Swiss Lacrosse Part 2
August 9th, 2009.
My first game with the team since I took over coaching Herzogenbuchsee Lacrosse in Switzerland. It was the first real test my boys were going up against since I had tried to teach them the basics of this sport and the basics of team play and camaraderie. It was the the first test for me as a trainer, the game had a whole bunch of meanings for me. I was filled with a whole bunch of different emotions as we took the field and started to warm up before the game. Technically we had been at the field for 3 hours already setting everything up, but now people were starting to show up and I was starting to feel the butterflies in my stomach and the anticipation growing from within.
Was a cool feeling overall and nothing like what I had previously felt before. I mean I had never been a "full-time coach" before. I had simply been a helper and an assistant, someone who could help teach but more or less be there to support the coaches wishes. So to me this day had a completely different feel, a feeling of a true reflections on what I had taught the boys over the last 1.5 months or so that we had to prepare for this game.
-I hoped everything I taught them sunk in?
-I hope they remembered everything and didn't let their own emotions get the best of them?
-How was this game going to turn out?
Lots of questions were going to be answered by the end of the day, that was for sure. I half wondered if the boys even knew how to win? I mean they had experienced 2 seasons worth of games without a single win. I mean, sure they had scored some goals, but mostly they had been slaughtered by the other teams in the league. Basically if you had a coach and could throw and catch the ball with a little bit of togetherness and understood some plays, then you could beat the Herzogenbuchsee Lacrosse team.
Either way there was nothing more I could do about it now, it was game day, they needed to do it on their own and win for themselves. Just had to apply some of the basics I taught them and they would be alright. Or so I hoped?
Basically the pregame warm up went well and the pre-game prep talk went like this below, however I had to say it in my half-German-half-Swiss slang that I had acquired as there was very few English speakers on the team...
I have a few goals for us guys:
1) Hustle, 110% always
2) Mentality, "Win every ground ball.."
3) Have some fun and play as team, watch each others backs.
And with those three points being said it was already time for the opening faceoffs...
...was I ready?
(To be continued...)
Posted in: camaraderie, coaching, friendship, fun, good, guys, happiness, humble, lacrosse, relax on Tuesday, September 8, 2009 at at 2:02 PM
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I like the way you write here, building the anticipation, well done. :)
Nice, inspiring speech you gave those boys - kind of braveheart-like. :) It must feel great to help them out, and see results, keep pushing to be better!
Haha that’s sick. I think this is def ur thing. I saw the rush u get when knocking the shit out of someone during ur game ;) I like the whole idea of getting hit, getting up and having the ability to hit that person back. U r armed (excessive padding, but whatever..) and dangerous lol.…nice pic too. Photoshop does come handy indeed.
@ xxxray: Photoshop? For what pic?
@ Steph: Yeah I am trying to write a different way... see how it goes. More or less just playing around but it seems to keep you interested so it can't be all bad.. haha.. :D
the one with those extremely unnaturally occurring lightening bolts.. or is it a lax electric circuit disaster ??
@ xxxray: Ahh ok, we have a couple guys on the team who do some graphic design work, etc. You can checkout the new website at: www.irolax.ch/s/ if you want.
The guys have taken off with this team lately, I can't say much more than "I'm impressed with them"
thank you. i will have to one of these days, when things get a little less hectic with the schedule.