| Notification [x] |
Total posts: 2
Blog URL: http://laxspot.e-lacrosse.com/blogs/lax_spot_interviews
By: Lax Spot
Interviews with some big names and interesting people in the sport of lacrosse.
LaxSpot.com’s Glen Doss and Mark Breier recently had a chance to sit down and talk with Marc in the clubhouse.
In the lacrosse hotbed of
By our calculations Marc has probably played in more lacrosse games than anyone else in the history of the sport. Toyota Lacrosse head, and guru lacrosse statistician, Hunter Francis once calculated that Marc has played in close to 950 games over the past 10 years. It’s tough to come up with a solid figure, but after talking with Marc we would estimate he has played in close to 3,000 lacrosse games over his career. The key has been that he has been able to compete in three different age brackets in tournaments and in several leagues over the past few years – elite (open ), masters, and grand masters , plus club and Indoor . When you play on two or three separate club teams in the spring season, three different teams in every tournament and run a summer league where you play 3, sometimes 4 nights a week, the numbers add up quickly.
Hoffman’s first game took place in 1972 for
Marc later went on to have a long career in the early years of the Major Indoor Lacrosse League (MILL) which is now the National Lacrosse League (NLL). In those days (1980’s) the league was almost entirely American born players. There were a few exceptions such as John Grant (Senior). The Canadian players pretty much stuck to the indoor leagues in their own country. It wasn’t until the Gait made their entrance into the MILL that most Canadian players began to take interest in the US League. Around that time new teams were established in
We asked Marc if he thought the trend would ever reverse and start to see a larger percentage of American players. Marc had this to say; “The reality is most of the teams are owned and run by Canadians, and they’re going to take care of their own first. The Canadian players also obviously grow up playing a different game, and are better prepared for the NLL. For that to change US youth coaches have to teach their kids the indoor game. But that’s not what happens. When they go inside here in the states, it’s playing the field game indoors, not box lacrosse. I don’t think were going to see it change anytime soon.”
After his professional indoor days were over Marc moved on to play with a number of talented teams in the
Over the years he has obviously had the opportunity to play against some very talented club teams. We asked who the best opponent was. “When the Gaits got out of college there was a team put together and sponsored by Coors Light – the Coors Light Silver Bullets. It was the 1st time I believe that any of us had gotten paid to play; $200 per player per game. They didn’t play in a league; they were basically an exhibition team that would travel around to different cities. So the team was made up of all the great
Hoffman also played in an age where club ball was the premier level for lacrosse. Colleges were able to schedule and play against club teams throughout the country. There were no pro teams and local papers ( The Sun ) covered club ball fairly regularly many times as the top story especially if the game was between local club teams like Mt Washington Club and John Hopkins . While at Salisbury Marc had the opportunity to play against
Hoffman also had the honor of playing for various teams in numerous World Games including Lax World who won the masters division in 1989 at
Another highlight was when Marc’s club team at the time – Hampshire Lacrosse Club – had the opportunity in the late 80’s to play games in the infield during “The Preakness” horse race. “It was packed and very funny to see everyone rush the field to claim turf to setup on after the game ended.” He said. Those games in the infield were later discontinued for various liability reasons.
Hoffman has seen club lacrosse grow and change in many ways over the years. Club lacrosse used to be the premier level of lacrosse in the World. Teams like
Back in the day there used to be only 10 USCLA teams. Tryouts were held, teams had regular practices, it was extremely competitive and the resulting teams were comprised pretty much entirely of college - All Americans. Because of the talent level on these teams there were lot’s of players who had no where to play after college. Which is why the CALL started. ”The CALL league started because if you weren’t an All-American you weren’t playing for any of the USCLA teams back then.” Hoffman added. As the number of people playing lacrosse increased over the years the number of CALL teams grew proportionately. The USCLA however, did not grow as rapidly and generally supported under 15 teams.
The ALL was appealing for guys that didn’t want the heavy time commitment of playing on a team that held practices or required a lot of travel. Players that really wanted to, and could, play at the top level eventually ended up playing in the MLL. Many say it was the MLL that killed the USCLA, but Hoffman’s take on it is that “the lack of teams and amount of travel probably had just as much to do with it. But in general, the overall importance of club ball started to shift once colleges stopped playing club teams, and the local paper [
But the ALL has continued to grow and prosper and is the biggest post-collegiate league in the world with 50+ teams stretching from
In addition to playing in the Masters and Grand Masters Spring league, Marc loves to compete on Sundays in the ALL league against players sometimes 30 years younger. His most recent teams included the former Lax World team, now Dewalt, then Team Toyota (before the USCLA folded), and now Magerks lacrosse club who were semi-finalists in 2007.
Marc hints at retirement - “The way my knees are feeling this is going to be about it”- but those who know him will only believe it when they actually see it. Marc sent out an email to friends and family a few years ago saying he was retiring. That retirement lasted a couple months at most.
“The key to playing on two or three teams in a tournament is to simply keep playing. I would rather play for six hours straight, which this reporter has witnessed, then sit out 2 hours between games and get stiff. A lot of pain killers help too. The position I play now [Crease Defense] also helps limit the running with the younger faster guys . Attackmen are coming to me. I’m not chasing them.” It’s also not uncommon to see Marc jumping in as goalie or playing attack for a team short on numbers. Playing 10 games in one weekend was not uncommon for him a few years ago.
Hoffman has been playing long enough that he has had the opportunity to play along side his son Josh ( Messiah Collage , All American 2005 Defenseman) for the last few years. “It’s been great. Its definitely the “greatest” highlight of my playing days! The first game we played together was a scrimmage against a College D1 varsity team. We didn’t have enough guys so he played with us. He was only 14 and did a good job” Father and son now always play on the same summer league team in the competitive Scott Boyle Summer League at Gilman school and in some Open tournaments .
This year Hoffman’s summer league team won the Summer League, as they have many times in the past. The team had a good mix of young, medium, and “old” players, with ages ranging from 19 to 55. We asked him how they make a team with such a wide age range work. “We actually had four or five father-son combinations play on the team this year. The key is putting the smarts and experience at defense and attack, and putting the young legs in the midfield and pole. And a good young keeper. We try to get the right guys; guys that get along and like to go hard.”
Marc just also happens to run the summer league .We asked Marc if he had any plans to step down from running the league in the near future. “As long as the Gilman is gracious enough to let use the fields, I’ll continue to run the league even after I stop playing” he said. It’s a great opportunity to bond young players in collage , with veteran club and pro players which create long term relationships that can span all ages. Like its supposed to be.
In addition to being a player for over 35 years, Hoffman has been a longtime assistant coach at
But Hoffman and anyone else that has played club ball long enough knows the action on the field is only part of the experience. Club games are almost always followed by post game sodas, laughs, TALL tales, and some stories only repeated in the bar, parking lot, or clubhouse.
Lax Spot had the opportunity to recently interview Salisbury lacrosse head coach Jim Berkman. Berkman has lead the Salisbury Sea Gulls to 7 National Championships, 25 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances, and holds an all time record of 299-30 at Salisbury.
Lax Spot: There is always discussion about you leaving Salisbury to take a head coaching job at a D1 school. Surely you have had offers for D1 positions, why have you remained in D3?
Coach Berkman: Well over the years there have been some interesting jobs and opportunities that presented themselves, but none were that intriguing to leave Sea Gull land. The grass is not always greener as a lot of people believe. Salisbury is a great place for me and my family. At this point in my career I always see myself wearing and bleeding maroon and gold.
Lax Spot: We've heard speculation that the only position that you would leave Salisbury for would be the Syracuse job. Is there any truth to that?
Coach Berkman: Well Syracuse lacrosse has a great tradition, one that would be very appealing for most coaches. However there is something to be said about planting the seeds for a successful program and sticking around to bear the fruits of your labor. That's what I think about Salisbury at this point. My goals and philosophies reflect those more of a D3 level. That’s where I stand at this point in my life and I like where I'm at and I like the level and philosophy of D3.
Lax Spot: What is there left for you to accomplish at the D3 level? What continues to drive you?
Coach Berkman: Well each year is a new team and it’s a new group of players and a new group of guys to mold and guide and hopefully help them reach their potential. This in itself is a very rewarding experience at any level. Personally I really enjoy helping, motivating and being a part of a young mans journey to reach his potential. Every year at Salisbury we usually have 3 or 4 seniors who D1 coaches say "how did we miss that guy?" This is very rewarding to think that you’re a part of something very special in a player’s development to that level. This is why I coach and many others do and continue to drive me each and every year to help special guys to find out how good they can become.
Lax Spot: Give us your thoughts on coaching your son. Is it what you expected?
Coach Berkman: I’ve been coaching Kylor in one capacity or another since he has been about 4 years old. I’ve been fortunate to have this opportunity and cherish these days on the field at Salisbury University. It’s easier coaching him at Salisbury University than the days on the Orange Crush traveling soccer team when he was 12 or 13. He has matured as a person and as an athlete to realize the position we are both in and the character it takes on his part to make it work. So I think his maturity and realizing where we are as a program and where he fits as a piece of the puzzle it really hasn't been that difficult, it has really been a joy.
Lax Spot: Does it make it easier to coach your son when he happens to be a good athlete and a great lacrosse player?
Coach Berkman: I have talked to several coaches that have had their sons play with them over the years and it always makes it easier to coach your son when he is one of the best players on your team. The marginal player that's a son is one that is always scrutinized about his playing time. Besides being a very good athlete and lacrosse player, it always helps when a coach’s son is a very hard worker. Kylor has been in the gold club at Salisbury since he stepped on campus. He benched his body weight ten times, 15 plus pull ups, 25 plus dips, running sub 9 minute mile and a half. He has been able to do that since day one. As you know anybody at Salisbury that makes the gold club immediately earns respect of all their teammates.
Lax Spot: Kylor received a lot of interest from other schools who were recruiting him. What other schools was he considering as top choices?
Coach Berkman: Kylor set an unofficial state record coming out of HS in Salisbury which is pretty unbelievable when you think about the state of MD. He scored well over 400 pts in his high school career. I think he actually scored 169 in his senior year playing both midfield and attack. He was also a two time High School All-American. I think the three schools that showed the most interest were Brown, UMBC, and Towson. They were the three major ones that kind of came forward in the recruiting process.
Lax Spot: In a few words, summarize what comes to mind when you think of each of your seven national championship teams.
Coach Berkman: Well I kind of think through and look at the 7 championship teams and maybe 1 or 2 people or a unique thing, and starting with number one on 1994, the thing that rings in the back of my mind was beating Hobart before they left for D1. Because of that, none of out further championships could be scrutinized. We beat them the last time in D3 and it will always stick out in my mind.
In 1995 the thing that sticks out in my mind was a dominate team in every position. We had Jason Coffman as an attackman. He was just one of the most unbelievable players to ever play college lacrosse, a 4x 1st team All-American. He was virtually unstoppable.
In 1999, the thing that stands out was that it was a good team. It definitely wasn't one of our best teams but I remember the great goalie play of Jason Tarnow. The saves that he made probably deserved the MVP [MVP honors went to attackman Brian Smith (3 goals)]. He was unbelievable, especially early in the game when we were getting bombarded and were struggling a bit. He kept us in the game.
In 2003 there were a couple things. It was the first time at pro stadium for lacrosse. I was also on the NCAA Lax committee at the time and I was a part of that process of the championship moving to the pro stadium. The second was calling the play before overtime and Andy Murray winning the face off. Chris Phillips scoring the goal on the play that we called as time expired in regulation and scoring on in overtime.
In 2004, Eric Martin on defense was just a total dominate player. He dominated the game from start to finish on defense. Andy Murray was dominating on the face off as he did for 4 years. We did that pretty much for 20 games that year.
In 2005 the thing that jumps off the page with that one is it was the first time we did three in a row and that was pretty special. I remember that season looking back at some of those people and we hear from D1 coaches asking me "how did miss those guys?" We had three guys on that team; Sean white, Justin Smith and Jeff Bigas, who all got world team tryouts. From a D3 championship, that was kind of something that always stuck in my mind as a special team.
Last year we had a few questions to answer and I guess two things stick out in my mind about 2007. Number one, the attack was challenged in the beginning of the year and they definitely answered the bell. An unknown attack scores the all time record in college lacrosse for goals scored and then obviously you’re sitting there holding the championship trophy with your son playing an integral part. That is something you will always remember.
Lax Spot: With the legacy that has been built, and the steady pipeline of great lacrosse players that you now have, has winning national championships become any easier?
Coach Berkman: Every year it gets harder. There is more parody in college lacrosse. There are more kids playing and with new D1 and D2 programs with scholarships digging deeper into the talent pool every year. As far as some of the kids we may have gotten previously, it is hard for a kid to give up a scholarship even to come play in one of the best D3 schools. In the back of their mind they always think, "D1, D1" Finally they come to realize that maybe they should just go play a higher level of D3 in some of the top programs. But it makes it harder each year to track the talent that it takes to win a championship. There are more kids out there, there are more programs, there are so many new young and energetic and great coaches scouting the fields that definitely increase the level of parody in college lacrosse. I definitely think it is getting harder each year to maintain the level of play that we were fortunate enough to get over the last 19 years.
Lax Spot: Out of all the players you have coached over the years, you can only pick three to start a team with, who are they?
Coach Berkman: Well I guess you start right at the top; the first player would definitely be Jason Coffman at attack. The games all time leading scorer at any level. He was virtually was unstoppable for 4 years. He just dominated the game and changed the way the other teams were able to defend us. So if I was picking 3 people at 3 different positions it would start with Coffman at attack.
At midfield, obviously Jake Bergey; he had dominate size and speed, which made him unstoppable and still does till this day playing for the Philadelphia Wings, playing 10 plus seasons for the pros.
Eric Martin on defense, he was First Team All-Pro MLL defenseman! Eric totally dominated his last 2 years, in a way which we really never had in a kid. A lot of years we have had some great defensemen, but they used to cover the 2nd or 3rd best guy to take the ball away. He covered the best guy. He would shut-off and take the kid out of the game. Any D1 coach would love to start a program with any of those 3 kids.
Lax Spot: As a whole your team's stick skills have continued to improve throughout the years. Do you attribute this to today's players starting earlier, playing more, and coming out of high school with better sticks? Or is this do to a shift in the way your teams practice and prepare?
Coach Berkman: I think it’s a couple of things. Kids obviously have solid sticks coming out of High School. But no matter how good they are or think they are it's a rude awakening on the first day of fall ball. A lot of them think they have really good sticks and they go out there and kids are popping that ball one cradle & out and winging it right and left handed, and all of a sudden the kid that thought he had a good stick is like whoa my sticks skills are not so good. Then they realize there is a lot of wall ball ahead to catch up. That is what motivates and drives our guys to play at a high level each year to catch up to the guys that are here. The thing that we changed a little bit more recently in the last few years is the importance of shooting. We shoot a lot more at practice. We have to shoot more in order to score more goals. Another thing is we are working with our defenseman’s stick work more now than in the past, especially relative to our clearing game and the clearing principles that we have. The stick work with our defenseman and shooting are the major things we have changed in practice over the last few years.
Lax Spot: You have had a many assistant coaches graduate from this program and take over head coaching positions at other schools. Which one will be the first to beat Salisbury?
Coach Berkman: Hopefully that won't occur until I am all done at Salisbury (laughing). But all of them are great young coaches that work very hard and all have the knowledge to beat us at any given day if they have the talent to do it.
Lax Spot: Who do you consider to be some of the other great coaches at the D3 level?
Coach Berkman: Well obviously one of my former mentors, Coach (Hank) Janczyk, he has done it year in and year out at Gettysburg. There are so many great D3 coaches out there right now. There are so many young guns that are making a name for themselves. Look at the preseason Top 20. Any of these coaches at those programs are outstanding people who know the game. They are knowledgeable and extremely motivated. The game has a lot more energy for a coaching perspective and for recruiting then it had 15 years ago. I attribute that to all the great coaches out there.
Lax Spot: What coaches did you grow up admiring and trying to emulate?
Coach Berkman: My high school basketball coach, Lou Kibling at Watertown High School probably had the biggest impact on me when I was growing up. He was into it 24/7 and that made a huge impact on me and in a lot of ways; an impact on the expectations that exist at Salisbury University today. My work ethics as a player and as a coach were developed under his mentoring because he was so into it all the time. I enjoyed that passion that he had and I think my expectations for our guys to become the best they can be and a lot of that is because he motivated me to become the best athlete I was in high school.
Lax Spot: You had the opportunity to coach against so many great players over the years. Who are some of the players that really stand out?
Coach Berkman: There have been so many, but if I had to name just a few the ones that come to mind first are Billy Miller from Hobart in the early 90's, Brian Silcott from Nazareth College in the early 90s, David curry from Gettysburg in the mid 90's, Jed Raymond from Middlebury College late 90's to 00, and Stephen Burger from Washington College.
6 comments