LAS: Defining Toughness In College Lacrosse
20 Jan
Check out the excellent post from LacrosseAllStars.com…
Defining Toughness In College Lacrosse
After reading the article on “toughness” in college hoops, I instantly put it in terms of college lacrosse. As a player in college, I, (like Mr. Bilas) thought I was tough. I wasn’t. If it weren’t for some incredible teammates my career probably would have fizzled out after my sophomore year. I’ve had old coaches tell me that lacrosse is a game wasted on the youth. Maybe I’m just getting old, but I’m starting to see their point. My biggest regret as a lacrosse player “is that I didn’t truly ‘get it’ much earlier in my playing career.” Now, as a coach, my feeling about the composition of a truly great player has much less to do with size, strength, and athleticism and much more to do with character, toughness, and dedication.
At the end of last season, not much was made out of a kid like John Glynn (Cornell ’09). But every kid that first picks up a stick has been exposed to Mikey Powell. Marketing isn’t ahead of the curve in today’s lacrosse culture, it controls the curve. What’s been lost in the shuffle are the truly tough lacrosse players, the students of the game, the kids that make the smart play, plays that help their teams win.
Quite frankly, I feel there is a lack of toughness permeating throughout our sport. I believe in many ways style has transcended substance. The sad irony is that our sport, once considered exclusive, is actually losing its toughness during a period of huge gains in mainstream credibility.
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