As 2016 draws to a close, I have been reflecting on this past year, which for me was a year of change to say the least. And most of that, “change”, has centered on lacrosse. This time last year, I was finishing my 24th year in the same job and looking forward to a winter of College Wrestling and a spring of College Lacrosse, as I planned to get to as many of my kids’ events as possible. By the end of January, I had accepted the Assistant Coaching Position at SUNY Old Westbury and by the end of February, I had retired from my job of 24 years.
I was able to see almost all of my son’s wrestling events including the NCAA Regional at Washington and Lee, in Lexington, VA. I became fully engrossed in O.W. Women’s Lacrosse and we enjoyed a great season, qualifying for the Skyline Conference Playoffs for the first time in the program’s four year history.
I was fortunate enough to attend Senior Day at Coker College, in South Carolina, to see my former player and close family friend, Shane Wilson played in his final Home Game.
My coaching duties at O.W., limited my ability to see my daughter’s lacrosse games. However, I was able to attend the PSAC Championships at Mercyhurst University in Erie, PA. The Lady Lakers won their first ever Conference Championship. I then solo road tripped to Lindenwood University in St. Charles, MO, to see them compete in the NCAA Playoffs.
On Memorial Day Weekend, I was thrilled to see another former player, Brendan Caputo, playing for Brown. His late goal sent their NCAA Semi-Final game into overtime, before ultimately falling to Maryland in an epic game.
I coached the Long Island TOGZ 2019/20 Team through the summer tournament season. But, by early August, the TOGZ which had been a huge part of my life for almost a decade, would no longer exist. As summer began to wane, I began coaching and working for FLG Lacrosse.
Throughout the fall, there were FLG Practices, Fall Recruiting Tournaments and then various Training Sessions . There were more road trips to see Mercyhurst during their fall ball season.
This past year marked some big changes for me. It has not been easy, but I have tried to embrace it. I am busier than I thought I would be in “Retirement”. But, I am very happy with my present life. I love both of my jobs, and the people I get to work with. 2016 was a great journey. I am looking forward to a great year in 2017. Practice at O.W. starts on January 23. I am anxious to begin!
