, oh yeah, they just beat the US National Team at the Champions Challenge.

I think they will be tested.

“We don’t want it any other way. This is where we set the bar. We want to be at that level and we will work at it from our first game.”

I’ll say! And the interesting part in all this chatter about building and becoming? There is a hope. A hope that the first-year men’s programs will actually stick with the famed Tar Heels in their first game. If they can it would be a huge early indicator that the program is headed in the right direction…already. If they get thumped, it is a sign that they have a ways to go on their journey, but it is only the first game.

Sometimes the worst thing that can happen is early success. Early success has proven too much for many a program. Sometimes cutting your teeth and paying your dues is better. Sometimes success is not measured in wins and losses but in improvement throughout the course of a longer period of time, like a season.

Lord knows my stock portfolio prefers the long periods of time for evaluation!

The teams are hungry. The teams are nervous. The teams are young. More importantly, the teams are, well, “TEAMS”. Florida’s teams. I figure they will be along for a while, so win or lose the first game, and if it is close or not is irrelevant. This is FOR REAL. It is not some schools from out of state coming to rape and pillage our sun and green spaces. It’s not teams lured to play here.

These are OUR teams. Florida’s first DI men’s and women’s programs. This here is REAL!

Mindy McCord (left) and Matt Kerwick (right) are directing the Dolphins lacrosse programs in history making debuts on Saturday, February 6th on JU's Jack Milne Stadium field. Each have lofty long-term expectations for their programs. (c) JUDolphins.com/JU Sports Information

What should we expect from these games:
The Men:
1) The JU attack will get some pretty goals. They have some very talented players, including Canadian stars Cam Mann and Ryan Serville, even though they are all Freshmen!
2) The JU Keeper is for real…and he has to be. The hardest part about college lacrosse is finding stud defensemen who are 6′5″ and anticipatory. But transfer senior GK Brad Hester has been a major force between the pipes. He is the 5th-year senior, de-facto leader of the squad.
3) Coach Kerwick will be fun to watch and full of positive mojo on the sideline. There is not a better person or role model for kids in the nation than Kerwick. He is a special coach and JU is fortunate to have him.

The Women:
1) There are a lot of good players on the team – several were high school all-Americans. With just three days of practice they defeated a seasoned Rollins squad in a fall exhibition. Rollins is considered a top-10 DII program by many this season. Not bad for three days of practice and some team bonding activities.

2) There are 24 freshman on the Dolphin team (3 SO and 2 JR). That’s a lot of ‘young chicks’ in the yard! They will need to play a tough, feisty, blue-collar game to compete with UMBC which is loaded with veteran players.

3) Watching Mindy and her offensive coordinator Brooke Magnuson (former Maryland prep Player of the Year) will be fun. Both are very active on the sideline and very into motivating their players all game long. They are great mentors to the young pod of Fins laxers!

“We want to be in a fight for every game. We want the players to ‘learn’ what it takes and is required to be the best NCAA player for their position, we want to have no regrets, win a Conference Championship,” commented Mindy McCord on her live blog interview at JUDolphins.com. “We are not going to win every game but our schedule will help prepare us for our conference games and learning from all of our games will be key in building our program.”

“We’re focused on becoming a top-20 program, but we know this will take some time. We have a plan that will take us there. Our class of 2010 recruits who have signed are very, very talented and fast. As Matt (Kerwick) says, when people come down here and see campus and meet the men’s and women’s players and see the school, it’s a great place for an 18-22-year old who wants a great education and experience with the big-city and the beach sand underneath your toes.”

And sometimes in your cleats!

And yes folks, it is happening. It is for real! DI lacrosse is now a Florida thing!

See you at the Groves for tailgating!

Why Footwork, Heart and Honor create Hotbeds for Life

American Somoa, South Pacific Ocean - Just watch how much these guys move their feet and ask yourself how hard these people work each day physically, and you will figure out why American Somoans are 56 times more likely to play in the NFL than a mainland American. Keep in mind, more than thirty currently play in the NFL and only 65,000 people live there. Then consider how humility and honor are principle values of Somoan society and you will discover how greatness is created in people.

Still think that you cannot develop a lacrosse hotbed in a small part of Florida, say St. Johns County?
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6107263n&tag=cbsnewsSidebarArea.0

And in case you were wondering if anyone on Somoa puts winning before honor, and humility, think again. These are messages that many in our secular “me” culture should listen to. Troy Polamalu:
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6107259n&tag=cbsnewsSidebarArea.0

See the entire story here:
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6108545n&tag=contentBody;housing

Best Special Teams Coach in the Game is a Free Agent! Catch Him if You Can!

Two time NFL Special Teams coach of the year Bobby April has a special place in the hearts of Bills fans who have had little else to cheer about over the past six seasons. April chose to walk away from two more years on his contract after being passed over for the Bills head coaching position twice while outlasting two head coaches and three general managers of the troubled franchise.

Buffalo, New York – Sometimes good stories just have to be told. In this case, come and listen to a story ’bout a man named Bobby. Best special teams coordinator in the history of the National Football League. Sure, there are many other excellent special teams coaches, but I don’t think any have achieved what Bobby has over the past six years on a team that has not even entered the playoffs and seldom was even in the hunt for a wildcard bid. Yet, amidst one of the worst teams in the NFL over that span of time, Bobby survived three head coaches, three general managers, and was voted special teams coach of the year twice during that time span while his units were statistically superior to any other NFL team during that time. Bobby did it with the back-end of one of the most talent strapped rosters in the league. A team that turned over personnel constantly, further complicating his job. Or did it.

It is perhaps impossible to be this good for six consecutive seasons in the National Football League. The league is designed to keep teams even.

April’s special teams record is even more impressive when you look at the record books, the number of pro bowl players his units spawned, and the players who he introduced to pro football who now have solid pro careers on other teams thanks to his masterful teaching. His players were “head-hunted” by special team coaches throughout the NFL. The man can coach, has great interpersonal skills, has faith of a rock, and has the gift of being able to see the big picture while focusing on the minute details. He is truly a master of the game at the highest level. He, and most of the football world, was stunned when he was passed on as head coach after the Bills dismissed former head man Dick Jaron in November. He was the logical assistant as he was titled “assistant head coach” and he held seniority on the team, having also interviewed for the position after previous head coach Mike Mularky was dismissed two years ago.

Who knows how the Bills would have played had they hired April in the first place? I don’t think it is much of a question.

Other special teams coaches have worked their way up to NFL head jobs. John Harbaugh stands out today. Known for his similar positive motivational style, Harbaugh has reinvigorated the Ravens and kept Baltimore in the playoffs for the past two seasons – for the first time since 2000 and 2001, and we had some pretty good Raven teams back then.

Don’t forget about the legendary head coaches of old who came up as special team guru’s. Dick Vermiel, Marv Levy, and many others who came up coaching the real ’school of hard knocks’. Bobby has gotten close: he was the assistant head coach for the past three season with the Bills, which is tantamount to receiving a nice raise and a snazzy title…but it ain’t no head coaching job.

Over the years I have worked with/for many current NFL head coaches. All of whom have excellent coaching qualities. I think Bobby finds himself on the top of this list of very capable coaches who are currently or have been NFL head men:
Brian Billick (head coach of Baltimore) – Super Bowl Champion
Marvin Lewis (head coach of Cinci – was DC of Baltimore) – In the playoffs
Rex Ryan (head coach of NY Jets – was DL of Baltimore) – In the playoffs
Mike Smith (head coach of Atlanta – was Asst. DL in Baltimore) – in playoffs last year
Jack Del Rio (head coach of Jacksonville – was LB of Baltimore) – not in playoffs
Mike Nolan (fmr head coach of San Fran – was WR of Baltimore) – released last year
Raheem Morris (head coach of Tampa Bay – was DB/asst Special teams of Hofstra) – rough first year.

But Bobby has not had his shot as an NFL head coach yet. Maybe he will never have the shot that some of the more glamourous position coaches have received, but the guy is a serious caliber coach. It is not a reflection of the man, or his body of work.

Today, after being passed over for the Buffalo head coaching job on numerous occasions, Bobby made it clear that he is not coming back to the Bills, much to the chagrin of Bills fans everywhere. You can’t really blame the guy. He was the most accomplished coach the Bills have had in years and yet they passed him over time and time again for the job he deserved. His units were ranked in the top five in the NFL (the best of best) for six years, including his first one on the job with all new players. He did this without an assistant coach, like many NFL teams are affording these days (it is hard to manage NFL special teams with six units of players to coach, film to break down, and self-scouting with head coaches constantly mixing your roster right up until game time).

It takes a special leader to relate to the players in the NFL. Bobby does it and does it well. Now, he will be “doing it” for another team in the NFL. And teams had better start calling the man, because he is in demand. How could he not be? His record of play competing against the giants of the sport, like New England, week in and week out speaks for itself. New England’s team was always put in bad predicaments by Bobby’s units. Bellichek is praying for Bobby to either go somewhere else, or come work for him if his special teams guy retires.

Bobby is actually worth firing your coordinator for. He is worth interviewing for a head coaching position if you have one open, or would like to make a change. And the integrity and honesty of the man is a refreshing thing: he is not always lining up to one up someone to be the ‘head man’. He wants to make it based on his merits.

With two years remaining on a lucrative contract in Buffalo, and the Bills believing that he would not leave while they politely showed all the other assistants the door, the integrity of the man sparked and he put in his notice: “It is time for me to make a change. We have done some amazing things here in Buffalo, but in all fairness, it is better to move forward.”

No kidding! At last report, Dan Snyder is flying his jet to Buffalo to nail Bobby down as his special teams coordinator. Teams from all over the league are beginning to line up to talk with him. What is it worth to them to have the best field position man in the business? I would think it would be worth as much as they can possibly afford. Is there, or has there been anyone in the league as masterful as Bobby over the past six years? And why isn’t this man a head coach in the NFL yet? What about becoming a head man at the major college level?

At 56-years old, no one commands the respect of his players, builds positive relationships with his coaching staff members, and creates an abundance of joy for the fans better than Coach Bobby April. Here’s to a new adventure for one of football’s all time greats!

With the integrity to do what is right to boot.

Sport’s “Obsession” or Being Driven?

Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida – In today’s hi charged sports environments where kids are being groomed for athletic success by parents as 9-year olds, there are more and more people talking about parents being “obsessed” with sports for their children. It sickens me to see the local St. John’s town rag that shows up in my driveway unsolicited once per month display the latest Florida sports “hero’s” on the front page. Last week it was the U8 baseball team from Creeks Athletic Association “Travel Ball”. The baseline read “Mini-Major leaguers are new state champions!”

“Mini-Major Leaguers”? You gotta be kiddin’ me!?

These kids are not anywhere close to being major leaguers. Not by a long shot. The idea that we would prostelyse our young by putting them in the “newspaper” and provide them with that level of recognition is asking for trouble. Maybe not on the same scale as Danny Bonaducci and Gary Coleman, but it is getting pretty close. For alarming fun, type ‘U8 state champs’ into a google image search.

Have we not learned our lesson, people? Kids are kids and they should be treated that way. Too often the local town “print”, like the newspapers that you do not pay for but are circulated in suburban markets nationwide, glorify championships for kids who are too young to really compete for honest to goodness championships. What happens to these kids? They win the only championships of their lives when they are 10. I mean, come on…what is there to go for after you have been declared a “mini-major leaguer”!

Parents tend to be a little too obsessive about their little 8, 9 and 10 year old kids rather than insuring that they are having a good time playing the game and learning from a good youth league coach. Yes, the flip side of the obsessive parents and programs for youth kids is the opposite: The program that teaches kids nothing.

The program that teaches kids nothing does just as much harm as the program that is obsessed with bringing home the medals for their 8 year olds. These are programs where the kids do not improve and they are essentially ‘baby sat’ for a few months by well meaning parents who just do not have the time to actually ‘teach’ the game. These are the coaches who constantly remind you as a parent that they have no clue about the game but they are happy to stand in for the season. “Oh please don’t hold me accountable for winning! I am just a parent volunteer and don’t know too much about the game.”

No thank you. If you won’t go to coaching clinics, or watch videos to learn the sport, or talk to the local resources that are in your given area, please do not do anyone a favor by ‘covering’ for the team. The results of these coaches is truly tragic. Parents who think they are helping end up confusing the kids. And when the kids are not competitive at all, the kids decide that it is their fault that the team is no good and they stop playing. Or they decide that since no one else on the team can throw and catch as well as they can that they should hang it up – the sport is just too hard for their friends to learn (or be taught).

Baloney.

The only differences between the coaches of the “mini-major leaguers” and the “covering for the team” coaches are commitment to learn the game and the level of invested emotion put into the team. That is it. There are tons of former “covering parents” who are now coaching lacrosse in the south. Some are even called local ‘guru’s’ by their particular neighborhoods. So, you can work your way up the ladder with a neighborhood and some time and commitment. Just don’t forget where you come from!

As lacrosse grows in the south, leagues need to be focussed on educating their coaches on how to teach the game most effectively and quickly so the kids have the best experience. They need to do this while they keep an eye out for the pyscho-Dad coach who just wants to win at all costs, or has “big dreams” for their own children to be “stars” some day (see Todd Marinovich).

Developing the “Driven” lacrosse player while not being an “Obsessed” parent

Being a former professional athlete and coach, I do not have a lot of pent up stress that I have to work out through my child’s sports career. In fact, I don’t even care if she has one or not, I just want her to find her niche as a person and develop a passion for something other than shopping and our society’s “required” materialistic things (like cars, boys, fancy crap that we just don’t need). If she finds it in sports, great. Her mom and I did and there is nothing wrong with it. In fact, women who grew up playing sports have huge advantages over their counterparts who do not. The latest study showed that women who play collegiate sports at the NCAA level earn more than 50% per year on average more than their counterparts who do not. 50% may not sound like a whole lot, but over a lifetime, if the NCAA student-athlete invests half of the “extra money” that they make over their non-athlete counterparts, they can retire 10-years earlier and with more financial stability. Not that the material aspects of life are everything, but quality of life certainly is. And just think of all the lacrosse programs that you can start with that extra income as well! Lots of them!

My kid has had it strange to say it the mildest. First, she did not play lacrosse until after many years of softball. We did not want her to just ‘quit’ softball. She found lacrosse because she was bored when we would do camps and clinics. Since she was there anyway, she threw the ball around. When her mom ran her first summer camp at Jacksonville’s Episcopal school (a whopping 10 kids showed up), she didn’t even want to give brochures out to her 6th grade classmates. “This is a stupid game and no one is ever going to play it.” she said to her mom in front of me.

Oh no. Not the thing you want to say to the lacrosse family. I pulled her away from the jaws of mom and cornered her in a small room of our house. “You may think this game is stupid and no one will play it, but your mom is your mom and it is important to her to have this camp and to help kids learn how to play lacrosse…she is a US National team selector, which is pretty close to being a coach of the Jaguars in football, so you need to respect that and do what you can as a family member to help her live her dreams the same way we support yours,” I piped up proudly.

So lacrosse was not the only thing. It was part of a balanced diet of stuff. And it was almost the ‘thing that never was’ but not for everyone all pulling together for mom back in the early days.

The young one grew up and made her way through the game. She was surrounded by great coaches who came in to do camps and clinics and she traveled to her mom’s camps or her dad’s shooting clinics because she could. But we never made her do any of it. And gradually she grew into loving the game. It does help that both her parents were athletes and that her mom is not a softy who believes in carting the kids around to every activity (many of they not in the child’s sphere of taste) and that her dad is willing to spend time with her in the backyard, sure. But proposing a marriage to lacrosse was out of the parenting question.

So my words of advise for aspiring parents who want their kids to grow up some day and be college athletes and world beaters and not simply state-school party animals?

1) Take time to make time. Have a catch. Help set goals. These things positively motivate.
2) Do not give your kids stuff they do not need to be successful. This is enabling them. Enabling de-motivates kids and they will learn to rely on you. Hopefully you will not outlive your kids, so they need to learn how to do it themselves.
3) Let them tell you what their passions are. If they find some things that they really like doing, by all means put them in a good program and say “full steam ahead to good times and hard work!”
4) Build up your kids and not yourself. Remember that kids cannot handle the early stress of ’state titles’ and travel ball teams at age 8. If you want to be proud of your NCAA athlete one day, try not to hit the gas too early before the kids psychologically can handle it. Below the age of 12, you are really pushing the burnout factor through the roof.

Here are a few signs you may have a problem:
1) You cannot NOT coach your daughter’s team.
2) You scream your head off at games…for your 4th-7th grader.
3) Officials ask you to be quiet.
4) Your children exhibit mood behavior problems during, before or after games.
5) You are more interested in getting credit than providing the team with the credit for being successful. You may want your son/daughter to be the star, regardless of the outcome.

Of course it is always a great thing to support your family. You just do not want to be the suspenders holding the drawers up!

Be positive. Do not be confrontational. Enjoy watching your children grow up and please allow them to do so!

Until next time, P-Mac is OUT!