The 10K glove is Reebok’s most streamlined lacrosse glove so far.  They are noticeably smaller than the beefier 7K and 9K gloves that Reebok released in the last couple of years but they still manage to provide the same excellent protection.  I took a number of solid checks to the hands last weekend when I wore them for a whole tournament and barely felt a thing.  Reebok is definitely building something good.

Let’s get started with another installment…

The smaller profile of the 10k is a step up and I believe most people prefer a more compact glove instead of a bulky one.  It’s also noticeable in terms of how the gloves hug your hand, particularly on the backside.  At first, when I put the gloves on I almost thought I had received a 12″ pair of gloves instead of the 13″ gloves I actually got.

I checked and yup, 13″.

As I wore the gloves and they broke in a bit, the tightness disappeared and the gloves fit my hands snug but comfortably.

Chasing down a Dpole in the Reebok 10Ks.

They work just as well with a modern stick as they do with a woodie.

Once I used them for real in the Shootout, they felt like they had molded to my hands and I was very impressed with the feel.  Reebok went away from conventional practice and used leather palms on the gloves.  Goat leather to be precise.  However, this is not the same 1-piece leather palm of lacrosse days past.  Although I was a little concerned that the leather palms and the lack of ventilation holes would make the gloves really hot, I never felt like my hands were unusually sweaty even though the temperature was in the mid to high 80s.

The 3DGel allows for movement and max flexibility while providing protection.

Now, the leather palms are possibly the gloves’ highlight point.  The leather is thin, soft and seems really durable.  There is a thicker, more durable outer leather and a softer inner leather where your palms touch the stick.  It provides a great contact point with the stick and allows for a good feel very quickly after breaking them in initially.  The snug fit, combined with the leather palms, really does make it feel like you’re playing lacrosse without gloves on.

The other truly innovative feature is the wrist and lower forearm pads.  The wrist guard is very thin and floats nicely so it protects your wrist at all times but doesn’t get in the way of bending at the joint.  The lower forearm pads are split in a wider V and are made up of a 3 piece system, which overlaps enough to protect you but not so much that movement is at all limited.  The lower arm cuff is also removable for enhanced customization, which is perfect for the box game.  Nice that Reebok knows its customers may modify their product and responds to the need.

The only drawback is that custom orders aren’t available for teams outside of the NLL.  Reebok has said that until they can turn around custom orders in a matter of weeks and can do it seemlessly, they are going to focus on their product quality.  They have definitely done so here and the Reebok 10Ks are some of the best gloves I have ever tried out.  To make up for the no custom orders, Reebok is offering the gloves in almost every major color so the vast majority of the teams out there could still use them.

The gloves will retail for a Manufacturer’s Suggester Retail Price of around $175 and the only knock I have on them is that they can’t be customized at all.

For this effort, Reebok gets a nice 8.5 out of 10 (highest I’ve ranked a pair of gloves yet!) and until I find something better, and even for the price, the 10Ks are my new glove of choice.

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About the Author: Connor is a life-long lacrosse player who doesn’t know when to give up on the game. He played and coached at Wesleyan University and now plays for the Southampton LC in NYC. Connor lives with his fiance in Brooklyn and thanks her for allowing him to keep the dream alive.

Contact him at connor@lacrosseallstars.com.

This article is copyright © 2010 

Here’s an interesting fight that recently popped up on YouTube. These midgets (15 & 16 year olds) from the Calgary District Lacrosse Association are into it. Perfect age to learn how to fight, right?

Photo credit: Starnews.ca
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Got something that deserves to be seen? Drop us a line at info@lacrosseallstars.com

This article is copyright © 2010 

The Palm Beach Post is reporting that Florida lacrosse powerhouse St. Andrew’s has fired their longtime coach, Jeff Goldberg. Under Goldberg’s leadership, the Scots have won 14 of the last 16 Florida State titles.

Rumors are flying as to what the cause of this decision was, but St. Andrew’s has yet to release much information. According to the Palm Beach Post, “an FHSAA spokesperson said there were currently no complaints about compliance lodged against St. Andrew’s lacrosse.” St. Andrew’s is said to have a press release in the works that will hopefully shed more light on the situation.

Inside Lacrosse is also reporting on the issue, stating that “sources say it stemmed from a disagreement between Goldberg and some parents at the school regarding his coaching methods.”

Said one commenter on the Palm Beach Post article:

Perhaps it was a coaching style of winning at all costs, including blatant recruiting both locally and out of state, demanding local “scholarship” athletes to reside on campus so they could practice more, having students that attended the school since they were in kindergarten who played lacrosse for years not get a chance to play because of the recruited players showing up and getting the spots..the list goes on and on. Yes he did build a lacrosse machine and dynasty at St. Andrews but not with home grown talent and not on a level playing field. The program was good for him and got exposre for his athletes, it has not been good for the overall growth and development of the sport in Florida. St. Andrews is a wonderful school, but he was not a good ambassador for the school nor did his methods or philosphy match what the school stood for. I commend them for not letting a coach slide just beacuse they were winning year after year. Somtimes there are more important things than winning.

This type of comment does lead to the assumption that the whole ordeal is indeed a parent issue. But at this point, who knows. Not many outsiders have had a deep look at the St. Andrew’s program over the years, leaving very little knowledge on the table about the way the program has been run.

Said another followup commenter:

I was fortunate enough to listen to Coach Goldberg give kids and parents a speech at one of his camps. To paraphrase in my own words, he pretty much said that if you felt there was an issue with your playing time that you should look at yourself, not blame the coaches. He was dead on. I can’t say I have ever seen an angry parent who was realistic about their child. Most of the time the angry parents think their child is much better then they are. And somehow, coaches get blamed for that.

So, is Florida lacrosse doomed? Of course not. But this is big news and it’s definitely a tough loss for St. Andrew’s. If you have intel on the matter – or just a random conspiracy theory! – drop a line in the comments section and make your voice heard.

And finally, we’ll leave you with this comment:

My son didn’t score high enough on his SAT to get into the college we want him to go to. Can I get the english and math teachers fired for not doing a good enough job in teaching him so he would score higher?

Zing!

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UPDATE: LAS just received a copy of this official announcement from St. Andrew’s School. It paints a very different picture than the previous comments surrounding this news.

SAS Iconic Boys Lax Coach Moves On

Saint Andrew’s School has announced a change in the leadership of its Boys Varsity Lacrosse Program. The School and Head Coach Jeff Goldberg have mutually agreed to move forward separately allowing Coach Goldberg to pursue his interests more fully through his Premier Players Lacrosse Academy, which offers a multitude of services for young athletes and coaches to excel in lacrosse.

“My family and I are proud of what we have accomplished together with the many fine families and administration at Saint Andrew’s School the past 18 years,” stated Goldberg. “We thank Saint Andrew’s School community for the privilege of teaching and coaching outstanding students. I look forward with great enthusiasm to the next chapter of my lacrosse career.”

Saint Andrew’s School is pleased to name former Associate Head Coach RJ Dawson as its new interim Boys Lacrosse Head Coach and will open a national search for the 2011-2012 lacrosse program.

“I’m looking forward to leading the Scots this year,” stated Dawson. “I know that I have big shoes to fill. As a team, we will continue to strive for excellence. Our goals continue to be the same; win a state title and be recognized nationally as a top program. We will work to sustain the legacy created by Coach Goldberg.”

Athletic Director David Ahern agrees and is impressed.

“We welcome RJ Dawson with open arms to the Interim Head Boys Lacrosse Coach position,” stated Ahern. “He is a committed educator in Broward County and an outstanding gentleman who we think will continue the tradition of lacrosse excellence that Goldberg and his predecessors have helped to foster at our School.”

Meanwhile, Dawson has already personally reached out to many of the lacrosse players on campus and is looking forward to the spring Varsity Lacrosse season. He is also committed to Saint Andrew’s School’s rigorous game schedule and ongoing competition with nationally ranked high school teams. Being under the expert tutelage of Goldberg for the last two years has truly helped him prepare for this moment.

Dawson is a high school graduate of Northampton High School (MA) class of 1997, where he was a two time All-Western Massachusetts midfielder. Dawson attended Alfred University, where he received a Bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s degree in literacy education. He was named team captain, Offensive MVP, and received All Empire Eight honors while being a four year starter for the Saxons. Upon graduation, Dawson coached at Northampton (MA) for two years and served as the head coach for the western/central Massachusetts Bay State Games teams in 2001-2002. Prior to coming to Saint Andrew’s, Dawson coached four years at Pine Crest in Ft. Lauderdale. In 2008, he received the Boys Varsity Assistant Coach of the Year Award as recognized by the South Florida Chapter of U.S. Lacrosse. Dawson has also coached for the South Florida Select Lacrosse program and is the Assistant Director for the Face Off Club Lacrosse Camps and the Southern Combat Lacrosse Showcase. In 2010, he was named the Assistant Coach of the Year by the South Florida Chapter of U.S. Lacrosse.

Goldberg leaves Saint Andrew’s following a period of unprecedented success for the lacrosse program. The Saint Andrew’s School lacrosse program has ranked in the top 20 national teams for the last 3 years and earned recognition as the number one lacrosse program in the Southeast by LaxPower.com and InsideLacrosse.com. He has helped Saint Andrew’s develop an alumni collegiate network at some of the nation’s finest universities, including Yale, Johns Hopkins, Brown, Dartmouth, Virginia, and Notre Dame. Overall, the Saint Andrew’s School community is grateful to Goldberg and will always honor the legacy left by his work.

“Coach Goldberg’s departure from Saint Andrew’s School is a significant loss,” said Ahern. “Over the course of the last 18 years he led the program to numerous club and state titles and has built the team to a national standard, doing so with an emphasis on sportsmanship. However, even more importantly, Goldberg’s teams not only had significant success on the field, but his players also achieved outstanding success in the classroom.”

Dr. Ann Marie Krejcarek, School Headmaster, also recognizes Coach Goldberg’s renowned accomplishments.

“I extend my own deep appreciation to Jeff Goldberg for building a successful club program and then moving that club program into the realm of a recognized FHSAA High School state team,” stated Krejcarek. “I also must note the generous support of our athletic department, the Booster Club, and the parents who have all been a part of this program’s success. It has been a team effort, but we have been fortunate to have a legendary coach at the helm of our lacrosse program in Coach Goldberg. We wish Jeff the best of luck and success in his professional lacrosse endeavors.”

Happily, the Goldberg family will still be part of the Saint Andrew’s community with his wife Jennifer continuing to teach in the Lower School and his son Kade being a member of the class of 2020.

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Got something that deserves to be seen? Drop us a line at info@lacrosseallstars.com

This article is copyright © 2010 

Finally got to play some lacrosse last Sunday, after a nice getaway weekend in New Orleans.

Needed one of these

New Orleans was great – it was New Orleans. The Red Dress Run was going on, and for those who don’t know, imagine 10,000 people all dressed in red dresses (female and male), in a race.

Except this race is different. You start drinking at 9:00am, run down Bourbon street for pit stops, hop over the people who passed out, and try to make it back to the park where it started. VERY few people actually finish the race.

While I didn’t participate in the actual race (I didn’t want to get my dress dirty, of course), I was fortunate enough to catch a wedding and second line going on during the RDR. Video after the jump, mixed in with some footage of the indoor tourney.

After playing in the tourney for 20 minutes, a truth jumped up, slapped me across the face, and challenged me to a duel:

HOLY GAWD I’m out of shape. I was sucking more wind than a shop vac. It’s the day after the box tournament and I feel like I’ve been jumped. My body is attacking me with soreness, stiffness, and hatred.

Sweet LAS.com shirt

That’s embarrassing for two reasons: One, I was one of the younger people on our team (Team Old School). You always feel kind of awkward when the old guys are out-pacing you. Two, we only played two games yesterday.

After my miserable performance (only 2A’s on the day), I’m making a vow to get in shape.

BUT, my embarrassment aside, it was some of the most fun I’ve had playing lacrosse in a long, long time.

The tournament kicked off at Quick Stick Lax’s indoor facility on Saturday with 4 squads in attendance. No clue who won what games on Saturday, but the teams were:

- Mandeville Sharpshooters (Mandeville HS-heavy team)
- Quick Stick Lacrosse (Told you about them last time)
- Team Old School (Austin Speni’s team, which had a few old guys, myself, a couple guys from LSU, and I think a couple kids who just graduated HS – I didn’t ask how old they were)
- New Orleans Lax Club (group of post collegiates who happen to live in New Orleans and would care to lax on a frequent basis. Connor Wilson’s gigantic brother, Lehan, happens to play for these guys)

On Sunday, we snuck past the Mandeville Sharpshooters, largely because it was their goalie’s first day to ever play lacrosse. After standing tall through a couple of Austin Speni‘s shots, I have to give the kid some serious respect. I would’ve quit. Austin doesn’t rip ducks – he rips geese.

Then we lost to the New Orleans Lax Club in the Finals, who absolutely dominated transition. Lehan Wilson, Louis Lacour, and Philip Niddrie all put on a nice show.

Photo Time:

Had to buckle up Excalibur. Safety first.

Forgot to pack a dark jersey and had to buy this. NOT complaining

NOLC vs Team Quick Stick

Old School vs NOLC before the faceoff

Connor Wilson's gigantic brother, Lehan, playing for NOLC

Austin Speni moves the ball for Team Old School. He led the team in ridiculous outside shots. This guy doesn't rip ducks - he rips geese.

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In other news:

Russell Edgington, King of Mississippi

Russell Edgington got the nod for the best character on HBO’s True Blood after the other night’s performance. By far the best ending to an episode yet.

The box facility in Baton Rouge is under construction and ahead of schedule.

Dutchtown has it’s recruitment meeting scheduled for August 25th. It’ll be interesting to see if the team grows after one year, and by how much.

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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.

Questions? Want to contribute to the Lax All Stars Network? Hit us up at info@lacrosseallstars.com

This article is copyright © 2010 

We’re nice guys here at LAS, and we realized we have some pretty sweet stuff to giveaway these days. Here’s the deal…

Win the Limited Edition LAS Rocket Pops:

AND the Limited Edition 412 Shorts:

All you gotta do is SALUTE YOUR SHORTS!

We know there’s a good lookin’ pair or two of shorts out there. We’ve all been to more than one or two summer tourneys/leagues so we’re aware of the artistic lengths lacrosse players will go for amazing shorts. We just want to reward you for your effort and help expand your lax closet!

So, here’s the lowdown:

1) Tag yourself on your favorite item in the LAS Limited Edition Gear Facebook Album

2) Post a photo of your favorite (and sickest) shorts on the LAS’ bookface page

3) Get your friends to Like the living crap out of it on Facebook. Comments too.

The owner of the most liked/commented shorts gets free Rocket Pops AND 412 Shorts.  Pretty simple! The winner might also get some legit socks, but that depends on whether or not we can get to Bed, Bath & Beyond next weekend…

To give you an idea of the quality level we’re expecting, here’s a smorgasbord of shorts to get your head spinning:

Of course it’s up to you to get the most likes on Facebook so who knows who will win… ROCKET POPS!

Go forth, upload thy trousers!

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Got something that deserves to be seen? Drop us a line at info@lacrosseallstars.com

GET YOUR ROCKET POPS HERE!

This article is copyright © 2010 

People are already talking about the 2014 US Men’s National Lacrosse team.  The announcers brought it up while the championship game between the US and Canada was still going on and IL dropped their lists this past week.  LAS’ superblogger, 412 Lax, briefly excoriated them for their actions and then provided a little of his perspective, so I guess the topic is fair game.  I’m diving into this ridiculous pool.  It looks fun.

Let me preface this preposterous post with the following disclaimer: I have little to no idea what I’m talking about.

Team USA 2010

Paul Rabil will still be on the team and he will still produce like the monster he is. Max Seibald will be twice as good and still freakishly athletic.  Kyle Dixon will be nowhere to be found.  There won’t be a Powell on the team for the first time since 1994.  Ryan Boyle will probably still be tearing it up but I don’t know about Drew Westervelt and Brendan Mundorf.  They’re maybes for me right now but a lot can happen in 4 years and maybe they’ll still be among the best.  Ned Crotty, on the other hand, will be the best player on the planet and he’ll be running the show.

Matt Danowski will be the second best (or best. who knows?) and he will have to be on the team.  Dino and Crotty will tear the rest of the world up. Count it.  Mike Leveille will still be around and will score a crazy amount of goals if he’s on the field with the Dukies just like Greer did back in Durham, but his brother Kevin (who was an alternate in 2010) will really be pushing it in his early 30s.

Alex Smith will still be eating up the X if he can keep at it but there will be others in 4 years.  A guy like Mike Cama out of CW Post could put in the effort and beat out Smith.  With a specialized position like that, the chance to be dethroned comes anew almost every year.  The D will be extremely different as a lot of these guys are peaking right now.  Joe Cinosky is the youngest and he has the potential to become the best American defender in the game, but for now that is just a big if.

Seilbald will be back. Bigger, faster, stronger.

There are a number of truly excellent poles that have graduated in the last few years and I expect to see a complete overhaul with a couple “veterans” and a couple younger guys.  More than anything, the D is selected according to coaching style but guys like Joel White, Ryan Flanagan, Brian Farrell and Ken Clausen will probably be in the mix.  Current MLL players like Matt Bocklet, Ricky Pages and Parker McKee will also be favorites if their play keeps evolving as it has.

I really think Scott Rodgers will be the US goalie for the next 2 FIL World Championships.  Jesse Schwartzman would also be a solid choice in net for 2014 as he can really lead a defense and force everyone to play his team’s game, which is invaluable.  He’s also a really good shot stopper and loves the long transition outlet pass.  He’s exciting although maybe a bit too risky for the typical Team USA coach.  Of course, Doc could also decided to suit up again and then they’ll just go with him.  Rodgers is capable of big things though, especially on the international scene.

Now if you don’t pick a darkhorse, then you are taking yourself way too seriously so… My darkhorse is Stephen Berger.  Sure he played D3 ball at WAC, sure he’ll be a bit older, as he graduated way back in 2004 but this guy LOVES lax.  If he keeps progressing skill-wise as he has, he won’t need to be that athletic.  The good news here is that Berger also happens to be really athletic. Top it off with the fact that he is a really hard worker.  No one tweets about going for runs more than him.  Science.  Well, that’s why he’s my then-to-be 32 year old darkhorse.  Heard it hear first.

Photo credits: John Strohsacker, US Lacrosse/LaxPhotos.com

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About the Author: Connor is a life-long lacrosse player who doesn’t know when to give up on the game. He played and coached at Wesleyan University and now plays for the Southampton LC in NYC. Connor lives with his fiance in Brooklyn and thanks her for allowing him to keep the dream alive.

Contact him at connor@lacrosseallstars.com.

Did you get your Rocket Pops yet? No?! There’s still time – Do it here.

This article is copyright © 2010 

While in Tahoe, our Woozley boy Spencer AKA “Skittles” of West Linn, OR fame (& a Ryan Craven protégé) was cooking up the sickest top string job we’ve seen in years. Daniel Shields would be proud.

He imported a whole bag of tricks to make sure it turned out just right:

Here’s the close-up:

Clean. Colorful… Woozley. What do you guys think?

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Do you string, dye heads and always look the filthiest on the field? You know where to find us.

This article is copyright © 2010 

We took a day trip to Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, CT last Wednesday to check out the Showtime Lacrosse Recruiting Camp. Presented by Maverik, Showtime is an invitation only high school camp showcasing the top 160 rising sophomores and rising juniors in North America.

The camp featured players from states throughout the Northeast, Illinois, Kentucky, South Carolina Florida, Minnesota, Texas, Nevada, California, Oregon and Canada.

We watched 8 short games in the afternoon followed by the All-Star Game featuring the Top 48 players at the camp (video highlights coming soon). Here are few quick observations from throughout the day:

Biggest on-field amusement: Neon shorts, neon shirts, neon shorts… That’s one way to get noticed!

Most memorable sideline banter: Coach Ric Beardsley‘s constant jawing

Proud LAS moment: Seeing Peter Tumbas of 412 Lax rock the coaches box (note: he’s got his flow back)

Parental sideline yelp of the day: “Get up honey!!!”

Best helmets: Darien’s clean, clean, clean silver domes with blue mohawks

Two attackmen who stood out:
#99 Mitchel Rupp (Victor Central, NY)
#91 Case Matheis (Darien, CT)

Two d-poles who stood out:
#134 Matt O’Keefe (Duxbury, MA)
#163 Marc Patrrone (Aquinas Institute, NY)

Something no one noticed: #11 GOALIE Dave Moore (Lake Mary, FL) shooting during warmups. I lost count of how many times he hit top corner.

A few photos from the day:

#67 Ian Seale (The Woodlands, TX) defends #44 David Kalin (Summit, NJ)

#44 Kalin charges toward #15 Erich Wischmeyer (Aguinas Institute, NY) in goal

#169 Brian Porter (Chaminade, NY)clears against #113 Quinn Moroney (Manhasset, NY)

#105 Max Skibber (Episcopal – Houston, TX) puts one in the net

#9 Thomas Branca (John Jay, NY) in goal

#93 Sean Connors (Deerfield Academy, NY) takes a rip

#17 Jeff Garinger (Montgomery, NJ) hustles down field

#48 Ryan Bohrod (Westfield, NJ) goes up against #70 Alex Moeser (Greenwich, CT)

#48 Ryan Bohrod (Westfield, NJ) takes a rip

#17 Jeff Garinger (Montgomery, NJ) jukes his man

#106 Paul Hellar (Duxbury, MA) drives toward #5 Ryan Purcell (MacArthur Levittown, NY) in goal

#59 Gunnar Miller (Irondequoit, NY) drives to the cage

#67 Ian Seale (The Woodlands, TX) clears the ball

#28 Justin Picardi (Niskayuna, NY) flies down field

#144 Andrew Cordes (Irondequoit, NY) throws a check on #102 Frank Fusco (Yorktown, NY)

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Want to contribute to the LAS Network? Drop us a line at info@lacrosseallstars.com

Learn more about the Rocket Pops HERE.

This article is copyright © 2010 

Editor’s Note: This is Jordan West-Pratt’s 3rd entry on LAS covering the World Games in Manchester, England. LAS fans and readers, thanks for the support and comments on the writing I have done so far, I appreciate all the feedback! As most of you are already aware, Germany has been bumped up into the Blue division alongside Canada, the USA, Australia, Japan and England. Obviously this is a direct result of the travel obstacles faced by the Iroquois, and as a team we have all shared our disappointment at starting the tournament without the Iroquois contingent. Naturally, no team, or competitor hopes to advance this way, but we are planning on showing our respect through hard work and a strong competitive spirit.

Germany ready to do work. Note the Lacrossethenations.com Tshirts. Germany is a young program relatively speaking but they are ALREADY helping spead the game further. PROPS!!!

After I wrote my last entry we received word that the Iroquois Nationals would not arrive on time, and we were offered an exhibition match against England in the tournament’s opening game. We were all obviously thrilled. Many of the vets on the team have had exhibition scrimmages against England Australia and Canada, but never in the tournament opener and never in front of such a big crowd.

The German Captain getting ready for some practice.

We spent the day going about our regular schedule, breakfast, controlled scrimmage against Suisse, lunch and then prep for the opening ceremony, and the exhibition game. We met in front of our dorm, and realized we were the only team carrying bags, the importance of that moment for us was huge, we would be playing in front of what we believed would be the biggest crowd we would see all week. We dropped off our gear and lined up alongside many of the other teams. Paul Rabil was caught snapping a photo of us in our slick white team gear and that was enough to put a smile on our faces. We followed that with a group shot with the mascot. All fun, light, relaxed.

A little scrimmage action with the Swiss is always good for a warm up.

Then coach called us out of the line up and had us meet away from the crowd. “Good news, bad news.” I remember him saying. We would be given the chance to play the tournament in the blue division; we would be playing a regulation game tonight and not an exhibition. It meant we would not be able to run our alternates, and this hurt us all a little, but we were still overcome with joy. Smiles, hugs, high fives; unchecked youthful excitement. The immediate realization that we would face the US and Canada follwed, and then the phone calls to friends and family back home.

Who has two thumbs and is excited? THIS GUY!

We had 2 hours to shift gears from exhibition mode, and get set for the first Blue-division game ever played by a team from continental Europe. We would make a bit of lacrosse history tonight. We played the English side strong for the first 40, down only 5-2 at half. A sluggish start to the third saw us give up 5, before we regained form and played a 1-2 fourth quarter, losing 12-3 (As I remember at leaat; this may require revision!). We all feel good about what we put on the field, but more importantly, we all feel we could have done better. No player is satisfied, no player feels lucky to have been here. We all want better for the team, and for German Lacrosse.

Celebrating the first goal in German Blue Division history! WOOHOO!

I spoke to a few of the guys afterwards to gain some perspective… I asked Hendrik Dubois (#45, Captain), “What does it feel like to be participating in the blue division?”

“I believe this is an amazing chance for us to show what we have accomplished not only with the national team, but in Germany as a whole. We have some good players, we will take this opportunity and give it all we’ve got.”

Matt Althauser (# 71, scored the first German goal of the tournament) had this to say:

“Amazing. German Lacrosse has come a long way just over the last few years and it is a great opportunity for the sport going forward in Germany. We are all excited for the chance to show how far the sport has come and to represent Germany at the highest level.”

What are you looking forward to most about matching up against Canada and the US?

“It will be a once in a lifetime opportunity to play the best players in the game today. Having watched most of them in games on TV and on the Internet, taking the same filed will be a memory not a lot of players get.” (DuBois)

Mustafa Eroglu (#16) added that this was basically, “My dream come true!”

For all of us it is a great challenge to match up with the best in the world when it counts. One day we hope that German Lacrosse will be considered among the best and getting these games is a giant step in that direction. (Althauser)

What does this opportunity mean for German Lacrosse?

“It means the world to us as players and for the whole lacrosse community back home. Showing people what is possible and how far you can get if you work hard and play as a team. I am truly proud to wear our jersey and represent my teammates who are watching us on the Internet, playing alongside the best in the world” (Dubois)

This is the reward of a good and long work in Germany. The lacrosse world knows that Germany is ready for the biggest competition. (Eroglu)

I think our reaction to the announcement when we heard it showed best what it means to us. We were shocked and couldn’t stop smiling, hugging and high fiving. For guys that get to play at that level who have only played in Germany is the opportunity of a life time that they will no doubt take advantage of it. Maybe more importantly, they can take this back to Germany and use it to improve the game back home. (Althauser)

We have a day of practice tomorrow, and then we face a strong Japanese team. We have to think that it is a must win game. We have been given an opportunity to sit at the table, and we have to prove that we belong.

Solid front like for the Germans with Lazarus, West-Pratt and Dubois out there.

Whatever follows in the next few days, all of us will have lived a dream; we will have played on the biggest stage against the biggest names. As coach Bergersen told us today, “If you want to measure yourself, these are the teams to measure yourself against.”

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Want to contribute to LAS? email us at info@lacrosseallstars.com and we’ll get to work!!!

This article is copyright © 2010 

They’re coming…

Yes, the Lax All Stars ROCKET POPS are ready for production. And soon, very soon, we’ll be sending out notice to our loyal readers, giving them a one-time only chance to purchase these juicy Limited Edition Maverik Maybachs.

We’re always open to adding new readers to list. SIGN UP HERE if you want in. Every month or so we make sure it’s worth your while.

Prepare yourselves for an extraordinary glove experience.

We won’t settle for less, and you shouldn’t either.

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Do you love this game? Drop us a line at info@lacrosseallstars.com and introduce yourself.

This article is copyright © 2010