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Max Seibald and Why We Play the Game

Max Seibald and Why We Play the GameLacrosse has always been more to me than just a sport.  Struggling to find a place as a public school kid at a Catholic High School, lacrosse gave Max Seibald (amongst hundreds of other things) access to a great group of friends, friends that he have stayed close with for years.

 

Personally, my most vivid memories of lacrosse are not of actually playing the game, but sharing the results with my teammates.

Two examples:

#1 – With time running out in the State championship game my senior year of high school I made a save and immediately saw one of my midis cutting up the field.  After hitting him on the clear I looked behind me at the scoreboard.  Seeing that there were only four seconds left to play I took off sprinting towards midfield, catching the guy I had just hit on the outlet.  When the horn blew he threw the ball in the air, and I jumped on his back, knocking him over.  Less than a second later the entire team joined in on the celebration and I was stuck at the bottom of a massive dog pile.  I couldn’t breathe, but oddly enough I didn’t care.  I barely remember the action from that game, but those two minutes might as well have happened yesterday.

#2 – The last game of my college career was a blowout…and we weren’t on the winning side.  Going in to the fourth quarter we were down by around 10 goals and it was obvious that our season was over.  Just before takingthe field for the final 15 minutes the team huddled up for a cheer, and our leading scorer said, “Gentlmen…it’s been a pleasure.”  So sue me, I got misty.  It had been an up and down year but the journey had been fun none the less, and I carried some emotion out on to the field with me.

That is why this video of Max Seibald after the NCAA D1 Championship game struck such a cord.  Even after suffering a devestating loss on the game’s biggest stage, his focus immediately went to his teammates.  For him it wasn’t about winning and losing, it was about the journey.  It wasn’t about a ring, it was about his teammates.  Max Seibald knows what the game is about.

What is your favorite memory with your teammates?  A pre-game ritual?  A post-game celebration?  A post-post-game celebration?  Let us know.