So, I’m definitely behind on my game watching...

I did watch Brown play Princeton last night in the first round of the Ivy League playoffs.  What a game!  I'll break that one down at some point.

The beauty of the “Watch ESPN” app is that I can watch all the missed games even after the season ends.

That’s gonna be the plan.

But, this post is all about when Maryland played Albany...

So the game was eventually played Albany on April 12th.

I say that...

In a game with high powered offenses, this one was a defensive battle from the get-go.

I’ve talked about Maryland’s strong strength of schedule….

Well, Notre Dame’s schedule is even tougher.

These two teams will play anybody.  I love that.

Each team showcases their respective stars, and both teams are loaded with talent. 

For Maryland, there’s Matt Rambo, Colin Heacock, Dylan Maltz, and Jared Bernhardt (freshman).

For Notre Dame,...

Let me tell you something to start this thing off... Maryland plays a tough, no joke schedule.  Their non-league games include Navy, Notre Dame, Albany, Villanova, and Yale.

Gets them ready for tournament play.  Kinda like Coach Izzo does with Michigan State hoop every year.

The Yale game has become an instant classic pretty much every year. 

Yale’s victory over Maryland in 2016 helped propel them to the #1 national ranking for a couple weeks. 

Andy Shay...

My new routine of breaking down a game each week is becoming a good time. 

Back when I was coaching in college, I’d watch opposing teams play for the sole purpose of creating a scouting report.  Now I can watch the game with an expanded view… looking beyond the narrow scope of opposing player tendencies and overall game planning.  

Something struck me while looking at each team’s roster…  Syracuse has 23 players that have...

Opening the season against Duke and Denver is no joke.

But all head coaches have their own philosophies on scheduling non-league opponents.

It’s obvious Coach Seremet,  Air Force head coach, is prepping his team to win back-to-back Southern Conference titles.

Last year, Air Force started the season 0-2, and then rattled off 15 straight before dropping their opening round game in the NCAA tournament.

Back on...

Mental Toughness front and center...

The 2017 college lacrosse season has begun.

Some teams have already played two games (Duke being an example), while others haven’t even started yet (like Tufts and the other NESCAC schools).

That’s an interesting point actually… The NESCAC and Ivy League schools aren’t allowed to practice as much as their respective counterparts.

Tufts first practice isn’t until next Wednesday (it’s always February 15th).

...

And the Beginning of Another Journey...

Football college Division I signing day was this past week. The media coverage is a little over the top… (then again, everything is in today’s media world).

Lacrosse Division I signing day was actually back in November...

But it got me thinking… (so much that I had to write some stuff.)

Gonzaga College High School (where I’ve been coaching the past five years) is located right in heart of Washington D.C.

We have a...

Just Cuz You May Start There Doesn't Mean You Have to Stay There...

Every new season brings renewed optimism about the goals you want to meet both as a team and individually.

Hopefully you got some in mind.

Remember, you need to make the team first (that was always my first goal… even going in to my senior year at Tufts.)

I liked that goal as it kept me grounded. Nothing is gonna be given to you.

After that, you pursue the other goals…

By putting in the work…...

If You Think So, You Couldn't Be More Wrong...

So, I stopped by Georgetown Prep the other day to catch up with Scott Urick.

(He was hired this past summer to be their head lacrosse coach.)

Georgetown Prep has a perenial nationally ranked high school lacrosse program.

College lacrosse team rosters are flooded with Georgetown Prep alumni.  

Anway, Scotty and I coached together at Georgetown for six years.  We became fast friends and have been close ever since.

The purpose...

There's a Minority of BIG Time Coaches Who Disagree

Nowadays everything is so URGENT.

"Sign up for tryouts today so that you'll have your best shot to make the fall travel team."

I see it all the time.

C'mon, the fall travel team... really??

What if you're playing a fall sport... like football or soccer?

Parents feel the pressure, and they often fall victim to it.

These same parents go on to sign their kids up for every try-out so these "potential" opportunities aren't lost.

...