Day 3, Part B: Wetter and Wilder


This morning's clouds turned out to be the best weather of the day. By the 3:00 7/8 Crush game, the skies were threatening and the rain started falling shortly before the first whistle blew. Soon we had a steady, but not too hard rain falling. The showers didn't last long and they certainly didn't slow down the Crush team! The opponents were the Predators, but they turned into the prey.

The final score was 11-1, but that doesn't really tell the whole story. Most of those goals were scored in the first half. At halftime, Coach Fox decided to spice things up a little. As you will see in several of the pictures from this game, there were some new things to be seen. Long-pole middies playing with short poles, goalies playing attack, attack and defensemen playing goalie! It was madness, I tell you! I only know a few of the 7/8 boys, but it still just seemed wrong to see short poles where I am used to long poles and vice versa. The boys enjoyed the change. I can't say as much for the opposing team. They were still good sports about the whole thing.

It was even enough to bring a smile to a coach's face.

Immediately after the 7/8 game, I hurried down the hill to see the 5/6 Crush team take on the Timberwolves. The break in the weather didn't last long. Before the first half was over, we were all soaked. Once again, the 5/6 Crush team showed that they were learning. There were assists everywhere and smart plays in abundance. The final score of 9-6 Crush was a great reward for the play.

I wasn't kidding about the rain! It was pouring! Those are not streaks on my lens! Photography was extra hard because the wind was blowing into the parents' side of the field. It's really hard to hide under an umbrella and take pictures.

See, boys, what your families do for you?

It has been a fabulous weekend. Tonight the boys were having a barbecue. We still don't know what the plan is for Sunday. There was some effort going on to match up some challenge games, but that doesn't seem to be coming together. The 5/6 boys would really rather end with their great win and the 7/8 boys just can't seem to find anyone who wants to play them. If more games are arranged, I'll be there with my camera and will post pictures upon our return.

Day 3, Part A: Lacrosse, Rain or Shine!

We saw the sun for a little while this morning, but we were quickly greeted with cloud cover and then raindrops. As we all know, the game doesn't stop for a little water. I haven't noticed that the boys mind the rain. Sometimes, I think they even play a little better when wet! This morning, the 5/6 team started out with an 8:00 a.m. game (that's 7:00 a.m. for all of you at home). We were treated to some of their best play yet. The boys were on fire. They were passing, setting up plays, and backing each other up. It was beautiful. Unfortunately, the other team was also on fire. Crush 5/6 went up against Utah Select 5/6 and the final score was a heartbreaking loss by one point for Crush. Win or lose, this was really a great game.

Next up at 9:00 a.m., the 7/8 Crush team took the field facing Team Texas. This was another exciting game. Yes, Crush won. No, I don't know the score. This field is set up a little differently so I ended up standing near the team instead of where I was "supposed" to be. You know photographers, we don't always follow the rules. The down side was that I didn't see the score board. In any case, the boys looked great! You may notice a trend in my photos. I just can't resist a shot of a long pole breakaway. You can tell that my son is on defense. They don't get the ball very often, so I try to capture the memory.

Both teams have games scheduled for this afternoon, so we are all taking a little break and I figured it was a perfect opportunity to catch up on picture posting. Assuming that we only have rain (and no lightning), we will be back on the field at 3 and 4. The coaches are trying to arrange more challenge matches, but time slots are at a premium.

Thank you all for the kind words about the blog. I do enjoy being able to share this with those of you who couldn't make it on the trip. I also have some kind words for all of you. Your boys are great! I have given rides to several of them and was on PB&J (+banana) sandwich duty Friday and all the boys have thanked me and have been very polite and pleasant to be around. No, I was NOT with some other team by mistake! You should be proud of the very nice young men you are raising.

Day 2: The Sun is Shining!

Today was a beautiful day for lacrosse! When we started off, there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Later there were some big, fluffy clouds, but it was still gorgeous. Sunscreen was applied and water was pushed and we were off to play!

Since today is the official start of the tournament, it began with opening ceremonies. There were lots of players there. I mean LOTS! I don't think I have ever seen that many lacrosse players in one place before. I pulled out my widest lens and it still took three photos to get them all in.

There was pomp and ceremony and, well, I'm not sure what some of it was, but it was fun and it was a great way to kick off the day. Next the parents shuttled as many boys as possible to the playing fields and we were ready for games.

Just like yesterday, both teams played at the same time for their first games and the fields were just a bit too far apart for dual-game photography. The 5/6 team started out by facing the Cougar 5/6 team. This was a tough game. It was physical and it was stressful for all. The boys played hard, but lost in the last minutes 7-8.

Game two for the 5/6 team was against the Vipers Select 5/6 team from Ft. Collins, Colorado. We could tell this because the Ft. Collins crowd rings cowbells and blows horns for every goal. The boys played much better lacrosse in this second game. Perhaps the incentive for best assists made a difference. In any case, the boys rallied from behind at the half and won the game 4-3. Watching passing and play-making is always a joy! The boys had good reason to celebrate.

After a little break for food, water, and (for some of us) some time out from under the gorgeous blue sky, it was time for the 5/6 team to learn from the 7/8 team. The 7/8 team faced the Rough Riders and the game started out a little rough. Both teams scored quickly in the first half. Crush settled down after that and commenced to show the younger team how to really set it up and be ready for the plays. The final score of 10-1 tells you how the game went.

All in all, it was a very good day. Tonight there was a coaches game in which Coach Fox was playing. For some reason, the location of the game was not well distributed. Some pictures of that would have been nice! The boys had Italian night (spaghetti) and the first night of their Hell's Kitchen competition. The parents are looking forward to hearing the results in the morning.

Day 1: Traveling and Sticks, Oh, My!

This post is far later than planned due to unforeseen technical difficulties. Some of those have been corrected and others will be fixed soon (we hope).

The trip out was uneventful. Well, there was a small amount of turbulence as we descended into Salt Lake City, but it wasn't anything our boys couldn't handle. All bags arrived as planned and the boys boarded their charter bus for Park City. After a short ride, lunch, and warm-ups, it was time to play! I am still working on the master decoder ring for the jerseys. I have most of the 5/6 players, but do not have any of the 7/8 players.

Both teams faced their respective Team Utah teams for the first games. Unfortunately, the two fields were just far enough apart that I didn't get any pictures from the 7/8 game. The 5/6 game was exciting.

The end results for the two teams were exactly opposite: 7/8 won their game 5-2, while 5/6 lost their game 2-5. Still, there was respectable play and many lessons learned.

After a short break, both teams were back on the field. This time the two fields were close enough that I was able to switch back and forth between games. The 7/8 team faced All Idaho 1 and did very well. The final score appeared to be 6-1 (the wind was blowing the score around), but the action seemed heavily concentrated near the Idaho goal.

The 5/6 team faced the Mountaineers and showed that they paid attention to the lessons from the first game. Play was smoother and much more passing was seen.

After the games, the happy and tired teams piled into cars or the city bus for the trek back to the condos and a walk to pizza. I am sure that most of the boys have been long asleep as I post this at 10:30!

The weather today was gorgeous with the exception of some sprinkles during the first half of the second games. It is windy and cooler than most of us expected. The boys seem to be handling the altitude fairly well. However, some of the boys do seem to be just a bit slower than usual. The coaches and chaperones are doing a GREAT job of keeping water available and reminding the boys to drink.

Welcome (back) to the Crush Lacrosse Fan Blog!

What this is: This blog is a place for parents and friends of the Crush Lacrosse Club teams to post pictures and game comments to share with family and friends who cannot attend the games.

What this is not: This blog is not an official coach communication tool. The coaches will continue using emails to communicate updates and information.

Ground Rules

1. This blog is maintained by a Crush 5/6 parent. If you want to get a message to the coaches, email or call them directly.

2. We respect and care about our players. Comments will be viewed and negative comments will be removed.

3. Internet privacy is difficult to maintain. Since the blog is viewable by all, no names will be used. Players will be identified by numbers only. If you want a magic decoder card, please email me, explain who you are, and I will assist. Please also refrain from using names in the comments.

4. Most posts will be about the 5/6 team, but I will try to take some 7/8 team photos.

Thank you for visiting. Go, Crush!

Stay Tuned!

Yes, it is almost time for another round of Crush Lacrosse! The 5/6 team has a game on 7 June 2009, at Tesoro High School. Both teams are getting ready for a trip to Utah to play in the Park City Shootout. Everyone is looking forward to another great summer of lacrosse!

Postscript: Where We Went

Last week was an amazing time. It was all about the boys and it wasn't all about lacrosse. Many lessons were learned on and off the field. Having the opportunity to watch all that growth was a very special experience for me. Thank you to everyone who commented on the blog. It was a fun way to share as much of it as I could with those of you who couldn't join us. I plan to leave the blog up, so it will still be here if you have more family or friends who haven't looked through it. The blog site will remain reserved so that it can be used for future Crush events.

One last surprise came tonight as I looked through my son's latest issue of Lacrosse Magazine. Make sure you look at the High School Boys Top 25 list. Number 25 will be a very familiar name to our boys. Check it out to clear any doubt regarding the caliber of the competition at Golden Goal. Both Crush teams faced the feeder teams for Number 25, Niskayuna! The only lingering question is how they missed Foothill High in the list. Given the skill and teamwork we saw last week, that omission should be cleared before long!