Fish out of water No. 2: Keeping your head up

June 24th, 2008 by Joel Derechinsky

A lacrosse season is always difficult yet always the same. Almost every player comes to that first day of practice so ready for lacrosse to begin but each season ends in a big sigh of relief. A season can take a grueling toll on the players and the coaches. Each season comes with its ups and downs which affect everyone in different ways. The downs are mostly the losses the team goes through during the year which can be very detrimental to the team as a whole.

Although I have only been here for a few weeks, the Jr. Raiders are halfway through the schedule and without a win. Players begin to get down on each other picking out the mistakes in one another’s game, the coaches begin to scratch their heads but one things still remains the same: we are still a team together.

In Canada, being on a lacrosse team brings with it a sense of pride, pride for your team, pride for your teammates, yourself, and your country. The team is your family. On and off the floor, the team stays together like a family. If one player is getting roughed up after the whistle, slammed into the boards with a stick up to his neck, there are two or three other players rushing in to help, no matter what. Players always stand up for each other. Each and every one is joined by lacrosse and all fighting for the same thing. This can be difficult to remember when the team has not yet won a game.

From what I can pick up and what I have been there for, it has been a rough season so far. With six losses and two ties on the year, the team is desperate for a win. Three losses have come by one goal, and both ties should have been wins. But with the Edmonton Eclipse - ranked ninth in the country - coming up in a couple weeks, we need to focus for this big game. It is important we keep our heads screwed on and focused on the task at hand. It can be difficult to do this with that big goose egg in the win column.

As for me, I am just trying to focus on learning as much as I can about this game. Every practice and every game I play in I learn new things and the more I feel comfortable playing in the box.

During a season like this, the team must stay positive. It is important to remember we are a team and are all in the same boat. A losing season can be a very long one but with eight games still left to be played, there is still a long road ahead of us. The fact that my team is losing is not going to ruin my summer. Win or lose I am going to enjoy my time up here taking in everything about this game.

Joel is playing for the Calgary Jr. A Raiders. He grew up in Annapolis, Md., playing lacrosse at Annapolis Area Christian School. He is going into his third year at Gordon College playing under Paul Richardson.

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