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/. 

My Syracuse Teammates: http://lacrossememoir.blogspot.com/search?q=%22Tom%22

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

Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/FrederickDouglassOpie?ref=hl and Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/DrFredDOpie

Listen to Our Podcasts and More: http://www.fredopie.co

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

Big 10 vs ACC Lacrosse Championship Game

Head Joe Breschi left celebrating a win 

Today the Big 10's University of Maryland faces off against the ACC's  Univeristy of North Carolina to decide the 2016 NCAA College Lacrosse national champions. Fred Opie interviews UNC Lacrosse Coach Joe Breschi about how he entered the coaching profession and his journey to becoming UNC head coach. The Tar Heels have not won a championship since 1991. [Listen Now 26min 50sec] https://soundcloud.com/thestudytable/the-study-table-joe-breschi

Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/FrederickDouglassOpie?ref=hl and Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/DrFredDOpie

University Maryland Lacrosse Stories: http://lacrossememoir.blogspot.com/search?q=University+of+Maryland

UNC Lacrosse Stories: http://lacrossememoir.blogspot.com/search?q=UNC

Listen to Our Podcasts and More: http://www.fredopie.com/

Remebering The 1983 NCAA Lacrosse Tournament

Hall Famer Brad Katz

In 1983 I played lacrosse at Herkimer County Community College for Hall of Famer Paul Wehrum. I had earned first team Junior College All American the year before and thought that might help me gain the attention of the coaching staff at the University of Maryland where I wanted to continue my lacrosse career. I don’t believe one of my many phone calls to the Maryland lacrosse office ever made it pass the secretaries who screened calls; nor did any of the coaches return my calls. In contrast Coach Roy Simmons Jr. reached out to me. Coach's demonstration of genuine interest in me as person and not just an athlete made positive impression on me. I'll never forget seeing Syracuse beat Maryland in the NCAA quarter finals that year in the Career Dome. I went on to watch every one of the Syracuse playoff games in 1983 including SU's come from behind to win and first National championship. Shortly before the final game Coach Simmons sent me a scholarship offer which I gladly accepted. How the Lord orchestrated my scholarship to Syracuse, the defending national champions in 1983, is still a faith building memory to me.

Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/FrederickDouglassOpie?ref=hl and Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/DrFredDOpie

The 1983 NCAA Tournament: http://lacrossememoir.blogspot.com/2012/05/why-i-will-never-forget-syracuse-win.html

Listen to Our Podcasts and More: http://www.fredopie.co

Helping Boys Become Men and Girls Become Women

Fred Opie coaching 1 and 2 graders in Sleepy Hollow, New York 

 Too many club and high school coaches cannot resist the temptation to win at all cost.  They let their best players get away with poor choices instead of teaching them early on how to be a responsible women or man. Coaches need to focus on developing decision making, health relationship, empathy, loyalty, and skill development. Coaches focus on transforming boys in the men and girls into women instead of your win loss record. As a coach you are hurting your players and program when you play favorites and overlook unacceptable behavior among your players. Discipline even bench selfish and unruly standout players. In the long wrong you will do more to help that player succeed in the future. 

Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/FrederickDouglassOpie?ref=hl and Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/DrFredDOpie

Listen to Our Podcasts and More: http://www.fredopie.com/

Coaching Series: http://lacrossememoir.blogspot.com/search?q=coach

Virginia Players Benched: http://laxunation.com/2011/04/shamel-bratton-dismissed-rhamel-suspended-indefinitely.

Tuft Players Benched:

http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2013/01/27/boorish-behavior-exposed-tufts-lacrosse-team/kUC9Q1AmvG2DqN9mJR53eL/story.html

http://www.tuftsdaily.com/men-s-lacrosse-players-benched-for-harassment-1.2805360#.UWwPI6J96So

Schools, Sports and Academic Rigor

Coaches new to a school, be sensitive to the academic demands on your student athletes.  I suggest coaches speak to the seniors on their team and get their assessment of how much time they can expect students to be able to dedicate to activities such as practices, weight training and conditioning, and watching films.  Some schools have larger reading and writing expectations then others. Some schools give more group work then others which requires meeting with one's team members in that group outside of class and often during typical times in which athletic teams hold practice. Be open to letting your student athletes come to practice late or leave practice early so they can meet with their groups and/or with instructors during office hours. Let me close with suggesting that you make the podcast I published on strategies for getting good grades from a college professor's perspective. Every instrucor is different but there are some principles that are parallel the matter what class your taking or US school.  

Strategies For Getting Great Grades: Listen Now [21min 13sec] https://soundcloud.com/thefredopieshow/strategies-for-getting-great-grades

Coaching Series: http://lacrossememoir.blogspot.com/search?q=coach

Listen to Our Podcasts and More: http://www.fredopie.com/

What Makes A Good Coach? [Listen Now 52 min 50 sec] http://wosu.org/2012/allsides/what-makes-a-good-coach/

Student Teaching and Coaching

Photo of me in the spring of 1986 as an assistant varsity lacrosse coach at my high school, Croton Harmon warming up the goalies at Croton Harmon. 

I've been an avid goal setter since I was in middle school. I recall in my senior year at Syracuse University (SU) in 1985, I set my sites on becoming a public school teacher and lacrosse coach in a district where I could have an impact. I was an education major at SU and needed to complete a year of student teaching which I did in my public school district, Croton Harmon district in the fall of 1985. I received mentoring as a student teacher in grades k-12 and I coached each season during my year in Croton. My education courses at SU, coaching and teaching that year in Croton, and three years of full time public school teaching helped me a great deal when I later became a college professor. Unfortunately the average prof, particularly the stars, have had little to no experience teaching before taking their first job nor courses on class management and basic pedagogy. 

Coaching Stories: http://lacrossememoir.blogspot.com/search?q=coach

Croton Lacrosse History: http://lacrossememoir.blogspot.com/search?q=Croton+Point

The Croton Diner and Croton Point: http://www.foodasalens.com/2009/09/croton-dinner.html

Croton Point Park History: http://brickcollecting.com/croton.htm

A Good Mentor Can Make All the Difference

 Glatfelter Hall, Gettysburg College

Everyone needs a good mentor.  Mike McTighe served as an important mentor in my life who helped me learn the academic ropes. Mike did more than talk he demonstrated his confidence in my intellectual ability by asking me to co-teach my first college course with him—a comparative religious history course on Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. In addition he offered to write letters of support for my application to Ph.D. programs. Shortly after the course started, Mike told me that doctors had diagnosed him with cancer. He asked me to continue teaching the course alone, and assured me that I could handle the class. I was 28 years old at the time and that semester, I served as an interim dean, adjunct professor, and defensive coordinator for the Gettysburg Men’s Lacrosse team. I was reading like crazy to stay ahead of my students plus over preparing because of my internal fear that someone would find out that I was a fake, a guy who struggled to spell basic words and spent twice as much time reading the same material as my students. And as for the lacrosse, as was the case at Croton Harmon, Herkimer, and Syracuse, Gettysburg lacrosse during my tenure was good but nothing like the teams that have made the final four over the last ten years. More on the players I coached during my time there from 1989 to 1992

Coaching Series: http://lacrossememoir.blogspot.com/search?q=coach

Lessons from My Graduate School Experience: http://lacrossememoir.blogspot.com/search?q=Graduate+School

Listen to Our Podcasts and More: http://www.fredopie.com/

The Canadian Connection

Paul and Gary Gait

# 15 Stan Cockerton, far right (and unknown individuals) 

A key to SU's lacrosse success over the years has been the coaching staff's ability to find diamonds in the rough in the most usual places. Certainly the story of how the Hall Fame Gait brothers arrived on campus is an excellent case in point. As the story goes, Coach Simmons received a tip from either a personal friend or Syracuse alum about the Gait brothers. They came from Western Canada which at the time did not have any players of note who had played at any top program or put up the kind of numbers that they did in their career at Syracuse. The Canadians of note that I knew of before the Gaits has been Stan Cockerton at NC State and Dave Huntley at Hopkins in the late 1970s (I would later learn about and play against Canadian Box Hall of Famer and national team player Kevin Alexander). U. S. coaches had not yet become convinced that box players could make the transition to the field game so Canadians went larger overlooked until the Gaits with the exception of Cockerton. How recruiting is done today at the Division I level is quite short sighted in my view because it is gambling on young sophomore and juniors in high school and overlooking seniors, post grads at prep schools, and junior college kid like me. Today Syracuse is one of the few top ranked programs that still makes room on its roster for non-traditional recruits like the Gaits, Native Americans, and junior college players like me. 

Fall Ball Series: http://lacrossememoir.blogspot.com/search?q=Fall+Ball

Canadian Lacrosse Legend Kevin Alexander: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_0NBMg_A8o

Stan Cockerton: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-GOrL2Yo9k

The Gait’s Canadian Box Lacrosse Roots: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWd_SS3gQNU

The Gait Brothers: http://lacrossememoir.blogspot.com/search?q=paul+gait

How Many Goals Did the Gaits Score Right-Handed?: [Watch 8 min 24 sec] http://lacrossememoir.blogspot.com/2012/04/how-many-goals-did-gaits-score-right.html

One Big Reason Why Syracuse Recruited Me

Tim Nelson against Army at West Point, 1985 

Perhaps the person that the Lord used the most to turn the attention of the Syracuse Lacrosse coaching staff was the big 6' 2" 200 pound attackman Tim Nelson (Yorktown High School). Our high schools played against each other back in Westchester in Section 1. We also played together on a Manhasset summer league team in the old Freeport Summer League after my first year in college. As a result of our shared history, Tim (Nellie) knew my game and knew it well. When I went to Herkimer as a virtual unknown player, he went as a highly recruited two-time high school All American who had played in two New York State title games to NC State. In the late 1970s and early 1980s the Wolfpack had a great lacrosse program that included Tim’s older brother Scott. At the end of his first year, State dropped their program and Syracuse offered him a scholarship. In his first season at Syracuse, SU won its first national championship in 1983, Nellie earned first team All American honors and he won the Turnbull Award as the best attackman in the country that year. During that championship season, I visited SU and ran into Nellie. He told me about the teams need for defensemen and then lobbied the coaching staff to recruit me based on what he knew of me as a high school player and my summer league performance. That’s the story of how I became a Syracuse Lacrosse recruit when most other programs and coaches showed no interest. 

The Nelsons of Yorktown Lacrosse: http://lacrossememoir.blogspot.com/2010/09/college-lacrosse-recruiting-series-part_18.html

“Stay On His Gloves!"

Fred Opie # 34 in a 1985 game in the Carrier Dome in Syracuse against North Carolina. 

I gave up lacrosse following my senior year at Syracuse and second consecutive year of losing to John Hopkins in the National Championship game.  My return to lacrosse started at the once premier summer tournament in Glastonbury Connecticut. Jamesville Dewitt alum (a school in the Suburbs of Syracuse ) who played at Cornell invited me to play with a Cornell team that had a spattering of SU players. I went back to the basics remember Coach John Desko's advice to me. I had asked him my first year at SU what I could do to improve my game, and he responded, “Stay on his gloves! [translation, stop throwing so many take away checks and square up!]." That’s a problem I see among too many even top division 1 players—they play to much defense with their stick and not enough with their feet—shuffle, drop step, catch up, and then we can talk about checks! 

Coaching Series: http://lacrossememoir.blogspot.com/search?q=coaching

My College, Club, and U. S. Team Players and Coaches: http://lacrossememoir.blogspot.com/search?q=%22Tom%22

My Hard Work and Lacrosse Stories: http://lacrossememoir.blogspot.com/search?q=%22hard+work%22

My Youth Lacrosse Coaching Strategies

Me and other volunteer coaches at halftime Croton-on-Hudson, New York  Spring 2010

Related links below

Coaching Series: http://lacrossememoir.blogspot.com/search?q=coaching

How Many Goals Did the Gaites Score Right-Handed?: http://lacrossememoir.blogspot.com/2012/04/how-many-goals-did-gaits-score-right.html

Inside Out Coaching: How Sports Can Transform Lives by Joe Ehrmann, Gregory Jordan and Paula Ehrmann: [Watch 4 min 7 sec] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9qxV0pRaS0

Book: Inside Out Coaching: How Sports Can Transform Lives by Joe Ehrmann, Gregory Jordan and Paula Ehrmann http://books.simonandschuster.com/InSideOut-Coaching/Joe-Ehrmann/9781439182987

Starting Lacrosse Programs, Elliot Stark

NYU lacrosse 1930. Elliot Stark played for NYU and Rutgers University back during the Depression

Across the country volunteer coaches develop, grow, and maintain vibrant youth lacrosse programs. In my case Elliot Stark did the heavy lifting in my home town of Croton-on-Hudson back in about the late 1960s early 1970s. A Brooklyn native, Stark played lacrosse at Rutgers University and later at New York University (NYU) in the early 1930s. The NYU lacrosse program argues that it has the oldest collegiate-level lacrosse program in the country with the first game played against Manhattan College in 1877. Until the 1970s, just about all the city universities had lacrosse teams. Stark would later go on to play and promote professional indoor lacrosse throughout New York City (NYC). For example, Stark organized a game between members of the Onondaga Nation (near Syracuse University) and the “New York City All-Stars” for the 1939 World’s Fair held that year in NYC. Mike Poster served as another early contributor to lacrosse in Croton. A gap exist in what we know about lacrosse biography and when he arrived in Croton. We welcome you to call in and share your lacrosse starters, pioneers, and planters stories @ 781-239-5611. We will share your stories with our followers. Please leave your name and phone number followed by your story.

Croton Lacrosse Stories: http://lacrossememoir.blogspot.com/search?q=Croton

What Makes A Good Coach? [Listen Now 52 min 50 sec] http://wosu.org/2012/allsides/what-makes-a-good-coach/

Coaching Series: http://lacrossememoir.blogspot.com/search?q=coach

Developing A Love For the Game Part 1

Hobart All American Ed Howard. He died suddenly last week  

The defining moment in Ed Howard's decision to play lacrosse came during a meeting with Hobart lacrosse coaching staff. Coach Urick and Schimdt “encouraged me to come out for lacrosse,” says Ed Howard. He goes on to say, “From my perspective, I owe my entire lacrosse experience to Coaches Schmidt and Urick. What they saw in a former basketball player that made them think he could be a lacrosse player is beyond me?” The fact that at Hobart lacrosse was king also played a role in decision to take up the game. “I had never heard of lacrosse [but] I could see that it was THE SPORT on campus,” says Howard. He started practicing with Hobart’s B team where freshmen recruits and walk on players tested their metal. 

Hobart All American Ed Howard: http://lacrossememoir.blogspot.com/search?q=Ed+Howard

Rick Sowell Reflects on His Pro Indoor Lacrosse Career

Captain Rick Sowell of the Baltimore Thunder, late 1980s

Playing Pro lacrosse was a great experience. I came into the indoor league in its second year of existence and it was fun to be a part of something that had a bright future. I was fortunate to play in historic arena’s, such as the old Boston Garden, Nassau Coliseum and the Spectrum in Philly. It was also a thrill to play in front of some sold out arena’s, seventeen thousand fans cheering in an indoor building can be very loud and a tremendous rush. Travelling to different cities every weekend, competing in front of great crowds and then meeting great people after the game was awesome. At the same time I was coaching under Dave Urick at Georgetown. Working under him for 8 years was a truly a blessing. I learned so much from being around him day in and day out. I learned how to plan practice’s so the players are not only working hard, but enjoying what they’re doing. He also taught me to let the players do what they do best, don’t try and control every aspect of the game. Coach Urick has unbelievable composure during the games as he keeps an even keel even in high pressure situations. I think of him when I need to remind myself to stay calm. Finally, he is one of the funniest people I know, just a GREAT guy to be around! 

Rick Sowell Stories: http://lacrossememoir.blogspot.com/search?q=Rick+Sowell+

Coaching Stories

Hempstead varsity lacrosse team photo circa 1986: Kenny Moore, Kevin McClure, Sinclair Basnight, Donald Jones, Egon Robertson, John Williams, Derek Payne, Danny Williams, Gerald Cordova, Charles Edge, Aaron Jones, Jerry McCarter, Caesar Lara, William Humphrey, Milton Warker, Norris Taylor, Robin Taylor

I taught and coached football and lacrosse at Hempstead High School during the 1988-89 academic year. The district had failed to pass it budget and operated on an austerity budget—restricted funding for sports with funds only for coach’s salaries, insurance, buses etc. The student body had been over 95% black and remainder lower class Latinos and whites. In the 1960s the school had gained national recognition for its academic and athletic achievements. The High School began a decline with the close of Mitchel Air Force Base in 1961, an important source of jobs for the community and the beginning of capital and white flight from the school district. Regan era cut backs led to further problems along with the coming of the crack cocaine epidemic. Despite these hardships, a group of dedicated teachers and coaches insured that Hempstead grads continued to attend some of the finest schools in the country. In the team photo above one fines Metro Lacrosse CEO Aaron Jones who played collegiality at Cornel University and Army officer Dan Williams who earned All American honors at West Point.  

Hempstead Lacrosse History: http://lacrossememoir.blogspot.com/search?q=Hempstead

Coaching Stories: http://lacrossememoir.blogspot.com/search?q=coach

Show Up Looking like the Person Who Was Recruited

A unhappy 1983 Herkimer General team photo following yet another defeat to Cobleskill in the regional finals. That's me #7 kneeling in the front row second from the left just months before I transferred to Syracuse University.

Starting a new series today on being a new recruit reminiscing on my experience as new scholarship athlete playing lacrosse at Syracuse University in the fall of 1983. The summer before the start of my first semester at Syracuse I set my mind on earning a starting position as defensemen during fall ball. I somehow got in my head that a division 1 defensemen had to bigger and stronger than I was at the time—6’ 1’’180 pounds (Today I would be small by division one standards where the average defensemen are taller than me and over two hundred pounds and fast!) Without consulting anyone I went on this weight and strength gaining regiment that I had no business designing because I did not have a clue what I was doing. In retrospect, I lifted my fork and spoon more than I lifted weights, ran, or work on my food work which I now know to be critical. That summer I worked for a catering company doing prep work at a Con Ed facility in Tarrytown.  Con Ed workers went out on strike that summer for better wages and benefits and the kitchen staff had to provide three meals a day to Con Ed managers covering for those out on strike. That summer I made lots of money working overtime and I ate like a champ going from 178 to 205! In late August, I had surgery on both knees for tendonitis. Between my kitchen job and surgery, I arrived at Syracuse in the fall of 1983 looking nothing like the player the SU coaching staff had recruited.  Take it from me, if it's in your power, work hard and show up looking like the person who was recruited. That's a valuable lesson on and off the field.

Herkimer, Syracuse, Club, and U. S. Teammates: http://lacrossememoir.blogspot.com/search?q=%22Tom%22

How To Pick a Good Club Team For My Child?

Summer 2012 FCA boys and girl club teams. The majority of coaching staff are volunteers like me who know the game . 

A parent in a local youth program asked a question via email that I thought made for an informative post. Earlier this summer his child who is going into 4^th grade went to a lacrosse camp that a local club team program ran and he enjoyed the experience. The club team is part of full time lacrosse business by the same name that includes for profit teams, tournaments, camps, and a retail store. The child his excited to play this fall and as a result the parents are considering signing the child up for the club team that ran the camp. But before doing so the parent wanted advice on how to select a club program. As the parent states, the “main priority is finding a program that is fun and will allow” his child to play with friends in their community as much as possible. He ends his email with “any insights and advice would be much appreciated.” I responded, I encourage my son to enjoy many different sports. He can specialize in college should he have that option. He has the stick in his hand most of the year because he's a fanatic. But he's now the same way about hockey. It's much the pattern that I had and I didn't start playing lacrosse until 8^th grade. I didn't experience burnout until the end of my college career—and perhaps it was frustration after losing in the championship game for the second season in a row to Hopkins and because I felt lacrosse had become too high a priority in my life and I needed to gain some balance.  Below are links to what I've said about this and related topics. More to come.

My Earliest Exposure to Lacrosse: http://lacrossememoir.blogspot.com/search?q=elliot

Lacrosse in My Home Town of Croton on Hudson and Boarding and Yorktown: http://lacrossememoir.blogspot.com/2010/01/be-steve-mabus-in-your-lacrosse-world.html

My Take On Youth Lacrosse Clubs: http://lacrossememoir.blogspot.com/2012/05/club-team-lacrosse-and-tournament-scene.html

Coach How Is Your Home Team Doing?

Related Links Below

Coaching Series: http://lacrossememoir.blogspot.com/search?q=coaching

Inside Out Coaching: How Sports Can Transform Lives by Joe Ehrmann, Gregory Jordan and Paula 

Ehrmann: [Watch 4 min 7 sec] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9qxV0pRaS0

Book: Inside Out Coaching: How Sports Can Transform Lives by Joe Ehrmann, Gregory Jordan and Paula Ehrmann http://books.simonandschuster.com/InSideOut-Coaching/Joe-Ehrmann/9781439182987

Playoff Time Injuries Part 2

Me my Sophomore year of high school . It seems like I always had a stick  in my hand 

During my freshmen year in high school I came home from football practice with a severe foot injury; Nick Padula served as the freshmen football Coach in the fall and the varsity lacrosse coach in the spring. Unknown to me, my father became enraged and went to the school where he accused the coach of negligence in caring for my injury. Shouting erupted between the two men and almost a physical altercation.  I believe the incident marked me as toxic in the coaches view thereafter.  Here's the back story learned after my playing career at Syracuse University had ended: In the 1950s, my father's youngest sibling Earl died from a head injury while playing high school football. I suspect my dad never got over the guilt and hurt that he felt because he had not been able help little brother. His pain came to the surface with my football injury. It's amazing how some injuries stay with us; the disappointment of not being brought up to varsity during playoffs as a sophomore remained with me a long time. My father died with out us talking about those injuries.

Parents and Athletic Series: http://lacrossememoir.blogspot.com/search?q=Sports%2C+Psychology%2C+and+Parents

Coach You Have A lot Of Influence: http://lacrossememoir.blogspot.com/2012/06/be-careful-what-you-say-to-people-you.html

Coaching Series: http://lacrossememoir.blogspot.com/search?q=coach