The Privilege

Closed Door Lacrosse Excellence

Last week I had the honor of being the only outside media member to attend Vermont’s 11-10 win over Utah in the Autofair New Hampshire Dome in Hooksett, N.H. I also happened to be the only human not associated with either program (or the facility itself) to witness the game.

The Hooksett Dome isn’t equipped for traditional broadcasts. The game was filmed, but it was on a VEO sideline cam, and the Wi-Fi was not strong enough to livestream. So, I found myself reverting to my base instinct - live tweeting. And, man…I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed it. I LOVE covering live college lacrosse.

There is no substitute for the speed, the tactics, or the end product of a solid Division One NCAA tilt. There just isn’t. I love to watch how teams ride, run the sub-box, and slide. How they set up their early shot clock offense and how they finish out the clock. That’s not something you get at lower levels of the game because D-1 is the most intensely granular version of the game.

I cover and coach a lot of different levels of the game. Nothing is as exciting as a competitive Divison One game in person. The [field] pros don’t practice enough to fill that nuance, box lacrosse is a different animal entirely, and even the best prep programs can turn into iso-ball farms.

These days, everyone is so obsessed with making lacrosse easier; I’m obsessed with how awesomely complicated the other levels of the game are.

In the midst of describing all of the action in the Vermont/Utah game, for fans and gamblers alike, I realized two things about covering college lacrosse games:

1. How much I love it.

2. How much I miss it.

Of course, this type of situation heightens the enjoyment of a game. When all the eyes of the lacrosse social media world are focused on you - it’s a feeling I can’t even describe.

It is a privilege to write about lacrosse. For all of its difficulties, moments like hitting send on the Final score tweet are what make my life, for lack of a more sophisticated term, fun.

I say all of this to encourage going to games. Because, while you won’t get a one-on-one experience like I did, you still get to go to the game that we love being played by kids who have dreamed of doing so for most of their life. For 97% of those players - it is the pinnacle of their career - and you get to see it.

Going to a live Division One lacrosse game is a fantastic experience for any person of any age. I know it’s cold out and going to games during your season can be a process - but if you can take your son or daughter to a D-1 game near you, you should.

Sit them close to the bench. Err, maybe educate them about sideline language first; and see what they can learn from watching that level of live lacrosse.

(If you don’t have kids, you can still show up to a game by yourself and have a great experience. Don’t be weird about it, no one cares if you’re there by yourself. They’re too wrapped up in how they’re going to pay their club dues.)

I’m an old man and college games still teach me new things each time.

Best job in the world. Thanks again for letting me do it.

This week’s post is brought to you by the Longpole Summit! Organized by the same people who brought you the Goalie Summit, This virtual online academy will take place on February 26th, 27th, and 28th. You can register and get access with my link right here: www.longpolesummit.com?ref=46849-Kyle-Devitte

Featuring talks from high-level players like Boston Cannons’ defenseman Jake Pulver, UVM’s Jack Combs, and Atlas pole Brett Makar - this is an opportunity to learn from some of the best longpoles in the world.