With Christmas right around the corner, Quint Kessenich gives us an inside look into his gift list this holiday season. Santa Quint is looking to spread some joy to the lacrosse community as the snow begins to hit the ground.
For Coaches – A Jon Gordon authored book under your tree
Premier Lacrosse League – May the summer of 2023 be a box office blitz
Paul Carcaterra – A left hand
Young Players – A new stick
Old Players – A vintage wooden stick under your tree
Anish Shroff – A new pair of weight lifting gloves
Lacrosse Fans – ESPN+ for hundreds of lacrosse games
Referee Hans Wittelsberger – Sunscreen
Michigan – An NCAA playoff appearance
Johns Hopkins – A winning season and a proper Senior Day sendoff
Syracuse – Diapers and a return to Championship Weekend
Paul Gait – Prayers
Chris Cotter – Squat magic, a head harness, and ViPR tubes.
Ryan Boyle – A gift certificate to L’Artusi and a new multicolored tele-strator pen
Goalies – May all your pipe shots ricochet out of the goal
Fans – High scoring, one-goal games decided in overtime
Parents – For your young players to come home safely and happy
Andy Shay – A gift card to Modern Pizza
Lars Tiffany – His Christmas gift arrived earlier this month
Club Teams – New jerseys with large font and identifiable numbers
Bob Shriver and Leif Elsmo – Inductions into the US Lacrosse Hall of Fame
Maryland – A clean slate
Penn State – A cure for the injury bug
John Danowski – A newly discovered Allman Brothers Band album from the 1970’s
Parents – A year without screaming “wheels” and cheering for Mom goals
Kevin Warne – A winning season for the NY Jets
College Fans – Temperate weather in February
College Players – The wisdom to make smart choices off the field
High School Players – The work ethic to hit the wall
Jacksonville – A breakthrough in May
Realignment – A road map
Women’s College Lacrosse – A title game in 2023 half as compelling as the epic 2022 version between UNC and BC
PLL Atlas – Sam Handley No.1 overall
PLL Redwoods – Connor Shellenberger No.2 overall
Ty Xanders – Tickets to the Sugar Bowl and Alka Seltzer
Lyle Thompson – The energy and faith to keep marching forward and throw in a stronger supporting cast on the Cannons
Defenders Guarding Michael Sowers – Ankle tape
Andy Towers – Soap to wash his dirty mouth
Notre Dame – A National Championship
Penn – A second midfield
NCAA Tournament Selection Committee – Modern analytics
Players – A mouthpiece and cup that you actually don’t despise
Hampton – An earth shattering upset
Delaware – Maturity to navigate high expectations
Cornell – Syracuse back on the schedule
Ohio State – A PLL summer event in 2023 to christen the new lacrosse-only stadium as the Mecca of Midwest lacrosse
Athletes Unlimited – Better television time-slots
Georgetown – A deeper roster
Women’s Lacrosse – Fewer whistles
Youth Lacrosse – Events categorized by age until 10th grade
Duke – a goalie
Premier Lacrosse League Fans – A behind the scenes PLL reality TV show
Charlotte North – Lots of eager players at her clinics
Too Many D1 Rosters – The addition of diversity
US Lacrosse – Robust attendance at the annual January Baltimore Convention
Young Baseball Players – The courage to drop your glove and pick up a lacrosse stick
NLL – Fans through the turnstiles, a boost in transition…less substituting and smaller pads for the goalies.
For New Head Coaches Justin Turri, Bob Benson, Ryan Danehy, Drew Kelleher, Eric Wolf, Brad Ross, John Odierna and Jordan Levine – A potpourri of gifts including listening skills, solutions not problems, networking ability, having fun, and staying true to your identity.
Mark Dixon – Pickleball wrist bands and a new prescription for his Big Ten colored glasses
Myself – A new tie from the BL lost-and-found, gratitude and a slice of humble pie.
Happy Holidays,
Q
