July 12, 2007
by Paul Ohanian, Lacrosse Magazine Online Staff
Okay, so maybe they're not real games. But don't tell that to the 120 players gathered Thursday at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, for the first of four days of tryouts. Each is here for the same reason: to earn a spot on the Under-19 men's national team that will compete for the 2008 ILF World Championship next summer in Coquitlam, British Columbia.
To earn one of the 23 spots on the team, each player will have to do enough good things in the seven 50-minute scrimmages they will play to catch the eyes of the 24 members of the player selection committee.
Your high school credentials don't count.
Everybody starts with a blank slate - at least that's the goal.
"You really have to leave all preconceived notions in the parking lot," said veteran team selector Jack Moran, head coach at New York's Chaminade High School.
"We all know a lot of the kids, but you have to have a blank mind. We're here (as selectors) because the staff has faith in us."
The 24 selectors are divided into three groups. During each session, they are asked to evaluate a different position. One group ranks attackmen; one group does midfielders; the third focuses on defense. All three groups also evaluate goalies in addition to their assigned position. Then they rotate to a new position for the next session.
After each scrimmage, each selector turns in his player rankings, which are compiled by a computer program to establish a consensus summary of the top performers. The opinions of all selectors are treated as equal.
"We value everybody's opinion," said Selection Committee Chair Jake Reed. "But we want everybody's opinion to be his own. Be objective and be fair."
Everything Counts
During the initial players meeting Thursday, US Lacrosse's Men's Division Director Jody Martin reminded the players of one important factor: behavior counts. Selectors have been asked to include on-field demeanor as well as off-the-field behavior that they observe as part of their evaluations. Martin's goal is to avoid taking any potential problems to Canada.
"We're looking for 23 great athletes, but also top-quality character guys," he said. "There's no exception. We want class acts. Behavior counts."
On the Clock
Perhaps the best story of the tryouts' first day was the last player to arrive.
Will Donley of Pittsburgh woke up on Thursday morning in State College, Pa. The recent graduate of Pittsburgh's Central Catholic High School has already started taking classes at Penn State. Following a 10 a.m. doctor's visit for a routine physical, then a quick workout in the weight room, he planned to attend his speech class and communications classes.
Then his mother called at 11:30 with an urgent message.
Jake Reed had just called from Baltimore to invite Donley - one of the tryout alternates - to fill the 30th attackman's vacancy.
The late opening was a result of Chris Bocklet's (John Jay High School) injury during football practice Wednesday evening. He called Reed to withdraw from the tryouts Thursday morning.
Reed called Donley's mother at 10:55 a.m. to offer the invite. Mom called Will in State College. He accepted the offer.
There was just one more problem: He didn't have a car with him.
Enter big sister Emma, a junior at Penn State. At home on vacation, she agreed to drive from Pittsburgh to State College to get Will some wheels. She arrived at 2:45. He headed south just minutes later.
"It was basically 'hi and bye' to my sister," said Donley, who arrived at UMBC at 6:30 p.m. His team was already on the field warming up for its evening scrimmage.
Donley was handed his official jersey at 6:40, and was in the opening line-up for the 7 p.m. start. He contributed a second-half assist while also registering two shots on goal.
"It was a very up-and-down day," said Donley, who didn't even get his room keys until after the evening scrimmage. "But it was pretty exciting."
Representing the Little Guys
While some high schools along the East Coast have three and four players at the tryouts, there are entire states in the West that are represented by just one player. Utah's Mark Manning (Waterford High School) and Washington's Greg Mahony (Mercer Island High School), both midfielders, are two of those players.
"I don't mind being the only guy from my state," said Mahony, who registered 100 goals and 141 points in 2007. "It's exciting to be playing with the best players in the country and to see how I stack up against the best."
Manning, who scored a couple of goals Thursday with sharp backdoor cuts, doesn't feel any pressure. In fact, it's just the opposite.
"Nobody really expects much from a player from Utah," he said. "I just want to have some fun and maybe surprise some guys."
Stick Checks
One of the welcome surprises Thursday proved to be the weather, which turned much more moderate following three days of mid-90s temperatures in Baltimore earlier this week...The evening session featured low humidity and a pleasant breeze...Twenty-four referee candidates are also attending the tryouts and working the scrimmages in hopes of securing one of four available spots to represent the United States at next summer's world championship...Ohio State freshman midfielder James Green, one of three players with college experience, had an impressive first day, scoring three goals in two scrimmages...Friday's schedule calls for three games for each player.
