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Cajun’s Corner – Looking Forward

I’ve had no practice or games for a week and a half now. I drove by the LSU lacrosse field last night, only to see two empty goals. Depression is setting in.

LSU's empty field depresses me

It’s getting freakin hot down here.  Some of you are probably jealous. I won’t lie – I hate the cold. Really happy about this change.

Our season came to a close on a very high note. Like I said in my last post, our team can lose a game and still have more fun than the other team. That’s what club lax is all about right?

We opened our season with a scrimmage against Jesuit New Orleans on January 23rd. In our first ever competitive match, we lost 24-1, thanks to their mercy when they stopped shooting.

It was easily the sloppiest lacrosse game in the history of the sport but with 23 kids who’ve never played before to expect anything more is silly. We ended our season with Jesuit New Orleans, played as hard as we could, and lost 14-0. Take it as you will, that’s an improvement.

Our guys were fired up going into that game, and we left as happy as the first day of practice. I think all of our guys realized how big of an accomplishment it was just to have a team, let alone win 4 of our 9 games.

But the accomplishments didn’t cease with that game. Daniel Adler, senior middie, was recruited to play D3 lax in Mississippi, and was named All-State.

Matt Alexis, senior goalie, was recruited to lax in Georgia. Nick Madere, senior defense, was given All District honors after an error in voting was corrected. I couldn’t be more satisfied if I tried to be. The list has since been changed, but check out the league site for the full All State/District list.

Nick Madere - Defense All District
Daniel Adler - All State, Mississippi bound
Matt Alexis - Goalie, Georgia Bound

While you’re browsing the site, you might take notice of some other things. Like the fact that Richie Meade and the Naval Academy are coming down to LSU in June to conduct a four day middle school and high school camp.

Yeah, you may want to read that a couple times just to make sure you read it correctly.

NCAA D1 is coming to visit Louisiana for a few days. Or you may also see more teams are sprouting up in Biloxi, Mississippi. Of course, both of these are big for the growth of the sport in our region.

To be completely honest, Coach Meade was down in New Orleans a few months ago for a coaches’ conference. While he said that right now there is limited to no prospects for D1 lacrosse in our area, the potential for the sport mixed with the athleticism of people down here could make for a deadly combination.

If he continues his camp down here, or even better – if more schools host camps in our area, I’ll bet that in 5-7 years when those middle schoolers become seniors, recruiters will be all over them. Just my crystal ball guess, though.

Athletes in the south are just freaks. And I’m not trying to discredit athletes anywhere else at all – don’t get me wrong. My mission isn’t to say that the South’s athletes are better than yours. I’m saying that from my experience, the south’s athletes are freaks. Period.

An average high school athlete down here is tall, strong, fast, and coordinated. Considering lacrosse is during football’s off season, I’m still baffled as to how it’s not in every single school. Granted, it’s been rapidly growing here, but I’m impatient.

I know that this sport should be bigger than it really is in Louisiana, and every now and then I get frustrated at the thought that there are people in schools that have no clue what lacrosse is all about. Check this old article out that I found. Made my day.

It’s true. If you haven’t heard by now, I freaking love lacrosse.

My girlfriend is pointing out that I’m linking everything in my life back to lacrosse somehow. Even bizarre things that make no sense.

The other day I was watching “I Love You, Man” with Paul Rudd. SPOILER: the drama in the movie begins when his buddy asks him why he plans on marrying his girlfriend, and he couldn’t find the answer.

Last night, I was lying awake in bed when I thought “Man, I just freaking love lacrosse…But why? Is it the contact? The speed? The intensity? The cool shorts? The flow? What is it about this sport that’s so magical?”

After searching for an answer and coming up empty handed, I came to the appropriate response.

“Everyone loves it for different reasons. There’s no right answer to ‘why do you love lacrosse.’ So who cares? I love it. It’s my passion. It’s changed my life. It’s changing people around me. I don’t need a reason. I just need lax.”

Some absolutely beautiful lacrosse news looming in the future:
Playoff weekend! High School semi-finals, championship game, and All Star game are all this weekend. SO PUMPED. Pictures will obviously follow.

Also, in my very first article, I mentioned the importance of food, and crawfish boils. Our club is hosting it’s first annual banquet, which is actually just a crawfish boil.

Please don’t get thoughts of five course meals in your heads – that’s not how we roll. We pinch the tails, and suck the heads.

This video makes me hungry. Here’s some lagniappe for y’all:

[fvplayer src=”https://youtube.com/watch?v=gJLKCg1BjUI” splash=”https://i.ytimg.com/vi/gJLKCg1BjUI/hqdefault.jpg” caption=”How to Crawfish boil with a cajun”]

Boudin balls from Tony’s Seafood – straight up one of the best things you’ll ever eat. Ever.

Also looming in the future is an interview with Centenary College’s head coach. It’s a smaller school in northwest Louisiana. They’re an MCLA D2 club, but for how much longer…….?

Box Frickin Lacrosse:

Tthe indoor soccer and lacrosse facility is really happening. Set to open November 1st, we’re coordinating with the owner to form the LILL – Louisiana Indoor Lacrosse League.

We’re hoping to have a Thanksgiving or Christmas tournament, too.  You can track the progress of construction on their facebook group, located here. Eventually, when I get plenty of juicy, juicy details, I’ll do a full Cajun’s Corner on it.

Lastly, we’re hosting a 100% free lacrosse clinic open to the public in late May. Should be fun to get sticks in random peoples’ hands and watch their excitement for the sport take off.

Here’s some wonderful professional pics of our big upset game, done by the best sports photographer in state – Barry Spears. DIG IT . Mad shout out to Barry for being there at our games, snapping these shots, editing them, and then hosting them!

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About the author: Knox is a 24 year old High School Head Coach in a small area east of Baton Rouge. He played High School ball for four years, and college ball for about 1 week until he realized his collegiate priorities rested with more important things like partying and eventually trying to get his grades up. He enjoys things that most Louisiana people do – eating boiled crawfish and alligator, a cold Abita Amber, anything LSU, his dog, and his beautiful girlfriend, Audrey. Lacrosse is not listed because most Louisiana people have no idea what lacrosse is.

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