Team of Rivals Part 4

Me shooting on goal in exhibition game against the Syracuse All Stars, That's  Rodney Dumpson chasing me down

Here is part 4 and the final segment of our series Team of Rivals. Some of our teammates called John DeTommaso (Deto) “chicken hawk.” I maintain the nickname reflected John’s aggressive pursuit of ground balls like a predator.  John came from great stock as an alumni from Farmingdale high school a working-class community on Long Island which I would argue that like Yorktown, West Genesee, the Levittowns, Calvert Hall, and others, has graduated from of the best lacrosse players ever to play the game. Similar to my recently passed Syracuse teammate John Schimoler, Deto was a hilarious guy who loved the camaraderie of his teammates and practice. You begin the serious I asked a question, how you don't will not making all American at Syracuse University to a US national team selection? In the final analysis, I attribute making the US national team in 1990 in large part to what I learned while playing with Hopkins rivals on Long Island Hofstra Lacrosse club for three years prior to the tryouts.

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

Club Teamate Vinnie Sombrotto: http://apps.uslacrosse.org/museum/halloffame/view_profile.php?prof_id=197

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

Integrating the U. S. National Team Tryouts in 89: http://lacrossememoir.blogspot.com/2010/04/integrated-us-national-team-tryout-in.html

Team of Rivals Part 1

Brad McClain (right) covering Brad Kotz in the 84 Hopkins championship win 

John DeTommaso (left) covering Tim Nelson in the 83 Syracuse championship win

Fred Opie # 34 (left) scoring on Larry Quinn in the 85 Hopkins championship win

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. Deto played at Farmingdale High School on the Long Island which continues produce great players year after year. At the time he had enrolled in Hofstra’s master of education program. Keep in mind I just lost two national championships in a row to John Hopkins when I played at Syracuse in 1984 and 1985 and now I am playing next to these arch rivals! We felt each other out at the first practice of the season and it was awkward to say the least. But slowly we gained confidence and mutual respect for each other and I still consider these guys friends. I went from not earning All-American honors at Syracuse to making the US national team in 1990. How do you explain that phenomenal improvement in ones game? As I will share in this series, playing with Hopkins rivals for several years made me a much better player than I was at Syracuse. 

Author Interview, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Team of Rivals: [Listen 20 min 7 sec] http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93790272

My Club and US Team Coaches: http://lacrossememoir.blogspot.com/search?q=%22Tom%22

Hall of Fame Week, Larry Quinn

I took this photo of John Detomasso and  Larry Quinn, at a pratice in Perth, Australia in  1990

Larry Quinn, a two time Division Player of the Year and Goalie of the Year, was a Fordham Law School student when we became teammates on Long Island Hofstra lacrosse club in 1987. I don’t ever think I a saw Larry panic during a game. He was like playing with a funny college professor of the game who inspired confidence in the defensemen in front of him. He was a high school All American at lacrosse at legendary Levittown Memorial which along with cross town rivals Levittown Division graduated a number of members of the National Hall of Fame such as Larry and Coach Bill Tierney. For four years at Hopkins I believe my club teammates John DeTommaso, Larry Quinn, and Brad McClain played on the defense for Coach Jim Tierney, who at that time served as the defensive coordinator of the teams I lost to at Syracuse in the national championship in 1984 and 1985! Thus I made it my business to pick their brains as much as possible and learn everything I could from them.  I have heard it said and I agree, that before the geographical expansion of the game, the Hopkins coaching staff probably had done the best job of all of the legendary college colleges of recruiting the perfect blend of hard-nosed players from the island, and on occasion, other points north of Baltimore, with players with superior stick skills in Baltimore County and other points south, west, and east of Baltimore. John and Larry one could argue are the best players at their respected positions to come off the Island. 

  

Team of Rival Part 1: http://lacrossememoir.blogspot.com/2012/08/lacrosse-team-of-rivals-part-1.html

Larry’s Wiki Page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Quinn

Larry Quinn in the SU Hopkins 84 Championship:[Watch 11 min 11 sec] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftPZpBgTf64

Sports Illustrated Coverage of the SU Hopkins 85 Championship: http://laxbuzz.com/2010/12/24/lacrosse-in-the-1980s-johns-hopkins-mens-lacrosse-defeated-syracuse-11-4-to-win-1985-ncaa-mens-lacrosse-championship-sports-illustrated-june-03-1985/

Top Goalies of the Modern Era: http://24seven.laxallstars.com/woodys-top-5-goaltenders-of-the-modern-lax-era/

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

A Teammate Is Many Different Things Part 2

Paul Schomoler in the white T shirt

The lacrosse world is still rather small for many of us and more than likely many share the same ache I have because of the loss of a family member like Cornell and U. S. National Team alum Paul Schomoler.  I view the people I've played with and now coach as extended family.  And like family, there are some cousins we see more than others and some we enjoy spending time with more than others.  Paul like is brother John, was one of those cousins you enjoyed spending time with. They were gregarious and fun loving people who loved life. And they were the kind of teammates during practice one needs early in the season here in the north east region when the weather is still freezing cold and often wet. Teammates like John and Paul make tough times easier to endure.  I said it before but it bears repeating now, life is about relationships. 

My SU and U. S. Teammates: http://lacrossememoir.blogspot.com/search?q=%22Tom%22

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

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

Dedication or Stupidity?

I remember the time I returned from a Spanish language immersion program in Mexico for an amatuer lacrosse game.  Now that was dedication or stupidity! I returned back to states to play in the 1992 club championship for Maryland Lacrosse Club (MLC) against the New York Athletic Club (New York AC). MLC player manager assured me that the club would cover my travel cost. I later learned that he made this promise in post semi-final celebration as our team upset a very good Mount Washington Lacrosse Club to make it into the finals. Mount Washington’s club that year included Butch Marino, Toddy Curry, now John Hopkins Head Coach Dave Pietralmala, Ronny Claussen, Mac Ford, and other all club players at the top of their game back then. Our team included Larry Quinn in goal, The Kelley Brothers—Frank, David, and Brian Kelley, Glen Norris, Joe Gold, Jeff Greenburg (who came out of a long retirement to play that year) Aaron Jones, Ricky Sowell, and again allot of other very talented players that I don’t remember. 

Related Link:

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

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

A Teammate Is Many Different Things Part 1

John Schomoler # 21

This 1990 team including something like 5 Cornell alum. Paul Schomoler is hiding out in the back right of this photo

I really went through a tough time this morning thinking about what Paul Schomoler, his family, and friends have been through from his brother John's passing less than a year ago and now how those left behind are feeling with the sudden news that Paul had brain cancer last month and he died last Friday. You cannot prepare for such unexpected and sad news. My  condolences to Paul Schomoler's family and the teammates and the players that he had coached who like me are grieving his lost. I played on teams with both John and Paul so this lost has hit me particularly hard. A teammate (and a coach) is never easy to lose and they are many different things in your life at different times: a friend and a competitor, a hug and high five, a rival then a mentor, a fellow traveler and a compass.

My SU and U. S. Teammates: http://lacrossememoir.blogspot.com/search?q=%22Tom%22

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

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