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Total posts: 7
Blog URL: http://laxspot.e-lacrosse.com/blogs/lacrosse_from_strong_isle_to_tacoma_wa_
By: Lawrence
Lax saved my life.
He's from Walt Whitman HS, Huntington Long Island NY. Anyone know about him?
Big L
I'm in a VERY unique coaching situation that i would like to share. I coach lacrosse in Puyallup(poo-yall-up) a small town in Washington State. I think its unique because i'm a black dude from Long Island, complete with dreadlocks in small town USA(which is also complete with the occasional rebel flag)! I helped to co found the Tacoma mens lacrosse team(Huron) in 93' after I left the military! We had many military personnel on our squad, one of them being a RANGER platoon sgt named John Wherry. John and I have become very good friends, but at that time, he didn't like the "NY" thing I had going on! I still dressed like the dudes in my nieghborhood and must have represented everything he hated about my people. I just thought he was "hatin" cause I like to score, Later when we talked, I think he began to understand It wasn't cockiness with me, it was Passion for the game that saved my life.
What he understood is that I can't be "that dude" and effect any kids positively. If someone doesn't know you, they can't read you and may judge the book by it's cover! I'm lucky to have met this man, without him, I don't get the opportunity that I have! He's played a VERY large role in what has become the journey of a life time For me in this game, and for me as a man! The man who taught me to play attack is an all american from VMI, they call him "the enigma". He taught me the game, he taught me about life and how important a role I could play if I love the game and resect it..... Together they unknowingly prepared me for the panthers!
John had asked me during one of my games with Huron(he was a ref) to come out and help him in his new coaching job out in puyallup. Understand, this town had a rep for not being very "friendly" if you get my drift, so i looked at him like he had 3 eyes and said "umm NO!" Now I wish I had of come sooner. Last year, this team went to DIV 1 in the PNLAs High school league. I was thinking, "this must be an awesome team!" I got to see early running drills and man did these guys work hard!!! Then i saw their stick skills........
The Panthers like all new organizations have ALOT of dedicated parents, without them we would be nowhere! But getting the kids to work on their sticks was more than a chore to say the least!!! The team enjoyed many victories just on the fact that they could out run everyone in D2. when I got there, I pointed out that i'd watched film of them in the D2 HS championship which they lost! I said to them that unlike football(i have alot of football players) where YOU are the weapon, in lacrosse speed, and size don't matter unless you master your "weapon" first.
They were like "yeah right!" To compound things, they won their first game doing exactly what they did in D2, no offensive sets(although they were taught them) just a mob running really fast. Its still a work in progress in year 2 with them, mainly because we have a ridiculous early shedule where we play the top teams in the state. They call me Coach Morphius, not because I can dodge bullets or anything, i just tell them the truth about what they do wrong.......
I mainly tell them that in order to succeed, you have to listen. I tell them I know that your teens and everything about you says "I don't listen to adults!" but if you are willing to listen to me, I'll teach you what I learned about this game! How unique is it that I get to teach these kids the game I love. Its like we are this odd looking family..... All Panthers in black!
Big L
look i'm old, but i'm still a gamer and i'm freakin tired of waiting for the lacrosse video game! i keep reading the usual "there's not enough interest" crap on the geek boards(by the way, if i'm on the boards i'm a geek too!) i just watched the blast lacrosse video here at laxspot, i played that game till my thumbs were sore, just like d***near every other lacrosse player who had a ps1 or 2!
i think its going to take someone from our community to do this right! i wish the companies would all sign in together and get this off the ground! i'm just like you of course, i want ea to do it, but right about now i just want it done! i watched a college game this weekend and they took us into the players room for a personal look. the laxers where playing nhl09, a game i love and one of the best games out! that game wouldn't stand a chance in that room vs lets say ncaalacrosse09 imho!
i'm a huge fifa fan also! i didn't like or even know what fifa was till one of my friends brought the game to my old apartment! 16 hours and one lost girlfriend later, i was hooked, and i have brought every title since! would it be all that hard to put helmets and sticks on the soccer players? its getting to the point where i feel like someone is trying to hold us(the lacrosse community) back, knowing that if we got a good video game, our games popularity would blow up even more than it is right now! where are scully and mulder, is this some x files #$%?
maybe we have been looking outside for help to much, maybe we should tell some of our own powers that be to take this thing seriously! if our companies got together and pushed for this, they could gain from the advertising couldn't they? there's even a lacrosse company advert in nhl09, for hockey gear! when i saw it, it felt like someone slapped me in the face........
i'm done ranting but i'm dead serious, whats the problem with our game that we can't get a tighter version of it than blast! i heard blast went platnium, 1 million units at 60 bucks a pop can't be that bad for business....... thoughts?
big l
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