A Lacrosse Weekend 3.14.20

Welcome to "A Lacrosse Weekend" my weekly compilation of thoughts, ideas, stories, myths, truths, about the great game of lacrosse. I hope you enjoy it!

A New Lacrosse World

A lot has changed in a week.  For the first time ever, there is no lacrosse on a March Saturday and we are all sitting here bummed, pissed, scared, numb, and thinking of what might have been.  It seems like a lifetime of events happened over just a few days.  I join all of you, who are fans of the game and who have family members who have had their seasoned whisked away, feeling empty today.

My son's Georgetown team would have played Carolina today in an epic battle of unbeaten teams.   My older daughter is at Arizona State and they were having a great start to the new coaching staff's regime.  My youngest daughter is a junior in HS and I'm one of the coaches.   We had a game on Thursday night which I hope wasn't the first and last.  Our team is a special group of talented and enthusiastic girls who are by the way slick as hell!

 Friday's NCAA declaration that every spring sport athlete will get their eligibility was much needed good news when a lot of folks were devastated and pissed off.  Personally I am torn about this decision.  On the one hand, I'm ecstatic that my son will get his junior year in college back (my ASU daughter was redshirting anyway). On the other hand, my 2021 daughter who is committed to play Division I Lacrosse.  Now, all the recruits in the classes of 2020, 2021, and even 2022, are going to be stuck in a log jam of talent as four years of current college player have essentially re-classed!

Lacrosse Live with Harvard Head Coach Gerry Byrne

Below is a video from our Facebook Live yesterday.  I think you will find this informational, enjoyable, and some great lacrosse content and conversation!  We talk about what Harvard is doing, the NCAA declaration, but mostly we talk lacrosse!  Enjoy!

Thoughts on The NCAA Eligibility Declaration

• How will a team be able to handle up to 25% more players?  Most men's teams are at their limit of lockers and / or roster cap numbers which are carefully planned based on graduating seniors.  
• How will teams handle scholarship?  One Big 10 coach told me that the NCAA is considering awarding another 3.15 scholarships for the next four years to alleviate the financial burden on the athletes and programs.
• Even if the NCAA allowed for and additional three scholarships, it would be up to each institution to fund that extra money and allocate those resources.  Remember, not all schools are fully funded right now with 12.6!
• The Ivy League doesn't allow grad students to compete in NCAA athletics.  This means that if Cornell senior Jeff Teat wants to play at Cornell next season,  he will have to withdraw from school right now and then take the fall off to be eligible in the spring of 2021.
• Withdrawing is a $40,000 throw away!
• Many Ivy players will simply take their 5th year at another Division I institution where they can play, get a graduate degree, and receive scholarship.
• Would the Ivy League make an exemption so their players can stay for a 5th year? 
• What about all the Division III seniors?  There are going to be so many players eligible!  This rising tide could raise all ships.
• Will TD Ierlan, who has already transferred once, withdraw right now to stay at Yale?  Or would the NCAA give him an exemption on the One-Time-Transfer rule allowing him to take a 5th year at a third institution?
• It could be a heavy financial burden on Ivy kids to withdraw, take the fall off, and come back when they could simply graduate and get a scholarship to another school AND get a graduate degree.
• If scholarship schools really get access to more scholarship Ivy kids will definitely have to consider jumping for their 5th year.
• For underclassmen in the Ivy League, in order to play all four years at their institution, they too would have to withdraw now and take a fall off, or take two falls off.
• In 2020 the Ivy League was arguably the strongest conference in Division I.  Sadly, it doesn't seem like the Ivy's will be able to take advantage of  "Five classes for four years." advantage like scholarship schools will.  
• Four years of five classes worked very well for Duke Lacrosse.
• Not all seniors will come back.  Some have jobs lined up.  Others don't get the kind of playing time that would warrant a return for a 5th year.  There may not be a roster spot for every senior and still others may not have the financial means for a 5th year.
• With the Coronavirus, there is a severe economic impact that may have an effect on the potential job status of these seniors which might be an impetus to play a 5th year?  At the same time, the economy might be too significant of a financial strain on a family to do a 5th year.
• This year's #1 recruit in the nation, UVA's Connor Shellenberger, redshirted because of the log jam of talent in front of him.  Now Dox Aitken, Ian Laviano and Michael Kraus can play another year.
• And if Dox wants to play football, he still could in 2022.  Same with Maryland's Jared Bernhardt and Duke's JT Giles-Harris who planned on playing a 5th year of football and get a graduate degree.  These guys now have six years to play five.
• We will see more redshirting of top players.
• Division I is going to get a hell of a lot more competitive!  With all these teams having five classes!  Think about your own career and imagine any team you were on where the graduating seniors could still play while your incoming freshmen were on the team!
• What about the sweepstakes to get Michael Sowers if he decides to graduate form Princeton and play a 5th year?  Would an ACC school ask a senior recruit who has already signed an NLI take a PG year to make room and clear cap space?
• The high school class of 2020 now includes the high school class of 2019.  I was talking to Inside Lacrosse's Ty Xanders yesterday and he told me a high profile 2020 recruit headed to a top 10 school is going to take a PG year.
• There will be a trickle down effect.   2021's  who are committed or uncommitted will consider na re-lass to the class of 2022. 
• For the 2021's who haven't signed an NLI, a college coach might rethink their offer based on the flooding of talent and transfers.  
• A college coach might tell a 2021 to take a PG year and enter the class of 2022.
• The class of 2022 will be impacted by these 2021 re-class situations and they in turn will re-class to 2023.
• This is what happens when EVERY player for four years in college re-classes!

Jeff Teat, A Generational Talent

One of my favorite players I've ever watched is Cornell's senior Jeff Teat.  I've known him (and his dad) and watched him  since he was around 14 and have always been amazed with the way he plays.  A mild mannered, nice kid, Jeff is a maestro.  His "Fluency" in the game is what makes him great.  He simply knows what to do and how to navigate situations in the most brilliant and creative ways.  He's more athletic than he gets credit for, but he's not big, maybe 5'11'' 165?  He can beat you 1v1 with an effortless ability to soak physicality and deception.  His feeding is other worldly.  And his shooting is absurd and is not appreciated in the United States to the degree it should be.  In this country, shooting is all about range and mechanics combined with accuracy.  

Jeff Teat was MVP of the Major Series Box Lacrosse League this past summer, as a rookie!  He's literally playing with the best players in the world and was the MVP of the league!

Will Teat take a 5th year?  He will certainly be the #1 pick in the NLL draft.  I wonder if he would want to go play box?

I hope you enjoy this Jeff Teat 2020 highlight video! My boy Rocco Romero put this together and has classic Rocco tunes!

What Do We Do Now?

As it turns out, JM3 was ahead of the curve on focusing on digital content, remote coaching, etc.  The whole world is going to make a switch to more remote learning and having quality content is critical.

I have received many emails and texts from JM3 CTP subscribers who are happy to have content for their players to be able to work on their own during this shut down of high school and youth lacrosse.

As we consider ways to help our kids continue to play the game they love, let's make sure we are being socially responsible.  Ignoring social distancing to get in reps with other kids is not the point here.  

The JM3 Coaches Training Program

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 Have a great and safe weekend!