Crush Lacrosse

2009-06-20T19:41:00.001-07:00

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.

2009-06-20T11:32:00.000-07:00

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.

2009-06-19T19:13:00.000-07:00

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.

2009-06-18T21:25:00.000-07:00

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.

2009-06-17T21:51:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-06-05T23:20:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-13T21:26:00.000-07:00

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!

Day 8.1: Extreme Pictures

2008-08-12T22:26:00.000-07:00

If only pictures could fully capture the Adirondack Extreme experience! The boys pushed themselves and only time kept both groups from finishing all four levels of the course. Each level went higher into the trees and was a bit more challenging. The staff made sure that everyone was ready before heading out for the real thing.

Day Eight: Extreme Fun

2008-08-09T04:55:00.000-07:00

As I write this, the boys should be on the plane in Boston ready to fly home! Yesterday, the boys finally had their much-anticipated trip to Adirondack Extreme. The boys stretched themselves both physically and emotionally. The courses were quite impressive. The boys swung and zipped through the trees while I clicked pictures from the ground. Yes, I wimped out and didn't even go on the first course. I will post pictures after I return to California. Thanks to one of the 8th grade parents, I also have some additional 7/8 team pictures to share.

My son and I left the team at Adirondack Extreme and started on our own adventure visiting relatives in Connecticut. Thus, we missed the clearing out of the cabins and all the fun getting to the airport (2 a.m. bus departure, 4-hour bus ride, 8 a.m. flight). We already have found that some items didn't seem to make it into our bags, so we'll work on sorting those out next week.

There will be many more stories to tell of this fabulous week. I do hope that the boys share with you! Please check back early next week to check out the ropes course pictures and have a great time with your returning athletes.

Gambling and Shooting and Lightning, Oh, My!

2008-08-07T19:15:00.000-07:00

Yes, the boys are definitely being corrupted (in a good way). Today's weather made it a great day for a field trip. They hopped on the bus rented by the camp and went to Saratoga. You read that right. The boys went to the track. They were not allowed to gamble away their funds, but they did have the opportunity to learn about probability.

On the way back from that outing, they stopped at a laser tag venue for the shooting.

Today, only the lightning was real. Several of us spent some extra time (and some extra money) in the Golden Goal store while a thunderstorm blew through. Just after we walked into the store, the call came down for us to keep the boys inside until the weather cleared. It poured for a while and then cleared off so that we could all walk back safely.

Tomorrow, the boys have their final day and a number of activities are planned. If the weather holds (i.e., no lightning), Adirondack Extreme is the first stop.

Every Day: The Camp

2008-08-07T12:34:00.001-07:00

The pictures posted so far have mostly been cropped to highlight the players. Today it’s time to take a look around. I really wish that there was a better way to convey the beauty of this location. All this rain that gets in the way of activities makes the surrounding fields and hills wonderfully green. The camp itself is part of one of the oldest deeded properties in New York. The family who sold the partners this land has owned it for 150 years and is still the nearest neighbor. The family didn’t want to see the area developed into houses so this concept seemed much more appealing.

The camp is much like it looks on the website. As this is only the second year, everything still looks and feels new. The two turf fields are great and the boys really seemed to like them. There were two grass fields marked out that were used for practices and skills training. There are additional grass fields that can be used for either lacrosse or soccer. They were not marked this week, but they were otherwise maintained and ready for use.

The athlete’s village seemed quite nice. Admittedly, as a mom, I wasn’t generally welcomed up the hill too close to the cabins. I didn’t mind this in the least! The boys had their meals at the dining tent. There was a bit of grumbling here and there about the food, but we hear that at home. The meal I had at camp was fine.

The group has two cabins. Coaches F, S, and P and Mr. G. share the cabin with the 7/8 team while coaches W and F are in the cabin with the 5/6 team. Each cabin has two rooms. The 7/8 team just spread out throughout the two rooms. The 5/6 team organized their cabin such that one room is the locker room for gear and the other is the bunkhouse. These pictures are of the 7/8 rooms. I’m not sure I’m brave enough to venture into the 5/6 cabin again to take pictures. The phrase “looks like a bomb went off” applies well.

The views from the fields are fantastic. All of us remarked on the lovely cloud formations.

However, it is probably good that we cannot share smells over the internet. The fields and freshly cleaned air after the rain are great. Remember how I said this land used to be a farm? There are still farms nearby. Those farms have cows. I grew up on a farm and am finding more than a little humor in the reactions from those who did not grow up with these organic scents. That said, I will be very glad to leave that part of the experience behind! There are other aromas that are even less pleasant than the cows. One of the downsides to all this rain and humidity is that clothing and towels don’t dry well. Add some heat and a whole lot of playing and, well, the gear is getting pretty ripe. The boys don’t seem to notice, but the parents are staying well away from the cabins!

There is even a camp dog. This is Bailey and she is s sweetheart. She isn’t normally allowed to run loose, but she did manage to insert herself into the closing ceremonies.

Day 7.3: Catching Up - Whitewater Style

2008-08-07T11:15:00.000-07:00

We have tubing pictures from Monday! Technology is a wonderful thing. I don't have a CD drive on my tablet PC, but I do have a thumb drive and others have laptops. Together we managed to download all the tubing/rafting pictures. Here are the best.

Day 7.2: Catching Up - 5/6 Style, Part 2

2008-08-07T10:54:00.000-07:00

The games where the boys wore the blue "championship" jerseys were more than a bit confusing. Some of the boys (3, 12, 18, 19, 20, 22, 26, 44) have the same number as is on their white jersey, but quite a few have different numbers. Here are the numbers that I think I remember (white jersey # is first, blue is second): 1=0, 4=34, 5= 37, 7= 34, 8=40, 9=10, 11=21, 13=29, 14= ?, 17=27.

Day 7.1: Catching Up - 5/6 Style, Part 1

2008-08-07T10:43:00.000-07:00

I did warn you all that most of the photos would be of the 5/6 team. Besides my natural bias (mine is #20), there was definitely more light for more of their games. First off, we have several photos from Day 2.

Day Seven: Catching Up - 7/8 Style

2008-08-07T10:31:00.000-07:00

Today there are thunderstorms rumbling by. I am hanging out in my motel room listening to thunder and just recovering from all the fun this week (and resting up for the trip home!). You may have noticed that I went back and edited my earlier posts. I was under the mistaken impression that the older boys were all 8th graders heading off to high school in the fall. I now know that four of the boys are just out of 7th grade and I wanted to give them credit. Again, these are great boys! They play fantastic lacrosse and looked really good on the field all week. Yes, they wanted more teams. Still, a little time to work on skills and just be boys is probably a very good thing before they head off for another heavy school year. For those boys heading for Foothill in the fall, tryouts for the team are coming up and, yes, Coach F has confirmed that they all have to try out.

As you may imagine (or may have experienced yourself), taking pictures of lacrosse is not a science. All these night games have made it especially difficult. Now that I have a little down time, I thought I would post some of the other pictures of the boys that I snapped. First off, we have a few pictures of the 7/8 team. I am learning that it is especially challenging to take pictures of the boys at this level because they are FAST! I may need a faster camera/lens combo when my son goes into 7th grade.

Day 6.1: Closing, Not Ending

2008-08-06T20:47:00.000-07:00

As reported earlier, the boys went to Six Flags today. It looked to be a very fun outing.

Even Coach F looked to be having fun as he took on The Comet with #20.

After the amusement park, the boys went to Charlie’s BBQ on Rte 149. Here they were treated to a very good barbecue buffet. Several parents provided shuttle service to get all the boys back to Golden Goal. When we returned, there was some confusion as to whether there were any games. Eventually, it was determined that each team would have a game against Niskayuna and warmups commenced.

The game itself was a little different from the previous Niskayuna games because some of the Niskayuna players had to leave camp early. Even with the change in lineup, Niskayuna was able to take an early lead and hold it well.

As the time ticked off in the second half, Niskayuna was ahead 3-4. With about 40 seconds left, Crush scored to tie it up and send the game into overtime! Crush won the faceoff, but had a turnover. Niskayuna made it in close for a goal to get the win, 4-5.

The 7/8 teams took the field and it was a very different game from last night. Crush scored early and often. Niskayuna was held scoreless until late in the second half. The final score was 10-1 Crush.

Because the Niskayuna teams are planning to leave on Thursday, Golden Goal held the closing ceremonies tonight.

The 5/6 teams were introduced and received their team photos and Golden Goal rings. The Niskayuna team was awarded the trophy for winning the week’s tournament. The Crush team received the trophy for most wins by any team during the week.

Next, the 7/8 teams were introduced and received their team photos and rings. The Crush team took home their second Golden Goal championship trophy.

The night was capped off with some spectacular fireworks. There were rumors of a late-night game of capture the flag or dodgeball, but the parents decided to leave these activities to the boys. Plans for Thursday are still congealing. There may be another field trip and the camp organizers are still trying to put together teams for more games in the evening. The trip to Adirondack Extreme is now scheduled for Friday as is a trip to the beach in Lake George and a pizza dinner.

Day Six: Go With The Flow

2008-08-06T09:16:00.000-07:00

The weather in this area is amazing. It is absolutely not an exaggeration to say that if you don't like the weather, you should wait five minutes because it will be different. The corollary to that is that you can also drive five miles and the weather will be different. The forecast for the day is for isolated thunderstorms. That is, it will dump rain (and rumble a bit) for a few minutes and then the sun will come out. Anywhere from five to 30 minutes later, another downpour will hit.

Due to some scheduling confusion, the team went to Six Flags Great Escape for a few hours. They are still getting an early dinner of barbecue at 4 p.m. and then they will be shuttled back to the park by the parents with cars for (hopefully) more games. It would appear that the boys are okay with the change in plans and are enjoying themselves as always.

Day Five: Learn It and Apply It

2008-08-05T22:44:00.000-07:00

Are you tired of hearing that it was a great day yet? Well, it was. First of all, some of you may be aware that there was some pranking going on last night. The story that was used was one of those classic camp stories where escaped convicts are on the loose and then doors are locked while the pranksters try to get in and all sorts of weird noises are heard outside. It is possible that that the pranksters didn’t give due consideration to the difference in ages between last year’s Golden Goal team and this year’s. There were some boys who were very upset. The good news is that they all seemed to have shaken off the scare by the end of the day and they were all back in good spirits. The other good news is that, as is the normal course of camp, the pranksters should understand that they will likely become the prankees before the week is over. Payback should take the sting out of this ordeal.

The surprise to which I alluded yesterday was a good one. Two very special coaches came out for a skills workshop. Steve Kilven, Assistant Coach for the University of Albany’s Men’s Lacrosse team, and Merrick Thomson, attack for the New Jersey Pride and the 2005 NCAA Division 1 leading scorer, spent a very good session with all of the Crush boys. They received some very good skills pointers and had the opportunity to practice them with the experts. They also got some tips on what it takes to play college lacrosse. As always, the boys soaked up the knowledge and seemed ready to apply it.

After dinner, the Chepontuc 5/6 team returned to play the first game of the night against Niskayuna. After that game, the 5/6 Crush team faced off against Chepontuc again. So far this week, the 5/6 team was 1-1 in games against this team. At the half, the score was tied 2-2. Crush came back very strong in the second half and ended the game with an 8-3 win. The play in the second half was some of the best we have ever seen from this 5/6 Crush team!

While the 5/6 Crush team was playing, the 7/8 grade team faced off against Niskayuna in a rematch of yesterday’s game. This was a very challenging matchup. Niskayuna is a very good team and they were tough. At the half, Crush was down 4-6. Crush defense was able to hold Niskayuna scoreless through the second half and Crush offense was able to score four more times. The final score of 8-6 Crush was a well-earned victory.

Immediately after their win, the 5/6 team was back on the field for their rematch with Niskayuna. Rumors are always thick whenever teams face each other and the rumor surrounding this team is that they were undefeated in their last 26 games. I cannot confirm or deny this rumor, but the level of play shown by the team would certainly support the rumor. Niskayuna plays impressive defense and smart offense. Tonight’s game was a little different from last night’s game. Crush 5/6 played another fabulous game and the score after two halves was tied up 3-3. The clock was reset for a five-minute sudden death overtime and the boys went to work. Niskayuna had the first possession, but couldn’t capitalize on it. Crush moved the ball expertly down the field and all the boys moved perfectly into position. #13 had the opportunity to shoot and hit the pole. #9 was right there and chipped the ball in for the win!

It was a very exciting evening of lacrosse and the parents were riveted to their seats until the end. One of the great moments was seeing the 7/8 team come over to cheer on the 5/6 team. If you are an 7/8 parent, you really should be proud of your boys. They are being great role models on and off the field. We have heard nothing but good comments about all the boys from the people at the camp.

The finale was again a set of dodgeball games. This time, the Niskayuna teams joined in the fun. The games looked chaotic, but there were rules and the coaches maintained some semblance of order. Most of all, the boys had fun!

The plan for Wednesday is still to go to Adirondack Extreme followed by an early dinner out and then more games beginning at 7 p.m. The tricky thing will be convincing the weather to hold out. Today was a perfect day of weather at camp. It was hot enough for a makeshift slip ‘n slide, but not too hot for the workshop or the games.

Day Four: Wet & Wild

2008-08-04T20:41:00.001-07:00

The boys had another great day today! The big adventure today was a trip tubing down a local river. Most of the boys were in tubes along with coaches and a brave parent. Other parents and players were in a raft. Apparently, our group set a record for the largest group taken down the river by this one guide. I am told that the guide was excellent and maneuvered his kayak to keep up with the boys and to stay on top of any potential problems. There were quiet, lazy stretches of the river, but there were also some rapids. For some reason, no one was willing to take pictures! Luckily, the company who runs the tours does take photos and a CD was purchased. We will attempt to get some photos out this week. Even if we are not successful this week, you will get to see your boys on the river after we return.

A 5/6 team and a 7/8 team from Niskayuna arrived at camp today so our boys no longer have the entire place to themselves. After dinner, the teams suited up, warmed up, and prepared for play.

The 5/6 teams faced off at 7:00 p.m. The other team looked ready to play and was on their game from the very beginning.

Our boys didn’t seem quite their usual peppy selves during the first half of the game. Near the end of the half, they seemed to pull it together, but by then they were facing a sizable deficit. We did do some good defense.

In the second half, there were many great plays. All in all, it was a good game against a worthy opponent. The final score was Crush 2 – Niskayuna 6. It will be interesting to see how these two teams play the next time they face each other.

The 7/8 team took the field next. As predicted, by this time, my camera wasn’t much use against the darkness. Even the field lights didn’t help much. Again, the Niskayuna team looked really good. They took a quick lead and Crush had to battle back to tie before the half. In the second half, Crush looked very good. The goalie had the 5/6 team players in awe. There was a particularly memorable play by #17 where he made an amazing save on the line near midfield and then ran it through a sea of red jerseys to take it in for the goal. Even the fog rolling in couldn’t stop the play. The final score was 9-5 Crush.

The 5/6 boys had the opportunity to watch the entire 7/8 game. They did watch most of it and did pick up some moves. They also had fun showing a little team spirit. Didn’t I say that the boys were having fun?

A schedule for the week is finally out! Tuesday morning there will be more team building activities and Tuesday evening there will be two 5/6 games and two 7/8 games. First face offs are again at 7:00 p.m. It wasn’t clear if the two teams on site will face each other twice or if other teams will be coming in. I had heard on Sunday that the local coaches were going to try to put together one or two teams. We’ll all just have to find out about the matchups together.

There are also activities scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, but I’m not at liberty to divulge them. I will be at the camp with my camera in tow, so you will get to read all about it. The Adirondack Extreme adventure is currently scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.

Day 3.5: Team Building

2008-08-04T08:09:00.000-07:00

One of the lessons that the parents here are learning is that the lacrosse on this trip is really secondary (or maybe even tertiary). I know, that sounds strange. We all spent all this money to send our boys to a lacrosse camp so you would think that the only thing they would learn is lacrosse, right? Wrong. The big thing that they are learning is teaming. As a manager, I can tell you that this is huge. Ginormously huge. There are so many young people who come out of college who don't know about working together towards a goal and 22 year olds don't always want to go back to life school. The team building exercises that are going on here will take these boys very far in life.

You've already seen some pictures of the 5/6 team and their team building, so this time you get two views of the 7/8 team as they learn about working together and not letting down their teammates (literally).

The other hugely important things that the boys are learning besides lacrosse are independence and self-confidence. I know I'm finding it very interesting to learn how well my son has learned what we have tried to teach him. In the exercise below, #44 from the 5/6 team was learning to not give up or say, "I can't." It's easy to think that something can't be done, but sometimes we can surprise ourselves by what we can do. Again, these lessons will help the boys on and off the field.

Last night the boys switched from kickball to dodgeball. I'm told that they take this as seriously as they do lacrosse.

The weather today is, again, wonderful. It is partly cloudy and the temps are in the mid 70s. There is a chance of showers, but there is pretty much always a chance of showers here in the summer. That is why everything is so green and lush. The parents are still waiting to hear what the boys are doing today before tonight's games. Given the weather forecast, it sounds like today and tomorrow are the best days for outdoor fun. Hopefully, the boys get to go to Adirondack Extreme today.

Day Three: Shaking Things Up

2008-08-03T14:25:00.001-07:00

No, this isn’t a report about earthquakes. We left those at home. Today’s theme was keeping things just a little off balance. The fun began first thing in the morning as the 7/8 team readied for a 10:00 game. The 5/6 team was still resting and some were still in bed at 9:15 when the word went out that both teams had 10:00 games! Breakfasts were finished, gear thrown on, and warmups commenced.

The 7/8 team again faced Shenendahowa. The boys looked very good. The speed they show is always impressive.

The smart plays are also very fun to watch. All in all, it was a great game to begin the day. The final score was 7-1 Crush.

I really wish that I could report that the 5/6 team came back from their late notice with a stellar game. There were great plays and there was hustle, but the boys were not on their game. The speed was, as always, great fun to see.

Still, the Chepontuc team from Saturday was the opponent and they really didn’t like losing yesterday. 5/6 Crush just wasn’t passing and it showed. It was a very physical game and our boys certainly played hard, just not hard enough.

We really needed more defense. Okay, and more offense. Maybe just more sleep. The final score was 0-5 and Crush learned that not every game was going to be won this week.

Two partial 5/6 teams showed up for the 11:00 game and some Crush players were drafted to fill in the rest of the positions. It was still a good opportunity for all the players to experience different strategies and teammates.

The 7/8 team played a very interesting team. Wait a minute, do Chapman University students qualify as U15???

Coaches W, F, and P all donned their gear and hit the field. The Crush players were encouraged to try out different positions and have a great time. Coach P played part of the game opposing Crush and part of the game on Crush. It was quite confusing for the spectators, but great fun for all. Coach F played for Crush. The score was kept, but I’m not convinced that it meant anything.

After lunch, the 5/6 team continued with the theme of the day by switching around more players. Number 44 was back at offense and, yes, he scored another goal.

Lots of boys got chances to pick up long poles and try their hands at defense. Some of them have done this before, but most of them are usually seen either on Middie or Attack. I noticed Numbers 5, 8, 9, and 22 on defense, but there were probably more.

What a difference a little rest and some preparation time make! Even with the unfamiliar positions, the boys were able to play at the level we are used to seeing and the final score was 9-3 Crush.

The remainder of the afternoon/evening was to be used for some individual skills workshops and possibly some time on the ropes and obstacle course on site. Because of the unsettled weather, some teams have definitely pulled out of the camp and won’t be coming. The weather is supposed to heat up starting tomorrow so the games are now scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. so that we can take advantage of the cooler evenings. Besides, it’s always more fun to play under the lights. I don’t guarantee that there will be many pictures as my little lens doesn’t perform very well after dark. Still, the parents will be there to report on the action.

The action during the days will be more team building activities. We understand that the trip to the Adirondack zip line course is planned for either Monday or Tuesday and a tubing outing is also on the week’s agenda. Since all these activities are dependent on the weather, I can’t give you much more of a schedule than that. Hey, it’s lacrosse! If we wanted schedules, we’d be playing baseball, right?

Day 2.5: Update

2008-08-03T14:21:00.000-07:00

First off is the update on yesterday’s injury. The injured player is #30 and it is his radius that is fractured. He has it splinted and wrapped and will have it set and put in a cast upon his return to California.

In other news, we learned that two games did happen on Saturday night. Only one of them was lacrosse. The two teams that 5/6 Crush faced were combined into one team and Crush went up against them. No one seems able to remember the score (not that it really matters), but I understand that #44, who is normally a defensive player, scored a goal!

The other game was played under the lights with the music on. The boys and some of the coaches took the field for a pickup game of kickball. There are reports that Coach S “got air.” There are further reports that he also landed – hard. As no cameras were near the field, there is no evidence of this feat.

Day Two: It's Fundamental

2008-08-02T19:45:00.000-07:00

Today was another fantastic lacrosse day! They boys stayed up very late playing under the lights on Friday. What I forgot to mention in yesterday’s post was that the staff turned on the music for the boys. When they were out there playing lacrosse barefoot, it was with a soundtrack of Reggae. Watching all that joy and listening to, “Don’t worry…about a thing…because every little thing is going to be all right,” really was a sight to see.

This morning, the boys slept in a bit and then started out with breakfast and warmups before the games. There was some rain in the area, but it cleared and we were left with overcast skies and reasonably cool temperatures. It was perfect lacrosse weather. The first game was the 7/8 team vs. Shenendahowa. At the very beginning, the boys seemed a little tentative, but they quickly got into their game. The Defense put on a very good show.

Even the 5/6 team had an opportunity to see how the older team does it. One of the lessons that Coach W wanted to make clear was how well the team talks on the field to make sure that everyone knows what is happening as the plays move.

Since most of the lacrosse games that I’ve seen have been the younger players, seeing the level of physical play was exciting (and unnerving). Still, the boys have speed and strength and even a good check can be overcome.

The final score was 7-3 and Crush had its first win of camp. I am sorry to report that we did have one injury. One of the boys on the 7/8 team injured his wrist and was whisked to the hospital with Coach S. X-rays confirmed that he did suffer a slight fracture to one bone in his arm and won’t be playing for awhile. I apologize that I didn’t jot down his number. I’ll confirm that on Sunday. His parents were called and his mother received a camera phone picture of the boy smiling in his wheelchair.

Next it was the 5/6 team’s turn to play. Crush played Chepontuc, a team from Albany. This was an all-around exciting game. Those defensive lessons must have worked. The boys played great D.

They also played impressive offense. After the game, one of the Albany parents mentioned how impressed he was with how well our boys know their fundamentals. They were setting up plays, passing, catching, and talking! It was wonderful to watch.

Of course, the boys were also using their speed to good advantage. The final score was 11-4 and Crush was again victorious.

There was no time to rest on laurels for the 5/6 team. Immediately after finishing their first game, they were back on the field playing the Highlanders.

This was yet another physical game. As with the other games, there weren’t a lot of penalties and the plays were good. The boys may not want to admit it, but that speed and endurance training and those frequent practices in the last few weeks paid off. If we hadn’t just watched them play a full game, we might not have realized how tired they were. There were perhaps a few more missed passes, but the shots on goal were true (that was a particularly nice goal by Number 13).

Even after two full games, Number 12 was still able to take off on a breakaway! I really don’t know how they do it! The final score was 9-3 and Crush had a sweep of the day.

Due to poor weather, the other teams were not able to make it to the camp today and opening ceremonies were postponed until Sunday. The boys had the opportunity to do some teambuilding with an obstacle course. Coach F picture texted me two great photos.

While the parents were at dinner, Coach F let us know that another game was on under the lights. We’ll all have to wait for tomorrow to hear about that one. The first games on Sunday are scheduled to start at 10 a.m. and we are ready for more exciting plays!

Day One: The Trip Out

2008-08-01T16:04:00.000-07:00

If you were at the Long Beach Airport Thursday evening, you know that 45 young men, coaches, family and lots of luggage makes for mayhem. Jet Blue did a remarkable job of processing it all efficiently and the boys really did do a great job of maintaining patience and listening to directions. It was a long line, but well worth the wait.

After we passed through security, you will all be happy to hear that there were NO incidents to report. The other passengers were very nervous and I heard a few departing people say that they were glad that they weren't going to Boston with us. Well, the boys showed them. It was a very quiet flight! Admittedly, I was not sitting close to the team, but I didn't hear them at all in row 6 and I understand that they were all well behaved. As they came off the plane, they looked quite impressive as they walked through Boston Logan together. They are a good-looking group of boys. Baggage claim went smoothly and all the boys (and all their belongings) got on the bus. I did not ride on the bus, but I did hear a report that quiet and calm eventually broke out and some sleeping occurred.

Crush was the first group to check in at Golden Goal so the boys had the fields to themselves for some "practice" time. They seem to have settled in to their cabins and were making themselves at home.

So far, they appear to be having a great time. The Golden Goal staff is doing a great job of making sure that coolers of water are kept full outside each cabin and the coaches are doing a great job of getting the boys to fill water bottles and keep hydrated. It is pretty warm here (80s) and much more humid than we are used to. There was intermittent cloud cover all day so it wasn't too bad.

The first game starts Saturday at 1:00 p.m. and I can't wait to watch!

2008-07-29T21:48:00.000-07:00

Welcome 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 and the Athleon website 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 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 all Crush photos are welcome. I am traveling with the teams to Golden Goal, so I will try to take some 7/8 team photos.

Thank you for visiting. Go, Crush!