my summer - Lacrosse

MSU celebrates


Some of my boys

No matter what I do, I can’t shake this game. I started playing lacrosse in the spring of 1994 and there’s yet to be a season where I failed to suit up or get involved with a team. There were times when I thought I was done but it keeps coming back into my life like David Hasselhoff. Lately, I’ve taken more of an interest in coaching rather than playing. As a player, I only concerned myself with being prepared to help the team to the best of my abilities. As a coach, I have to put the players in a position to win. That means building them up from the basic fundamentals to understanding the game’s tactics and nuances. It’s been a challenge. It’s also been stressful and consuming but ultimately rewarding when the kids learn something from me (which hasn’t been often this season).

I did get to witness a little bit of history in GR at the end of April when Michigan State finally beat Michigan for the first time in about a decade. Ever since MSU’s varsity lacrosse became a Title IX casualty in early 1997, the sport soldiered on as a club team there. In that span of time MSU lost every single game versus UM (fyi, this was just UM’s second loss to a conference opponent ever in the current era of collegiate club lacrosse). I had the privilege of playing for MSU from 1997-2000 and went 0 for 6 against the Wolverines so you can imagine how much of a thrill it was for me to see MSU finally prevail, in person no less. What made it even sweeter was to see the Spartans were led by two of my teammates, who are now the team’s head and goalie coaches. I can't think of anyone more deserving to finally get that win.