The Recruiting Process of a Rising Senior Part 2 of 2

Herkimer General Fred Opie Covering Hobart's Rick Vacion in 1983

Here’s part two of the story about helping the son of a high school friend who I describe as rising senior this coming year whose game took off this past spring and summer. The post starts out with his mother describing her take on what one can do to market themselves to a top college program.  She writes, “Obviously, it takes lots of hard work to get the place where that coach will see you do the "good" thing.   There is not a straight path; each student will find his/her own way.  Stay open minded and be willing to entertain all possibilities.” To email responded that its not luck that has opened doors for me. “I work like it's all up to me, because it is, and pray like it's all up to God, because it is.” I went on to say, “a successful person described luck as when hard work meets an opportunity. Another said stress in large part comes from a lack of preparation. It will be much easier should this happen again with your other children.” I sum a successful recruiting experience depends on understanding the process and tapping into networks that can help you along the way. For the best of the best the process can be a quick sprint. But for tweeners like I was back as a high school senior in 1981 and then again as a junior college guy in 1983, its most often a marathon. Also, the process and rules are changing so rapidly that it’s hard to keep up with best practices.

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

My College Recruiting Series: http://lacrossememoir.blogspot.com/2010/09/dealing-with-rejection-as-lacrosse.html

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

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

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

What Great Coaches Do

Me as a first year as an assistant varsity high school coach in 1986 

Some youth coaches I've met feel insecure about their abilities because they never played in high school or college. Great coaches can learn the game in different ways other than as starters on a team. You can become a student of the game reading, listening, and watching how to teach the fundamentals of the game. Great coaches work hard at learning how to teach the game to the age group they are working with. Great coaches run organized practices, show up early to set up the practice field, and ask questions when they you don't know something.  I've played with allot of great players over my career and I've been coached by allot of differed folks too. Being a great player doesn't mean you will be a great coach. Great coaches both love the game and love teaching. 

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

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

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

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

“It’s about changing your lifestyle” : Staying Fit Then And Now Part 2

Fred Opie covering Hobart's Marc Moore in  the 1984 Manhasset High School's Lacrosse Day of Champions 1984

While playing for Syracuse, I took the game of lacrosse very seriously which meant that while friends from high school took it easy over the summer with partying and seefood diets (eat whatever you). I had to make different choices.  For example, I got up early and went for training runs or did the same in the evening and carefully chose what and when I ate. I would coordinate with staff at my high school to get access to the weight room, and I did lots of wall ball to improve my stick skills. Today I am just as serious about my writing and teaching but more importantly about my fitness. Some say I don't have enough time to work out. I say if you are too busy to workout you are too busy! I also say, look at your older family members and say do you want to look like them when you are their age? Tomorrow I will share some strategies I have employed to reduce my waistline. 

Food and Fitness: http://www.foodasalens.com/search?q=resolution

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

How to Improve Your Stick Skills: [Watch 4 min 2 sec] http://lacrossememoir.blogspot.com/2012/06/how-i-developed-my-lacrosse-stick.html

Review of The Lacrosse Feature Film Crooked Arrows: http://lacrossememoir.blogspot.com/2012/05/review-of-first-feature-film-about.html

Winter Workouts Part 2

Photo: Walter Payton running “the hill” in Arlington Heights, Illinois

What drove me to run in the cold, lift weights, and work on my stick skills as a Syracuse lacrosse player over winter break were stories of athletes like Larry Bird and Walter Payton. Bird, the story goes, would be out on the court in Indiana heat waves shooting jumpers for hours alone. Similarly during the off season with the Chicago Bears, Walter Payton ran steep hills religiously near his Illinois home about 20 times a day wearing specially made training shoes. So as I said in part one of this series yesterday, in January when I was playing college lacrosse, I would be working my butt off right now and eating wisely in hopes of earning a starting position when I returned to campus. I figured if I worked harder than my teammates and opponents I would have the edge. I continue the habit of working out four times a week but now it’s with weights and biking, and it’s for one hour instead of two. My habits have also stood me well as a prof, author, and blogger. The English writer Charles Reade said, “Sow a thought, and you reap an act; Sow an act, and you reap a habit; Sow a habit, and you reap a character; Sow a character, and you reap a destiny” 

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

Food and Fitness: http://www.foodasalens.com/search?q=resolution

How to Improve Your Stick Skills: [Watch 4 min 2 sec] http://lacrossememoir.blogspot.com/2012/06/how-i-developed-my-lacrosse-stick.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

Are You A Tweener?

Tweener Fred Opie covering a Umass player in Amherst, Mass in 1985. Umass along with Hobart and Hopkins represented some of the toughest places to an away game. Umass fans provided great support to the Minutemen and sat just a few feet from the field heckling the visiting team the entire game. 

Former Syracuse Lacrosse Player and Tweener Fred Opie

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


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

College Lacrosse Recruiting Series:

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

http://lacrossememoir.blogspot.com/2010/09/dealing-with-rejection-as-lacrosse.html

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

Do You Recruit the Hardest Worker or the Most Talented?

related links below

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

Roddy Marino: http://apps.uslacrosse.org/museum/halloffame/view_profile.php?prof_id=335

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

Dave Urick: http://lacrossememoir.blogspot.com/search?q=+Urick

Syd Abernathy: http://lacrossememoir.blogspot.com/search?q=syd

How To Get Better During Practice and Improve Your Game

Yorktown and SU All American and 2012 National Hall of Fame Inductee Tim Nelson 

Former Syracuse Lacrosse Player and Tweener Fred Opie

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


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

How to Improve Your Stick Skills: [Watch 4 min 2 sec] http://lacrossememoir.blogspot.com/2012/06/how-i-developed-my-lacrosse-stick.html

How I Developed My Lacrosse Stick Skills

Fred Opie 

Lacrosse Wall Ball Routines:

http://television.insidelacrosse.com/tag/how_to

     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiwZV_a2EfY

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

Croton and Yorktown Lacrosse: http://lacrossememoir.blogspot.com/2010/01/be-steve-mabus-in-your-lacrosse-world.html

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

Team of Rivals Part 3

Long Island and USA teammate Norm Engelke (Cornell) and Me in Perth, Australia, 1990

While playing with Hopkins lacrosse alum John DeTommaso (Deto), Larry Quinn, and Brad McClain I gleaned everything I could. After all they played for some of the best high school coaches on the Long Island and then for Jim Tierney at Hopkins and John and Larry made the 1986 National Team. I have always said that some of the keys to my success on and off the field has been the ability to learn from others and trying myself with the best coaches and mentors available. In my opinion, playing with Deto and Larry Quinn made me a much better player, particularly because both of them had been students of the game and fierce competitors. Everybody responds differently to competition with some doubting themselves, others turning in the towel, and others rising to the occasion. I would argue that sports can be a great incubator for developing mental toughness and the discipline necessary to achieve one's goals. However, fear competition and or being jealous of others can cap one’s own growth and development. 

Team of Rivals Series: http://lacrossememoir.blogspot.com/search?q=Team+of+Rivals+

Building Male Relationship Through Lacrosse: http://lacrossememoir.blogspot.com/2012/08/nurturing-healthy-male-relationships.html

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

How to Improve Your Stick Skills: [Watch 4 min 2 sec] http://lacrossememoir.blogspot.com/2012/06/how-i-developed-my-lacrosse-stick.html

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

Club Lacrosse Then and Professional Lacrosse Now Part 3

Part of a 1990 USA Lacrosse program

Our Thursday nights the team did line drills, full field passing/clearing drills and then scrimmage for the lion shared of the time. The scrimmages helped me a great deal because I played with and against some of the best players in the world. You would see some incredible moves, shots, saves, checks, and goals, but for me I loved the great passes. As a former attackman and Magic Johnson fan, I’ve always enjoyed a great assist. Over my career I seen some also feeders most them attackman; I am thinking of Tim Nelson (Yorktown, SU) and Tim Goldstein (Wardmelville, Cornell, USA). But there are not allot of midfielders who get the reputation as great feeders. Our club had two great ones—Randy “Harpo” Natoli (Sewanhaka, UVA, 2x USA), and Norm Engelke (Sewanhaka, Nassau, Cornell, 2x USA, Hall of Fame). Both these guys had a nasty stutter step that broke ankles, drew slides, and left folks open. Then they had the ability to throw look away passes that thread the needle to the open man who would end up one on one with the helpless goalie. Both these guys come from Sewanhaka the same Long Island high school that produced the great attackman Eamon McEneaney (Cornell, USA, Hall of Fame). I believe that great players work hard during practice. As the saying goes, practice doesn’t make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect. I was one of the guys that loved going to practice and loved watching my teammates do amazing things on the field. I was just a straight up fanatic who worked hard in the weight room, regularly ran, and seldom missed a practice. My philosophy was and still is, I will out work my competitors and do the little extra to set me apart from the pack.

Lacrosse, Friendship, Sportsmanship, Competition, and Hard work

Fred Opie speak at the first annual One Nation event, a fall youth Lacrosse tournament which was held at Concord, high school in Concord Massachusetts in November 2012. Opies says, "In her book Team of Rivals, Harvard Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin argues that Abraham Lincoln became one of the greatest U. S. presidents because he made his political rivals members of this cabinet and his closet advisors. I didn't have as much wisdom and foresight as Lincoln but the same scenario happened when I joined the Long Island Hofstra lacrosse club in 1987. I became teammates with Hopkins rivals John DeTommaso "Deto," Larry Quinn, and Brad McClain." Fred Opie is a Professor of History and Foodways at Babson College. He blogs about lacrosse here and food and history blog at http://www.foodasalens.com/

One Nation Lacrosse [Watch Now 7 min 19 sec] http://onenationlax.com/

Related Stories:

Building Male Relationship Through Lacrosse: http://lacrossememoir.blogspot.com/2012/08/nurturing-healthy-male-relationships.html

Helping Boys Develop Friendships: [Listen 17 min: 51 sec] http://www.npr.org/2011/08/24/139912898/moms-helping-boys-form-deep-friendships

Hall of Famers Jim Darcangelo, Mark Millen, and the Gait Brothers

Photo of Lax World's Baltimore Location

Jim Darcangelo (Towson, Maryland Lacrosse Club, 2x USA, Hall of Fame) was the first to leverage his time as rep (STX) to create Lax World, a lacrosse retailer first in Baltimore and now with stores in other locations and he has done well over the years. Recent Hall of Fame inductee Mark Millen (UMass 2x USA) had been been a savvy lacrosse entrepreneur with camps, clinics etc. Mark’s worth ethic as a player and entrepreneur reminds me of James Brown, the God father of soul who people called “the hardest working man in show business.” I heard Mark give his Hall of Fame acceptance speech and I noted when he said, “I make my entire income off of lacrosse.” That statement rang in my head. Like Roger Bannister, the first guy to run a sub-four minute mile, Gait, Darcangelo and Millen proved you could live by our game. In the 1990s, most understood how the great Gait brothers could, but they were considered superheroes of the game but particularly Millen and others after him have shown that with hard work one could earn money following their passion for lacrosse.

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

Hall of Famer: http://lacrossememoir.blogspot.com/search?q=Hall+of+Fame

James Brown The Businessman: http://www.foodasalens.com/2011/02/black-history-month-for-foodies-series_25.html

Navy's Syd Abernethy Part 2

Me playing attack against Suffern High School in 1981 in Rockland County, New York 

When Syd Abernethy enrolled in the Naval Academy, the school had a reputation for great attackman including Hall of Famers Jimmy Lewis (Uniondale 64-66), Jeff Long (Irondequoit 74-77), Brendan Schneck (Syosset 77-78), and Mike Buzzell (West Genesse 77-80). Abernethy continued that tradition going on to start at the attack position as a sophomore. After Schneck transferred to Hopkins to play midfield, Abernethy, Buzzell, and Dickie Wheman developed into a triple threat on attack before Buzzell graduated two years later. Abernethy would earn honorable mention All American honors his junior year, “the next year I just outworked everyone, coming to practice early and leaving late,” says Abernethy, and his hard work paid off. I asked him if he ever experienced racism during his high school or college playing days. “No, people in Baltimore knew lacrosse and my performance on the field spoke for itself and I never experienced it on the lacrosse field,” says Abernethy. 

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

Syd Abernathy Series: http://lacrossememoir.blogspot.com/search?q=syd

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

My Lacrosse Recruiting Experience as a High School Senior

That's Guest blogger and Navy Head Coach Rick Sowell (right) as a riding attackman from Cobelskill chasing me down in 1983 in a game at Herkimer. I covered Rick and we had some battles! I am embarrassed recall that in those days, my BC days (before Christ), I used a profane and limited vocabulary to talk allot of trash and disrespect opponents. I later played with Rick on Maryland Lacrosse Club and it was allot better playing with him then against him!   

Navy Coach Rick Sowell: My recruiting experience as a senior in high school was an interesting one. First off, I can tell you having been a college coach for about 20 years now; the difference is night and day compared to the recruiting process back in the early 80’s. I was recruited by Ithaca College to play football and Hobart College to play both football and lacrosse. After a visit during the fall, I committed to Hobart, but unfortunately, due to grades, I found out in late April I would not be accepted. So then, the plan was to attend JUCO [Junior College] for one year then try and transfer. I ended up choosing Cobleskill over Herkimer because Cobleskill had dorms, plus they were the better program at the time. From there Terry Corcoran recruited me to play for him at Washington College. As a head coach at Stony Brook I recruit[ed] JUCO players; In fact, we had 4 former JUCO players on our team. As a Coach, I look for players with great work ethic and I really enjoy seeing them develop throughout their college years. [I like my teams to] work hard on the fundamentals aspects, the little things that make a big difference.

College Recruiting Advice

1984 Syracuse Team Photo  

1982 Herkimer Team Photo

Below is my response to an e-mail I recently received from a high school player. Like many, he's struggling with trying to get the attention of a Division I college coach in hopes of continuing his playing career after graduating from high school. I share this in hope of helping other student athletes in a similar situation. I changed names to keep people's identities anonymous.

Dear Eric:

Glad you found my YouTube video on college recruiting helpful. My lacrosse blog contains more recruiting suggestions and topics that may serve you well.  You need a credible advocate to lobby for you, someone who know your game, work ethic, and character. You should also consider a Post Grad (PG) year at a prep school that's still looking to fill the few PG slots left and has good lacrosse. Try looking up Deerfield Academy, The Salisbury School, or the Hill School and their opponents. These schools will have great lacrosse and a PG year will give you another year to get seen and maybe recruited. Some prep schools provide financial aid. Perhaps the lax and hoop coaches would be interested in you because of your size—work all angles my friend. It's hard to tell what's a dream vs. what's not realistic, but there is a place and level or everyone play and get a good college education. In my case, I started at Herkimer community college and thereafter I transferred to Syracuse University to continue my studies and lacrosse career. The strategy allowed me to earn a degree worth about $40, 000 at the time for a fraction of that cost. 

Best wishes,

FDO

My College Recruiting Series: http://lacrossememoir.blogspot.com/2010/09/dealing-with-rejection-as-lacrosse.html

The Fred Opie Show Podcast: https://soundcloud.com/thefredopieshow

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. 

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

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

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

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