Some real characters in Lacrosse

Having spent over 30 years in lacrosse, I have run across some real characters or what I like to call “cowboys”. Over the next couple posts, I would like to give some “shout outs” to some of  these cowboys who I have crossed paths with over the years.  These guys and gals are truly genuine people who make the game fun. Big personalities who love to tell stories all night long.  One of the best things about playing this great game are relationships formed over the years with some very special people. It’s always fun to spend some quality time with them when we head up north. Lacrosse has always been a very tight knit community despite the tremendous growth of the game which makes it special.

My first character is Scott Booker Corrigan. The “Bookman” is a true gem in and around the  Baltimore lacrosse community. A product of the hard streets of Radnor, PA, Booker has coached high school ball in Richmond, Philly and Baltimore. Instead of going into the family profession of college athletics, the “Bookman” has forged his own path. Nobody really knows on what that path is but he has forged it. He is one of the truly entertaining guys I have been around over the years. More recently, he has been a lacrosse commentator for ESPN and Corrigan sports. His work can also be heard on the UA All-American Game broadcast every July. His play by play on the high school MIAA  Game of the Week is legendary. I have included a couple examples below.

Booker’s best call.  BL playoff win at McDonogh. Boys Latin big number 36 is Greg Pyke. Any Georgia Bulldog fan should recognize Greg.   He ended up being a  four-year starter at Georgia on the offensive line. He was a beast attackman for Boys Latin back in the day.

Thunder LB3 parents and players should recognize a bunch of laxers here. Some of these guys have migrated to the ATL. “Not up in here fat Jesus”

Nice work, Bookman!!!

Showcases/Prospect Days

I am a big fan of showcases and prospect days as long as they are done the right way.  No need to chase prospect days all over the country in lieu of missing valuable practice time. When done the right way, they become an added benefit which compliments our club tournament schedule. Anybody that thinks they can land at a school by substituting club tournaments for prospect days is foolish. Coach’s want to see your skills vs. the best players in the country in a super competitive environment.  The club tournaments we go too provide this. Our kids are competing against the best kids and clubs in the country.  Since prospect days are open to anybody, they can be watered down. The biggest advantage that a prospect day provides is the ability to be coached and evaluated by the current staff in a controlled environment.  Sometimes it helps, other times coach’s come back and say “no thanks”. I was talking to a current head coach last week who told me they had a kid out on campus that was rated very high. Two drills into the first session, the kid was dogging it and acted like he was “too cool for school”. They dropped the player from their list. When you go out to these prospect days, play hard, play fast, and always show respect for the game.

Side note- Any local prospect day that will have more than 5 D1 coaches is a must. No flights, no hotel expense and no lost bags. Everybody should be signed up for next weeks Inside Lacrosse Showcase and the 1-77 South event in Charlotte. Our Orange 20’s and 21’s will be at another great event at Towson U during the I-77 south event.  It’s also a great way to showcase Atlanta lacrosse.

 

Coach P

Great Grub on the Road in Philly

 

What a city!!!! The best food city in the country is ready for the Thunder LB3 laxers in November. Here is a list of good grub spots to hit when we head up to Philly. First of all, we need to understand the attitude of Philadelphia. I have spent alot of time in and around Philly over the years. It’s a gritty, tough place where their sports icon, Rocky, is a guy that never really existed. They love being the underdog and don’t really care what you think. It’s a pro sports town.  It’s also a place where everybody has a nickname. Once you get above the Mason- Dixon Line, nobody is called by their god given name.  You have guys walking around calling each other, “Joey Banana’s”, “Little Nicky”, “Fat Tony” “Stinky Pete”. If our kids lived in Philly, a couple nicknames might be:

Gerard Kane “Pork Chop”

Drew Pritts “Jersey Kenny”

Tate Harran “Knee High”

Brooks Baro “Chatty”

Alex Gekas “Tommy the Greek”

John Z- “Nine Lives Johnny”

Alex Haskins-“Roadkill”

 

My food recommendations are as follows:

Pats/ Geno’s- 1219 S 9th St, Philadelphia, PA 19147

Legendary steaks in south philly. No frills, cash only.  Be specific and be prepared for the order.  “One whiz with, one provolone without.” Or, you can keep it simple and order a matching pair of cheese steaks: “Two Americans with”. If you freeze up, shout out these three words, “Fly Eagles Fly”.  See above. A special shout out to the guy in full “bat man” attire playing the banjo.

Tony Luke’s 1250 Baltimore Pike, Springfield, PA 19064

Go with the Pork Sandwich hots broccoli rab and cheese. A sandwich with no nutritional value but voted best sandwich in the country.

Leo’s Steaks 1430 Chester Pike, Folcroft, PA

Home of the 18 incher. Enough said.

Fellinis Cafe of Media, 106 West Street, Media , PA –  South Philly

Italian food is a must in Philly. We will be so close to south philly, our group needs to  experience true Philadelphia food.  Either go to Fellinis or any Italian restaurant in South Philly which will be very close to our hotel. Highly recommended. Fellinis is BYOB. South Philly joints include Ralphs, Popi’s, Scannocchio’s, Mr Martino’s Trattoria. Any spot in South Philly should blow away any italian place in Atlanta. It’s just different.

 

Happy eating!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

Coach P’s picks for Great Grub on the Grind in Baltimore

Coach loves to find great eats. Being born and raised around Baltimore aka “Charm City” I know all the local spots.  Applebees, Outback, Red Robin are not bad spots but do not give our families a true flavor of the city or region. My recommendations will always be local haunts that have been tried and tested many times.

Sandwich Place on the Go-

Wine Merchant, 10741 Falls Rd, Lutherville, MD

Best sandwich spot in Baltimore. Close to Towson but also closed on Sundays. Go with the Ragin Cagin, The Bomber.

WAWA

WAWA Multiple locations.  Don’t be fooled by the gas pumps. WAWA is a great deli with a wide mix of subs, soups, breakfast items. Great spot for a quick gas stop for rental car and sub in between games or heading to airport.

Crab Cakes

Anyone coming into B’More needs to experience a crab cake. Depending on where the tournament is and where we are staying for the weekend, there are many options listed below:

G/M Lounge, 804 N Hammonds Ferry Road,   Linthicum Heights, Maryland 21090

Legendary spot near the BWI airport. Easy ride to Annapolis or Towson. Big crab cakes and local B’more culture. Double down on crab and get the crab cake platter with a bowl of Maryland crab soup.

Box Hill Pizzeria, 2915 Emmortan Rd, Abingdon, MD 21009

Close to the Cedar Lane, Carsons Run Complex outside Bel Air. Great spot, super busy so carryout is the play here.

Corner Stable, 9942 York Rd, Cockeysville, MD

Close to Towson. Small hole in wall spot with great crabcakes and ribs. Go with half a rack and crab cake. Gurr still says its the best place in Baltimore.

Good people watching spot after a long day on the fields

MaGerks, Steelfish Grill, Bel Air, MD

Bel Air stalwarts. Both spots have a nice patio scene with tv’s, cold refreshments and live music. Both haunts are in Coach P’s neighborhood so be careful throwing my name around. It’s hit or miss on the reaction from the locals.

Valley Inn- 1501 Falls Rd, Lutherville, MD

The patio is the place to be seen within the lacrosse community. Go back and shower first. Bring your “A” game. Recommended more for the ITP folks. Alot of popped collars, Vineyard Vines and Peter Millar. Just tell any local you either know Hilgy, Shrives or Jenny.  It’s your ticket to the cool club.

Green Turtle- Towson, MD

Great roof top deck owned by my man, Billy Packo. John Z is the play here. A true legend who has spent many hours with Billy P.

Bonus Pick

Towson Hot Bagel for a quick bagel sandwich. Two locations around Towson. Best bagel shop in Baltimore.

Happy Eating!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Embrace the Grind 2020’s

Here we go. Our 2020’s are about to start the 3rd quarter of the recruiting process. My suggestion is to embrace it. The fall November recruiting period has become  a very important evaluation period for college programs.  College coach’s will get to see our 20’s one last time before they dive head first into their college season.  I would anticipate a second wave of commits after November. With no urgency from the college coach’s, it’s a great chance to show improvement from the last summer tournament in late July. Get prepared now by training hard at Sunday practices, kicking some butt in the classroom and getting bigger, stronger, faster. PLAY WITH GREAT ENERGY and leave all the excuses in Atlanta.

Excuses that need to stay at home:

Weather is bad

Fields are in bad shape

My  flight is delayed

Delta lost my bag

I just played a  playoff football game Friday night

College Coach’s Do Not Care. Be ready, play hard and prepare now!!!!!!

You worked too hard. 

Gerard Kane-The Man, The Myth,The Legend

From time to time I run across a kid and a family who embody everything we preach at Thunder LB3 . “Embrace the grind, commit to getting better and play with energy unknown to mankind”  Gerard and family have been  “all in” since I met them at a Thunder tryout 4 years ago. A kid that that was out of shape but had great hands. A kid whose father overcame a significant health issue his sophomore year. A kid that shows up to everything we do and plays hard every minute of practice. A family who drives 60 minutes from playing three high school summer games to a Thunder practice later in the day over at UMBC.  A kid that spends countless hours in the warehouse working on shooting, dodging.  We all should stand up and applaud a kid like this while it gives guys like me great pride in what we do for kids.  Gerard Kane has earned his spot at Ohio State and we are so happy for his family. Great job, Gerard.

Still some movement in the 2019 class, be a well qualified student first

Having spent alot of time on the phone with college coach’s over the past week, there is alot of last minute movement with the 2019 class. Some early commits from three years ago needed to get a certain GPA or ACT score to secure their spot.  Kids also change their minds and others fall off. Time is running out with admissions so schools are reaching back out to club directors and players to find guys who are fully qualified academically. High ACT, SAT scores and AP courses can trump athletic ability this late in the game for rising seniors. Lesson for the younger kids should be get after it in school which will open many more doors by the time they become seniors. #bustthebooks