Welcome to 2023 OSHS Boys Lacrosse!
March 18 2023 Parent Meeting.
Welcome to another season of Ram’s Lacrosse. I am thrilled to have so many of you here and I want to get started with some quick introductions:
I am proud to have Coach Nick Sagnella with me again this year. Nick’s a bright young man with a big coaching future ahead of him. Nick will be more involved on the defense side of the ball this season and I look forward to what he brings to the team.
This is my 16th season coaching this great game. I’ve got a few things I am required to talk about but for this meeting, but what I really want to convey to you today is why I am here.
I got into coaching lacrosse because the game means something to me. The lessons I learned playing in high school helped me navigate life, taught me leadership skills, and taught me hard work is often better than talent.
But the game did something else for me, personally. When I was 13 years old, I was an angry kid that was fading into the background. I was mad at the world, the people around me and my house was a place I did not want to be. My mother died after a 6-month battle with cancer and my father quickly remarried and moved us to a new town. I was more than angry.
But I found lacrosse. I found a coach that revealed this special, safe place for me to work out that anger, or simply escape from it. I got to hit other kids with my stick or straight-up tackle (the 80s game was a lot more physical) and most importantly to me, I found a family that I could rely on. These concepts are why I coach today.
Here are the things I measure success by:
Commitment
Passion
Toughness
Love
Knowing when to be a leader and when to follow
Discipline
Take note - there’s nothing on this list that’s a talent. Or how many years you’ve played. Or how tall you, how strong you are, what you weigh. Everything on this list, you can learn this season. Everything on this list is going to help you become the best OSHS lacrosse player. Everything on this list will serve you well in life.
This is what I intend to teach your young men. Lacrosse will get in the way but ultimately, I will judge myself not by a win/loss record, rather how you boys turn out because I believe this game, this attitude, and this school are the perfect breeding ground for excellence.
Practices:
M-F 2:45ish to 5
Saturday 9-11
Games:
Mostly Tuesday/Thursday, 3 night games and 2 Saturday games.
Away we ride the bus together.
Team: we are 27 strong and the lines between JV and Varsity will blur. JV will dress for every Varsity game.
Important stuff:
HERE’S HOW I COMMUNICATE:
I use REMIND texting message relay system, parents are invited. It’s perfect for urgent notes or points to my website.
I also use saybrooklacrosse.com as a failsafe. EVERYTHING gets copied there.
Weekly “Here’s what’s coming this week” every Sunday evening email. Get on this list by filling out sign up sheet going around - enter as many email address as you wish.
Want to be involved?
TEAM DINNERS We are working to change these up - we’re holding them at school in the Team room. I am going to use these times together as educational opportunities. I’ve got valued speakers that I thought would be interesting to hear them speak about leadership and ask questions.
Stats.
Email coming from our Team Parent about opportunities to help support the team.
Finally, a team fundraiser is in place for apparel, our team store earns 50% of the profit on apparel and gear with our name on it. Link .
