Lifestyle
End Caps – Still Growin’
NLL camps are coming up soon, LXM is still truckin’, and I’ve raised $120 for my ‘stache so far and it’s still growin’. Remember, you can make a donation to HEADstrong in my mustache’s honor. Now let’s review the good stuff!
Videos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhnyGVaZmfY
What’s Goin’ On?
Lacrosse ressurges as cultural tradition in Minnesota
Coach Ben DeLuca was cut loose from Cornell
TCU lacrosse adds yoga to their workout
Kuhn Named to Head New Lacrosse Program at Lincoln Memorial
Boise, ID brings box lacrosse to the Treasure Valley
U of Findlay in Ohio builds lacrosse/football stadium
Helping Hands
Tufts lacrosse signs first 2025 recruit, a 7 year old cancer survivor
Rutgers lacrosse makes a special visit to local children’s hospital
UVA holds annual flag football tournament to remember teammate
Care for the Cure tourney expands with Kelsey Klassic
Ohio State Football Steals Notre Dame Lax Prospect
Sam Hubbard of Moeller High School in Cincinnati, OH verbally committed to Notre Dame to play lacrosse for Kevin Corrigan and company as a sophomore in high school. Now a senior, Sam was confronted in this the hallway by OSU football head coach Urban Meyer and cornerbacks coach, a Cincinnati football legend, Kerry Coombs. To his surprise the coaches were waiting for him, to prove that they wanted to commit to Hubbard if he would commit to them. Sam grew up dreaming of playing lacrosse for the Irish and once he visited campus, his mind was set.
Image Courtesy: Titanium Lacrosse
This all changed when the top coaches in the country started knocking. It didn’t even seem that he was considering playing college football until the Buckeyes came to see him at school. I see no problem with Sam changing his mind and wanting to play football at one of the most historic programs in the country. Rather, I continue to have a problem with eighth graders through sophomores making their decisions about college before they have fully developed.
I don’t like that lacrosse programs even entertain the idea of recruiting a player directly if he isn’t a junior yet. I love the Irish, don’t get me wrong, and the finger isn’t pointed at them. I just feel that it’s almost pointless to start putting your eggs in any team’s basket before you have grown enough to even play at the next level.
Matt Russell of Team STX was recruited by the top programs in the nation at a very young age, but when Matt didn’t grow to be a monster on the field, those teams retracted their interest. In this case, Russell had something to prove and committed to the Naval Academy and became one of the top goalies the NCAA has ever seen. I’m sure the pressures of developing and growing were not easy for him to deal with, it wasn’t his fault he wasn’t 6’2” 215 lbs. Yet, in Matt’s case the story ended positive, in most instances I don’t feel this is the case. We hear of 8th graders committing to colleges already, so much can happen in that 4-5 years that it’s insane.
I congratulate Sam for working his butt off to even be considered by the top football programs in the country, but I want to leave you with this. Hubbard was not the first lacrosse player who’s college plan didn’t pan out. His decision may have been for the better, that has yet to be determined, but just because you did or didn’t get recruited before your junior or senior season doesn’t mean ANYTHING!
If you work hard, keep the grades up, and can prove to a coach that you can be a valuable asset to his squad, why would they ever not give you a shot? In return, hundreds of recruits fizzle out, even at the beginning of their college careers because they were not what the coaches thought they would be. These athletes could have been entertaining other offers from smaller schools and could have been much more successful on the field.
D2, D3 and MCLA players are cracking roster spots in the MLL, NLL and LXM Pro, and these guys, for the most part, were not even looked at by D1 schools in high school. Some guys just bloom a little later than others. Sam Hubbard bloomed as a top football recruit toward the end of his high school career, and that drastically changed his future plans. Set your goals and keep them high, but don’t forget that life can change in an instant, always make sure to keep your doors open.
Epoch Shaft Contest Winner
Our friend Parker Nolan a.k.a. Beast 79 is taking home this week’s prize. He won a limited edition breast cancer awareness shaft, custom designed by Epoch Lacrosse. Always remember to keep checking the site, End Caps, and the Instagram page for new contests! Congratulations Sam, your story was very touching, read it here! I want to thank everyone who submitted their unique story to us, it was much appreciated!
Community
Hot topics this week include:
Important Note
If you’ve made it this far, hear this: We want End Caps to serve as a resource for you to catch up on what’s going on in the game. Feel free to post any videos, comments, pictures or stories here in the LAS Community, and we’ll use them for upcoming editions. Stay in shape this month, fat season is almost here (Thanksgiving through New Years)!
Now get out there and hit the wall!