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Lacrosse: A sport that is relatively unknown in Switzerland, but is starting to grow at a rapid pace. A sport of high intensity, filled with big hits, fast shots and full body contact.

This sport is one that I started coaching about 4 months ago in Switzerland and one that I have loved every minute of. Picture this: A group of around 6-10 guys on a regular basis that are trying to throw this little round pellet around as fast as they can without any real indication of which way is actually correct and which way is not. Then enters this American who doesn’t really have much experience, just a little more than a year or so in the states playing Lacrosse, and decides that he wants to help these guys learn to play as a team and not 10 individuals trying to put the ball in the net themselves.

I was definitely not an expert at this sport, but I have a real passion and love for team sports and was fortunate enough to play many team sports growing up in high school and in college. Starting with hockey when I was only 3 years old, which I still play today, along with American football among other sports.

I have had a lot of chances to teach kids before, but never really a full on chance to coach a bunch of guys around the similar age of myself. I mean what could I teach people in America, especially people my same age? Well here it’s different; the concept of team sports isn’t explained as well to them. I see many Europeans as individuals before I see them as a team. The concepts are known, but they don’t practice them, and I know for experience that these are things you need to learn and re-learn to really understand them.

So that was my chance to teach these Swiss guys about Lacrosse. I was bound and determined to take this little Herzogenbuchsee Lacrosse team, which had never won a game before in their team history, and make something out of them. I mean just by looking around that first day I could see that there was talent in the room, but no leadership or any concept of what the word “team” really meant. I mean when you work together it’s amazing what you can accomplish.

To be continued……….

Posted in: coaching, contact, fun, lacrosse, men, sports, team, women on Thursday, September 3, 2009 at at 9:19 AM