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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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

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