Thursday, December 15, 2016

Remembering Hobart's Ed Howard


In the winter of 1976 Ed Howard had just become the newest of a long list of, what Hobart All American and Associate Head Lacrosse Coach at the University Virginia, Marc Van Arsdale has coined, DNPs—guys who did not play in high school. “I was lucky enough to be a ball boy for a bunch of those Jerry Schmidt/Dave Urick Hobart Teams in the 70's” says Van Arsdale who grow up in Geneva, New York. “There were some ferocious, physical athletes playing defense for Hobart in those days [who] were DNP's—Tom Korn, Tom Moffitt, Bootie Gringeri (all defensive football standouts)—but Ed, once he learned the game, was a more graceful defender,” Van Arsdale recalls. “I remember his great footwork/quickness . . . maybe attributable to his hoops upbringing,” he theorizes. Howard remembers being home in Buffalo on winter break after 6 B team practices when he received phone call for then defensive coordinator Dave Urick tell him that he’s been invited to come to up to varsity. “I am looking out the window and it was a terrible ice storm and here’s coach asking me if I want to join the varsity team on spring break down in North Carolina.” Back in those days Hobart we would play Carolina, NC State, Hopkins, and Navy on spring break. “Looking at the [bitter cold] weather outside it was an easy decision.” Howard remembers telling Urick without hesitation “I am going!” As freshmen Ed played mostly on Hobart’s man down defense. He had no fear of big offensive guns he faced on man down because he had no history on the players and programs he was facing to go on. “I had the advantage,” explains Howard, I was not encumbered” by the reputation All Americans, “plus in basketball and football I was an offensive players” and could anticipate the other guys moves. “I was 6’ 2’’ 200 lbs and ran a sub 4.5, 40- yard dash—I had the advantage in my mind and it didn’t matter who you were to me,” says Howard. Lord willing and the snow doesn’t get to high, we will have more tomorrow on Ed’s first season as a Statesmen.

Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Hopkins All American and Hall of Famer Mike O'Neil


I had the opportunity to interview Mike O’Neill yesterday. We will be editing that interview and posted it on the Fred Opie show which can be found on sound cloud, stitcher, and iTunes. Most interesting to me had been learning about the lacrosse tradition in his hometown of Massapequa New York.

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Mike O’Neil: http://apps.uslacrosse.org/museum/halloffame/view_profile.php?prof_id=311

Saturday, October 29, 2016

Are You A Helicopter Parent with Your College Age Student Athlete?

Fred Opie goes solo on the topic of parenting college age children.  Opie was a college athlete, coached at the college level, and he is a parent, coach, and a college professor. He shares the detrimental problems of helicopter parents of undergraduate students and student athletes. You might be surprised at some of the things he has seen go on based on his experience as professor at three different institutions. If you want to know if you are a helicopter parent and what it’s doing to your child’s relationships with his or her roommates, professors and/or coaches listen to this podcast. Fred ends the podcast with a four question quiz that you can take to evaluate yourself. As Fred shares in his super sevens: principles for winning in life podcast, evaluation is the key to getting better. Listen to the podcast take the quiz, improve your parenting strategies, and your child’s undergraduate experience. Listen Now https://soundcloud.com/thestudytable/are-you-a-helicopter-parent-with-your-college-age-child


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Professor Gives Student Athletes the Inside Scoop [Listen Now]
https://soundcloud.com/thestudytable/strategies-for-getting-great-grades

Seven Principals for Winning [Listen Now]
https://soundcloud.com/thestudytable/seven-principles-for-winning

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Friday, October 7, 2016

Kyle Harrison on the Training Table

Kyle Harrison right in his home Hopkins white jersey, Courtesy of JHU
Kyle Harrison displaying his grilling skills, Courtesy of Kyle Harrison 
This week on the podcast host Fred Opie interviews John Hopkins All-American lacrosse player Kyle Harrison.  He talks about what it takes to be a great player, becoming a father, the next US team tryouts, getting ready for the season, changing his eating habits as he gets older, and how much sleep he needs. The interview is part of the series training table which looks at players, fitness, and food. Listen to Hopkins lacrosse stories and at the end professor Opie’s tips for being a better student.


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Kyle’s Website: http://iamkyleharrison.com/

Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Why Not Let Your Passion Pay You?

Team USA Exhibition, Homewood Filed John Hopkins University, Baltimore 1990, That’s Mike Waldvogel to the left, me # 7,  #22 Sal LoCascio (UMass) and Paul Smoller (Cornell), to the right
When I look back over my playing career, I realize that the time and money I invested in lacrosse provides clear evidence that it represented my passion. There are guys who quit playing after college but I could only stay away from the game for a year and its still a part of my life today as a volunteer coach, advocate of the game and tweeners or get overlooked in today's recruiting process, and a blogger.  I always ask my students on the first day of class: what do want to do for a living five years from now? 65% of the undergrads I ask say they don't know. I ask, what is your passion? Where do you spend your time and money when you are relaxing? That’s how you know your passion. I tell people, if it’s legal and moral, why not make it your career? Why not do research papers in my history course on learning more about the history of your passion and career endeavor? I would argue that if you work hard, treat people the way you want to be treated, and stay networked, you can make a living in some shape or form through you passion for lacrosse. 

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Are You a Tweener?http://lacrossememoir.blogspot.com/2012/06/are-you-tweener.html

College Recruiting Series:  http://lacrossememoir.blogspot.com/search?q=recruiting

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Thursday, September 22, 2016

Returning to the Game

A young Stephen "Bones" Kelly # 14 who now number 24 for UNC Tar Heels
Following my second consecutive appearance in the NCAA Division I lacrosse finals and loss to Hopkins in 1985, I stopped playing lacrosse for a year. But after a year of coaching at the High School level I got the itch again. With encouragement with from my college coach John Desko, I returned to lacrosse playing for the first time in the Glastonbury, Connecticut Summer Lacrosse Tournament in 1986. The tournament featured some of the top Division I players from the Long Island, New Jersey, Hudson Valley, and New England regions. The competition was incredible and that’s what I thrive on—competition—I am the same way as an academic. This is where I became friends with Cornell and Calvert Hall alum Frank Kelly (Stephen's father). Frank was the first lacrosse player I met who like me made a decision during college to make the Lord Jesus Christ look good on and off the field with my life. Frank would go on to found the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) Lacrosse Ministry http://www.fcalax.com/


Monday, September 5, 2016

Fred Opie talks with Ohio State Men’s Head Lacrosse Coach Nick Myers

Ohio State Men’s Head Lacrosse Coach Nick Myers, Photo courtesy of laxbuzz.wordpress.com
The Big Ten’s Nick Myers is starting his ninth season as head coach for the Ohio State men's lacrosse team in 2017. In the Summer of 2016, Myers guided Team USA to the gold medal at the FIL Under-19 World Championship. His brother Pat, an Ohio State alum, served as an assistant coach on the US team. Myers began his coaching career as the volunteer coach for the Buckeyes for two seasons under then head coach Joe Breschi. He had worked as an assistant coach at Butler before rejoining the Buckeye staff in 2006. Myers played lacrosse at Springfield College in Massachusetts.
Listen Now [26min 16sec] https://soundcloud.com/thestudytable/ohio-state-lacrosse-coach-nick-myers

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Nick Myers: http://www.nmnathletics.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=17300&ATCLID=1059039