Tuesday, May 13, 2008

‘ROCK’ AROUND THE CLOCK

We are about six hours away from game time.  We just got back from our ‘stick and glove’ pre-game shortie practice, the patented one where we stretch, pass the rock around, and I talk.  Usually I have a script and I did today, but I do go on once I start.  Sometimes in the middle of me I ask them if they are bored or if I am just rambling on, but I know the answer because it’s one of them rhetorical type of questions.  They do like it when the old man (I) goes on, at least mostly, and even when I get personal with my critiques and such they are pretty much all ears.  Yes, I do like working with and on this group of players.  It’s just that now I have very high expectations for the payoff of things when all is said and done.  I just can’t help it.  I am so spoiled.  I admit it. 

I have preached for years about how all things are not necessarily tied to the finality of winning and or losing, but if I were to look properly (honestly) in the mirror I would see that at least some of that is a flat out lie.

RAINMEN

Rains are predicted for tonight, but the rainwater has begun to already arrive in the form of sprinkles.  The deluge feels like it is on its way, however, and the predictions are for prodigious amounts of rain during the night.  It looks like it could be earlier than they say.  To me it is what it is, and I talked quite a bit about lacrosse stick pocket management the last few times that I have addressed them.  They have to deal with conditions, and wet definitely affects the pocket of your stick.  They can’t go psycho about it, they simply have to deal with conditions as they are and in a smart and prepared way.  Obviously the pocket is not the only thing that changes and challenges them in storm conditions.  Hopefully, “Mr. Rock-it Pocket” can help a few of them to get the sticks ready to go to war.

HATERS REVENGE TOUR REVISITED

I am preaching a couple of things in this pre-game approach to how we want to play..  One of those items is toughness and for us to go out and put some hate toward the other side.  I want us to be extremely intense about every single move we make.  Another is that I want us to win the two statistical battles that have marked our ‘resurgence’ as a team if I can call it that, and since I’m the one writing I will.  Those categories are shots, even if ours aren’t all necessarily on the 6’ by 6’ goal cage.  I want to pressure their defense, whoever they are, and their goal as well.   The other number is ground balls gotten and we use the word “swarm” to describe our intentions on any loose ball out there.

KNOW YOUR ENEMY

We know and respect very much the fact that Va. Tech will have many skilled players.  I am also aware that it would seem that a few specific Hokies are from lacrosse hot beds like New York and are of the caliber of player that can have huge footprints on any game.  It is our job to not let any of these players ‘go off’ and take over the game or whatever.  I do feel confident that we have many different answers as a team for all kinds of things that we might face.  Now it is up to me and the other coaches to find our right ‘mode’ as quickly as possible.

HEY THERE, GOALIE BOY

I finally feel really confident about our goalie ‘rotation’.  They both know where they are supposed to be and when they are playing, and it is my plan to absolutely NOT alter my pre-game plan.  Against BYU I didn’t have said resolve.  At any rate, pretty much whatever happens during the game it is my plan to start Tyson (#1) and to impress on him that his role is to get us off to a good start and to ‘get us ahead’ as it were with his style and bravado.  Then Garrett (#8) will ‘relieve’ in the second half and he will bring us a new and different kind of controlled energy after witnessing the first half and thinking during that first half about the kind of goalie we need him to be in the second half.  At least all that is my plan.

THANKS JARED, AND BY THE WAY WOULDN’T IT BE NICE TO HAVE JARED?

I went to Subway for a sandwich after the last paragraph..  In that meantime the weather thing that is coming might turn out to be in fact the next ‘Elvis’ of storms.  There are tornado warnings on CNN for as ‘far south as Dallas’ for tonight.  We will have a hunk of churning something that seems to be the ‘for sure’ of it.  It’s just a matter of when and how much.  I’m not sure why they chose Dallas for this thing as it is.  The weather here has multiple nightmare potential in the spring with the heat and or the tornado hammer.  How about Denver next year?  The women had it there last week and they ended up on local television news, so……..

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