Wednesday, April 2, 2008

CALL ME

I was talking on the cell phone to one of the players on my way home after practice today.  I wanted to put some thoughts in his head.  At one point in the conversation I asked him if he felt good going into the game tomorrow with Arizona.  His answer was the natural and obligatory, “yes’, of course, but he turned the tables on me and asked me if in fact I was happy just now.  Good question.  Is it that obvious?  I’d like to be (happy).  Yes, it has been hard at times for me lately, and I have been frustrated at times recently, thusly my sense of humor and overall positive reinforcing techniques have perhaps not been as good or as evident as I might like.  Yes, I wear my emotions on my sleeve, and it isn’t always pretty, and I of course do it (show my true emotional feelings of and at the moment) in practice probably even more than at any other time in my life.

HAPPY ENDING?

I pondered my happiness for a while after the conversation. So then I asked myself the 'good' question, “How can I be happy after the game tomorrow?”  As we know, with me that isn’t necessarily hinged upon winning and or losing.  More than anyone my wife knows how often it is that we win and I am not pleased for whatever reasons. She doesn't get it. Why isn't winning enough is her question. I don't have a short answer for that.

HAPPINESS IS A WARM GUN, MAMA, YES IT IS

I haven’t been that happy with us at times the last few days.  I admit it.  Is that because of last Saturday’s result?   I certainly hope not.  I have moved on  That is a million seconds ago already. .  It’s never just about one thing or one game anyway, at least not with me.   I firmly believe that I can answer this question as it is, though.  I will be happy if and when we really, AS A TEAM, pay attention to the details and put together an entire game that I might be able to describe as consistent.  What do I mean by “details”?  I mean making the supreme effort to do things the way we do them every day in practice, and also simply putting heart and soul into the most mundane of pass and or catch of the moment. 

DOCTOR, DOCTOR, GIVE ME THE NEWS

Too often our Dr. Jekyll turns into Mr. Hyde when the game is on, even if just for a second, and it puts a reverse spin on the life we are trying to breathe into each and every game.  Just as one or two ‘bad’ things in succession can create a negative pattern, the same is true on the positive side.  I am frustrated that we are not building that pattern of positive momentum enough and because of reasons and things we can control with better focus, more trust, and just plain energy.  Unfortunately in my head the kind of momentum we have been building lately is of the type that does things like get the opposing goalie onto everybody’s All America list and things like that.  This upsets me extra, for example, because it has always been my aim to make the opposing goalie a ‘non-factor’, not a superstar because we didn’t happen finish the goal twelve times in a row. Is it me?

BREAK ON THROUGH TO THE OTHER SIDE

The offense has a huge advantage in the game of lacrosse.  All a player and or team has to do to take advantage of that fact is to have skills and slow the game down enough to see what to do in a given situation.  Skill, practice, and conditioning are things a player and or team can control and use to advantage to achieve that ability to ‘slow things down’.  I feel like we are so close to doing many of these elements well enough to excel, but then at times the moment of truth bogs us down.  How can I do better at getting us through that?

DON’T BE A PUSSY (new team motto)

Well, I have decided that I know what I want to do to prepare myself to ‘be all I can be’ for tomorrow’s game, and a lot of that is figuring out what I want and or expect from each one of them.  I am going to do a mini report card on the team with Alex between now and then to help guide me/us tomorrow, and so I will have some idea of what to do and when to do it in a forceful pro-active way.

It is supposed to snow toorrow and plan B field availability isn't looking that promising......

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