Are ‘cellies’ ruining lacrosse?

Celebrations in sport have been under the microscope lately with the advancement of social media and accessibility for the masses through outlets such as YouTube, Vine, or Twitter. Kids today have access to a vault of years of lacrosse videos including lacrosse goal celebrations compiled and at their fingertips. Some of these are completely acceptable and used in a positive manner to gain momentum- after all lacrosse is a game of runs. On the other hand, if an entire team participates in a choreographed celebration while maintaining a big lead, it is definitely excessive and should be deemed as unsportsmanlike and repercussions should follow.

This is going to become a hot-button issue in the next couple of years, as the sport continues to grow and gain attention at the national level. More games are being televised each year, which means more youngins are able to watch their favorite team and players. Just as much as young kids love learning from watching them play, in my opinion they enjoy watching and learning their celebrations even more so. And believe me, celebrating a goal or a momentous event can change the game completely for a team. When done properly, the sideline is more engaged in the game and gets fired up in crucial situations, especially true if that team is on the road. This allows for teams to go on runs and catch fire. Lacrosse is a very emotional sport and players should be able to celebrate accordingly. There is a fine line, however because celebrations can be just as demoralizing for an opponent as they can be uplifting for a team.

The question lies within what basis to distinguish when the celebration becomes excessive? Score? Amount of players involved? Using equipment as a part of the celebration? Are we going to resort to the level that the NFL has- where celebrations must be limited to one person involved and no use of props?

Pre-planned celebrations like the canoe, jousting with sticks, bench pressing, the sniper (the list could go on and on) are completely uncalled for in my opinion and should be deemed unsportsmanlike in nature. The problem does not lie within the number of players involved, or the amount of time a celebration takes. Players should celebrate their successes on the field with each other, don’t get me wrong I am not anti-celebrating, because there are certain moments that should be celebrated. When someone who doesn’t typically score nets one, when someone nets their first goal of the season, scoring the go ahead or game winner- definitely merits celebration. But the question comes back to, what is the appropriate amount of celebrating?

Personally, I think that someone scoring and then stoically fist pumping, touching gloves or bumping chests with a teammate is more powerful for gaining momentum than an excessive celebration. But then again, this is coming from a guy who spent the majority of his playing career trying to keep the ball out of the back of the net rather than placing it there. What are your thoughts about the progression of celebrations in lacrosse over the past few years?

 

In case you haven’t seen the absurdities of some of the lacrosse celebrations taking place today, check them out here:

Weekend’s Matchups

Unknowingly at the time of scheduling, this mid-April Saturday will find more ranked teams matched up than any time this season. Here are the Top 20 matchups:

#2 Yale @ #4 Brown 1:00pm

#3 Denver vs St. John’s 2:00pm

#5 Maryland vs #18 Rutgers 4:00pm

#6 Towson vs Delaware 12:00pm

#7 Albany vs Binghamton 7:00pm

#8 Stony Brook vs UMass Lowell 5:00pm

#9 Syracuse vs #11 North Carolina 4:00pm

#10 Navy @ #20 Army 12:00pm

#12 Air Force vs VMI 2:00pm

#13 Loyola vs Boston University 12:00pm

#17 Marquette vs Providence 12:00pm

#19 Villanova vs Georgetown 5:00pm

 

Don’t miss: #2 Yale @ #4 Brown 1:00pm. The only undefeated team remaining travels to Providence for an Ivy League showdown.

Did you know? That our nation’s servicemen represent three teams in the top 20; Air Force, Army & Navy.

 

 

 

Midweek CAC Matchup

#1 ranked Salisbury Seagulls are headed to Pennsylvania to take on #7 York Spartans. Expect this midweek matchup between two of the nation’s best to be a defensive showdown. York’s goalkeeper Caleb Abney anchors a Spartan defense that has been exceptional this season, especially at the short stick defensive specialist position. On the other end, Salisbury’s defense is finally in form with excellent play coming from the new starter in net Colin Reymann.

To illustrate how much of a defensive battle this will be, take a look at the numbers. Both starting goalies have save percentages above .60 (York’s Abney .621 & Salisbury’s Reymann .634) which are among the top 20 in the nation. Both defenses are in the top ten nationally and are actually tied at for their goals against 93, averaging out to just 6.2 goals per game.

The defenses have quite the challenge today, as each team’s offense is equally as potent. York averages 12.5 goals per game while Salisbury averages 17.3 goals per game, ranking them second in the nation.

Looking strictly at the numbers and knowing how the outcomes of this matchup have turned out in the past, one might be inclined to simply say its going to be a tough game for the number one ranked Gulls, who are again favored to win the National Championship, but they will pull through in the end. I have a gut feeling that today might bring a result that will shock a majority of those who follow the D3 lacrosse world closely. York will have to be nothing less than exceptional today, but expect the Spartans to come out fired up and look to get an early jump on Salisbury. Falling behind early against Salisbury is something that very few teams are capable of coming back from, so it is critical for York to come out and put a few on the board and play that stingy defense they are so famous for.

My prediction: York 9, Salisbury 8.

 

Adidas’ Desperate Stretch

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In an industry as competitive as the sport itself, lacrosse equipment manufacturers are going to extreme lengths in order to gain any competitive advantage they can on their rivals. Sticks are constantly changing, mesh has evolved, gloves continue to improve, and carbon fiber shafts are now the popular choice for their weightless feel and strength. College lacrosse is the most prominent setting for manufacturers like Maverik or Under Armour to display their new products to the public. A minor yet significant part of the coaching staff’s job is working with their sponsoring manufacturer to ensure their players are safely equipped with the best gear to help them perform to the best of their natural ability.

With schools always looking to save money when they can, (wise) coaches try to maintain healthy relationships with their vendors to soften the blow to the team’s annual budget wherever possible. But this can allow for manufacturers to pressure schools into using products they wouldn’t buy if it came down to it. Many schools like Duke, UNC, Cornell are wearing the new STX helmets, when these schools were previously wearing Cascade or Warrior.

The reason behind this is that they are engaged in contracts with manufacturers that are either owned or have partnership agreements with other companies. For example, Nike now owns STX therefore Nike affiliated schools are being pressured into using STX products, or pay up to wear something differently. Suiting up large rosters, with multiple sets of pads each, among a long list of other operating program costs have forced coaches to succumb to the corporate giants buying their way into the lacrosse industry. Let the image posted by Bucknell as a fundraising advert serve as an example of how expensive it can be for just one student athlete to be apart of the team, and remember most D-1 rosters carry around fifty guys. It is important for coaches to put their players in the best gear to enhance their performance, but at what cost?

Adidas’ share in the lacrosse industry is continually shrinking these last few years, after losing powerhouse Notre Dame they now sponsor only a handful of schools. Bryant, Bucknell and UMASS all made appearances last week in some uncharacteristic Adidas jersies. The Primeknit Techfit lacrosse jersey is the latest from the folks at Adidas, resembling the uniform that a football player would be wearing, tightly stretched across his shoulder pads. The idea is similar to the football jersies as well, engineered with as little fabric as possible while maintaining maximum range of motion and breathability. Whether they actually improve performance, it is very difficult to say. It seems to me that this marketing scheme is a bit of a stretch, for lack of a better word.

The lacrosse game is flooded with similar styles and Adidas is apparently willing to do anything and everything to remain competitive.  But I know if I were suiting up in one of these I would be super pumped about how much more intimidating they made me look. If I had to wear Adidas, at least let the jersey make me look as though my max bench press is 50 pounds more than it truly is. Definitely a product that draws mixed emotions for both players and spectators. What are your thoughts? Comment below.

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The Future of Mesh

Warrior is known for doing things their own way, not getting in line but by standing out among its competitors. It is what has allowed for Warrior to grow to become one of the largest manufacturers of lacrosse equipment, and contributed to the growth of their company into other industries like hockey, and soccer. This revolutionary company has been working on an item that will likely change the way that you think about and look at lacrosse sticks forever. The only way to compare it to anything that precedes it would be to say its introduction to the game parallels that of the introduction of diamond mesh. Some of you younger readers might not think this is a big deal because the standard mesh today is all you have known. But breaking away from the traditional style leather and woven nylon stringing shook up the game completely bringing about the ability for players to customize their sticks and string them to their liking and playing ability with much more ease. Today it still takes a tremendous amount of practice, patience and know how to string up the perfect wand, but the mesh we know today opened up the world of stringing by making it simpler than stringing up a traditional.

The innovators at Warrior are in the process of eliminating the whole aspect of stringing sticks altogether by introducing the new Evo Warp lacrosse head. What is so different about this head than any produced before? The Warp has a seamless flow from the plastic of the head to the polypropylene stitched pocket, with the only noticeable connection being the Kevlar strip that reinforces the strength of the stitching which attaches the mesh to the head.

Their marketing for this game changer is “Warp Forward” with entirely futuristic color themes and graphics, surely because this stick looks like something from outer space the first time you encounter it. The stick looks like it would be a heavy, bulky contraption with poor hold and an even worse release. The pocket’s looks can essentially be compared to the likes of one of those youth “pop-lacrosse” sticks. Simply put, its appearance looks so vastly different from the average mesh or leather strung pocket, but when you get one in your hands for the first time you believe that the folks at Warrior might be on to something.

The whole idea behind the Warp is to place a stick into players’ hands that is game ready the moment that it rolls out of the factory. Very few players have the ability to grab a standard mesh-strung stick off of the shelves, take it to the game as their starter having never played with it before and perform as they would with their stick of choice. It takes a considerable amount of time to break in the pocket, adjust strings and become comfortable with how the stick throws and shoots. The Warp requires no adjustment, no breaking in, and offers durability and performance in any weather. Promotional videos even show a player dipping the stick in a bucket of water before he rips a corner.

The variability of stringing styles, breaking in the pocket, tightening or loosening the shooters until it is just right are among the few technical aspects that bring the beauty to stringing. They’re also what give the many players who lack enough patience or determination to string their own pockets the dreaded pocket anxiety. There is an old saying that frustrated players and coaches use when someone repeatedly throws a pass to their teammates’ feet, or shoots a bouncer directly into the mud; “It’s not the wand, it’s the wizard.” But with today’s many options for stringing high versus low pockets, different mesh styles, shooter placement, all put into perspective by the given weather of the day it very well could be the wand.

Evo Warp will surely change the game once Warrior figures out how to market this product to the masses. At the moment it is still a prototype and in testing, but with several college players rocking it and a revved up marketing campaign, it is likely that we will see this stick on store shelves in the next couple of months. The pricepoint will surely deter players at first, but in my opinion it will slowly become something that once proven for durability and performance over time, this style will become the new standard for lacrosse sticks.

STX’s ‘Most Advanced Piece of Equipment’

Contrary to popular belief, the STX Duel is the first of its kind when it comes to heads specifically designed for the men who get down and dirty on every play. Sorry to my older readers, but although the Blade was revered for many years as the ultimate head and was even the weapon of choice for faceoff specialists like Alex Smith it was never intended to serve that role as it did in the first place. The funny mixture of plastic that was used in those original heads is what made them so unique, not the design. Did Warrior plan for that or luck out? Hard to say, but I think Alex Smith would have been rocking this piece of plastic at the X if he had the chance.

“The Duel is the industry’s first fully integrated faceoff system and is arguably the most advanced piece of equipment that we’ve launched, said Jim Benton, Director of Product Management at STX. “Utilizing the next generation technologies, the Duel is engineered to dominate at the faceoff X and will change the game for faceoff specialists”

STX’s revolutionary technology in the Duel’s compact throat design allows for players to get even closer to the ball. Gaining even the slightest advantage makes facing off that much easier for players, and Chris Mattes (Florida Launch), co-founder of The Faceoff Academy endorses this head completely. “The Duel is exactly what faceoff guys have been asking for. Its shorter, stable throat provides a solid advantage for faceoff specialists.”

Durability and flexibility are two words that have finally joined together in the world of lacrosse heads to form the Duel, strong yet flexible where X-men need it most. Specific flex zones are engineered into the mid-section while dual sidewall braces provide the stability you need during key moments of the draw or for the groundball after you’ve dusted your opponent.  “After testing it, I was blown away by its flexibility and grab on the ball” raved Mattes.

New faceoff rules seemingly every year have been a constant threat to the way of life for the x-men, who can now breathe a little easier. With the new immediate advancement rules, faceoff men can breathe easier knowing the Duel allows them to have a pinched head, yet string a pocket that the ball doesn’t get stuck in.  Strategically placed stringing holes set players up for success by providing them many options when stringing up their masterpiece.

STX director of product management Jim Benton is not stretching when he said this head “will change the game for faceoff specialists” and stated that the Duel’s “fully integrated faceoff system is arguably the most advanced piece of equipment we’ve launched.” And that’s coming from the guys who pioneered the industry since its inception. I would take their word for it if I were you. Grab yours today.

 

 

Princeton coach dismissed after elbowing player

Tiger’s head coach Chris Bates has been relieved of his duties after the university reviewed the incident from last weekend’s game against Brown. The statement from the university early this morning read:

Following a University review of an incident in the men’s lacrosse game at Brown on April 2, Chris Bates is no longer employed by Princeton University.

Offensive coordinator Matt Madalon will serve as interim head coach for the remainder of the season and will coach his first game this Saturday against eighth-ranked Stony Brook (noon, Sherrerd Field).

Madalon is a former Major League Lacrosse goalie and a member of the most recent Hall of Fame class at Roanoke College. Now in his third year on the Princeton staff, Madalon spent seven seasons as a coach at Stevens Tech. In his first two seasons at Princeton, the Tigers ranked among the leaders in scoring offense in Division I. A year ago, he coached Mike MacDonald, who set the school record for points in a season, and Kip Orban, who set the school record for goals in a season by a midfielder.

Bates was in his seventh season as Princeton head coach, and he had a record of 53-42 with the Tigers. He led the team to the 2010, 2012 and 2015 Ivy League championships and to the 2010 and 2012 NCAA tournaments while coaching 16 first-team All-Ivy and 19 All-America selections.

A national search for a permanent head coach will be held at the conclusion of the season.

We’ve come a long way since ‘Blast Lacrosse’

There are many significant indicators that the world of lacrosse is on the up rise. States that did not participate in lacrosse are now represented at the high school level. Towns that traditionally had only high school lacrosse now have youth programs. The number of summer club teams has grown to an unimaginable amount (unless you’re one of those parents who has seen the chaos behind a Champ Camp or two). The MLL is expanding and continues to add teams in new cities like Charlotte, Atlanta, and even a team in Palm Beach- the Florida Launch. Kids are going to college to play for more universities than ever before and are even committing to the institution of their choice at earlier ages. But is a lacrosse video game considered a sign that the sport is growing rapidly?

A couple weeks ago, EA Sports released the very first lacrosse video game compatible for Xbox and PlayStation. Previous attempts at lax video games were made, and anyone who played the game in the 90’s can relate to how absurd “Blast Lax” for PlayStation. The games few and between there have paved the way for experimental design for the flow of gameplay to mirror that of the sport itself. There are many situations like the faceoff, realistic dodging, and goalie save mechanics that were preventing the development of a realistic game. NHL-esque lacrosse games were the result, until now.

Casey Powell ’16 is the first user friendly lacrosse game that has received decent reviews by users. Community share allows the game to incorporate more than fifty teams at the collegiate level and all 9 MLL teams that exist today. The graphics look excellent and appear to be on par with other video games out today. Is the game perfect? No but like all video games, there is always room for improvement and the next year’s edition will continue to develop the gameplay and fix any bugs.

To answer the previous question- in my opinion the release of an adequate lax video game is a tremendous indicator and will only continue to contribute to the growth of the game in a positive manner. CP16 allows a user who has never picked up a lacrosse stick, to pick up a different set of “sticks” as a controller is often referred to in the gaming community. Video games are mostly played by younger generations and this new lax video game allows people who have never played to experience the game, which might actually generate enough interest for kids to go out and pick up a real stick.

In case you weren’t alive then, or never played, here is a “Blast from the past”

Youngest Div. I Recruit in History

Mark it down folks. On the evening of March 17, 2016 Brennan O’Neill (Bay Shore, NY) made history becoming the youngest player to verbally commit to playing lacrosse at the college level. This future Penn State Nittany Lion surpasses Payton Cormier, the former youngest player to commit. The lefty currently plays varsity, as many Long Islander eighth graders do and also for Team 91, a club team started by LI native Brian Spallina. He will play for perennial powerhouse Saint Anthony’s Catholic School next year.

Anyone involved in the college lacrosse community knows that the sport can be an excellent vehicle for gaining acceptance into the desired universities of many young men and women. In the past several years we have seen a dynamic shift in how the process actually works. Technically, colleges cannot directly contact a prospective student-athlete before September 1 of their junior year in high school. But this does not mean that a third party cannot bridge communications, while there are also some gray areas in the specification of the rules. Technically, a player does not become a prospect until they enter high school, therefore committing before then would suggest no recruiting violation. This situation has brought about tremendous attention to the game at the college, high school and club level. Many years ago, players committing by their senior year were considered early recruits. But as previously mentioned, the changing climate of the recruiting industry has seen players committing to college careers earlier and earlier, typically around their sophomore year. The most impactful time a player can get noticed is often playing in summer tournaments for a club, where college coaches swarm with the ability to watch hundreds if not thousands of athletes play each summer. With the formation of numerous new programs and tournaments all over the country each year to accommodate the growth of the game, players have the opportunity to expose themselves to college coaches at younger ages than ever before.

Some college coaches have been calling for an adaptation to the recruiting rules to prevent this from happening further. Many clamor about the countless unknown factors that shape a young individual throughout their high school career and prepare them for college. Other than the obvious issues, like the fact that this young man doesn’t have a single academic mark to base his commitment off of; will this player develop physically and continue to improve their game; will they remain uninjured for the next four years or until they physically sign a letter of intent, there are many more underlying factors that make this situation somewhat concerning.“It’s insane. Whereas there was some sophomore activity a little bit in the fall, now the gloves are off and freshmen are committing in the fall. They don’t have a grade,” commented IMLCA’s recruiting advisory committee chair Chris Bates.

What are the ethical problems with this situation? With the attention this eighth grader has been receiving, all of the top universities are well aware of his status if they were not previously already. The climate of recruiting for any college sport can bring out the little red devil that sits on a coach’s shoulder looking at how they can sweeten the deal in order to steal. Is his commitment all a big charade in order to draw attention and backdoor his initial offer? Time will tell. Lacrosse has not been a sport surrounded by recruiting scandals, but with the growing popularity of the sport, schools have bigger budgets with more scholarship money to offer to more players, so long as Title IX allows it. There’s a lot on the line for any college coach and there is no telling whether or not these types of commitments will bring foul play into the lacrosse recruiting community.

Princeton Coach finds himself in the penalty box

Princeton’s head coach Chris Bates has been placed on administrative leave, as per a statement from the university, after he made contact with a Penn player running off the field. The incident occurred after a faceoff in the third quarter with Brown leading 7-6, just a few yards outside the substitution zone where Bates stood on the field as the Brown midfielder took a straight line toward the box from his previous position. Offensive Coordinator Matt Madalon will serve as the interim for Bates, who has been placed on administrative leave until the situation is investigated into further.

Many are outraged in the lacrosse community, as the video and story has gone somewhat viral in the sports world.  There have been suggestions that the player was intentionally running at the coach, but anyone who watched the incident and knows lacrosse understands he was likely just running to the closest point of the box in order for his teammate to substitute quicker.

But lets back it up a second, the Brown coach appears to be a good few yards on the field, which is not uncommon for a head coach, especially during intense moments when they need to communicate with their players.

Now, I don’t sit on the board of reviewers but I am a high school boy’s lacrosse official- and of course I have my opinions. The coach was not yelling to his players but appears to be trying to speak with the trail referee, as a flag is being thrown for a previous collision between players. Unfortunately he is out of the screen during the video replay so it could be inferred that he was not in a position to see the incident. Many who know Bates know that his passion for the game while representing strength and calmness.

The first problem is that many coaches enter the field of play several times during a game, and some coaches are even infamous for it. It is the duty of the official to keep the sidelines clear for substitutions and to keep the coaches in their designated coaching areas, although as mentioned earlier, some coaches extend themselves onto the field and officials, well, sometimes miss a call.

The second problem is that the trail official, whose obligation it is to watch the substitution area when the ball is advancing up the field, did not see the collision take place. Therefore no action was taken and the coach remained in the game with no repercussions. That fact muddles up the situation for Princeton, who now has to find the suitable punishment for the coach’s momentary lapse of judgement.

It is not like it was a Woody Hayes moment of the late 70’s where he ran five yards to throw a punch at a player in retaliation for something that took place on the field. However, if Bates truly did intend to collide with the player it is an inexcusable offense and he should be dealt with accordingly. Does that mean being removed of his job for good? I certainly do not think so, but Princeton is a prestigious university that will certainly act accordingly to protect their prestige. No matter what reputation precedes a person, this is an excellent example where “nobody is perfect.”

Regardless of the outcome, this incident will not define the career of a head coach who will stoicly handle himself moving forward.