Highlander Lacrosse - 2001 Season Wrap-Up
by Tim Donovan

The Highlander Lacrosse brought out a lot of kids from the area. Pictured here are some of the players and coaches. About 18 players and 3 coaches are missing.

Few players wanted this Highlander Lacrosse season to end. In camps, summer leagues and playing with friends, they continue to relive their season. In record numbers, with strong parental support, some wins and losses, new skills, confidence and a lot of fun, the Philipstown Recreation Department’s youth Lacrosse program has become a vibrant local youth program - and a positive part of our young players lives.

Credit the culture of Lacrosse, the standards of the 3 coaches per team, plus the players and parents for the way the program has developed. The game is fun and everyone plays. In most youth sports a few "all stars" can carry a team, this is rarely if ever true with Lacrosse, our players know these two important slogans- "there is no I in team", and "don’t panic". There is a place for every type of youth to feel a mastery of our game. By putting to use whatever natural gifts they have been granted - and then practice on their own in the park or at home, our program has many examples of kids making themselves players.

Jamborees - The program saw many firsts this year. It was the first year our three teams (grades 3&4th, 5&6th,7&8th) participated in Hudson Valley Youth Lacrosse Jamborees. Youth Jamborees are traditional in Lacrosse and held near the season’s end. Jamborees give teams 4 or 5 shortened games in one day and have 20 or 30 teams playing on rotating, adjacent fields. In Youth Lacrosse, the season ends without standings, and Jamborees are played for the competition and culture, not a trophy. Jamborees are an excellent way to truly see how you compare against other youth programs without the downside of meaningless standings. The Jamborees were generously sponsored this year by Garrison Woods, Liardi Construction and of course by the ever faithful Philipstown Recreation Department.

Coaching Standards All Recreation coaches agree to abide by the high standards of Recreation Department Coaching. In addition to that, USLacrosse wants its member programs to deploy the coaching standards of the new national amateur athletic program " Positive Coaching Alliance". Key standards among these are Honor of; the game, teammates, coaches and your competitors. All nine of our coaches and nearly 70 players on our three teams were introduced to these standards this year. The standards are being deployed through all US Lacrosse youth programs.

ARMY Lacrosse Coach at our closing ceremony we were treated to the thoughts and comments by Jack Emmer, Head Lacrosse Coach of ARMY Lacrosse at the US Military Academy at West Point and the newly selected US World Team Head Coach. Jack Emmer is a respected leader in our game and has been a cultural force for positive coaching for many years. In his presentation, Jack used a story of eagles and chickens to show that efforts pay off if a young bird believes in themselves and not what others say they can do. Jack also spoke on the virtues of good academics, Lacrosse teamwork and Lacrosse as an aid to college entrance. He also gave a glimpse into some of his plans for the US World Team. While local graduation festivities cut into our crowd, Coach Emmer crystallized for parents, players and coaches what our efforts mean over the long run. Thank you Coach Emmer.

Team Reports

3&4th Grade - Team Mgr, Christine Dain; Coaches Chun Lai, John Benjamin, Tim Donovan.

A blend between new and experienced players provided the excitement and stability needed to advance this team’s efforts. We played 11 games and came away with more wins than losses. We had a couple of one-goal games and were on both ends of a few high scoring games. Whatever the outcome, by season’s end the coaches and lads felt they were coming together.

Our the newest players got to feel some mastery and got acclimated to the fast-paced but controlled action. Most players either scored a goal or had gotten an assist. Every player contributed by scooping ground balls, making key defensive plays or helping to confuse the opposition with on-field motion. An example of the teams we played are; Brewster, Mahopac, Yorktown, Lakeland, White Plains, Chappaqua.

First mention is to our goalies; Stephan Carlson and Dakota Kannenberg both of whom played a spirited and aggressive goal keeper. New players were: Chase Bunning, James Dain, Mike Finnegan, Brendan Barber, Ian Groombridge, Matthew Lewis, Teddy Smith, Sebastian Berner, Conor McCann, Tommy Desmarais, Monu Das. This was a great learning experience for them and we look forward to sharing this next year. The veteran players put most of the points on the board, won most of the face-offs and helped show our new players the ropes. The veterans were; Dakota Kannenberg, Willie Benjamin, Patrick Emmer, Simon Lai, Stephan Carlson, Brian Levine, and Domenic Pidala.

Thanks goes to our fine coaches; Chun Lai and John Benjamin and to Christine Dain for managing the menagerie. The players had fun and that is why we play. It is anticipated that next year that Bob Freeman will be the head coach of the 3&4th Grade team.

5&6th Grade - Team Mgr. Charlie Szevin; Coaches Rick Mekeel, Charlie Szevin, Tony Haskell.

Regular readers of the PCN&R have read of this team’s exploits throughout the season. What you may not know is that every player scored at least one goal and a few players scored many times in each game. More dramatic were the ground ball, face-off and assist totals which were a such a dominant feature of this team. In practice or during games, this team’s enthusiasm was only matched by its outstanding play and for the support the players gave one another. Head Coach Rick Mekeel has had high praise for his players, parents and for his first year assistant coaches Charlie Szevin and Tony Haskell. These kids were organized, focused and good citizens in their games. Rick and his crew did a fine job. With just one loss all season, this Highlanders Lacrosse team was entered into the toughest Jamboree bracket by the Jamboree director at the last minute. This made it difficult for all of their players to attend. Suffice to say that the first year experience was a learning one for this team as well, but one that prepares the lads well for next year. Leading off again with the goalies we had; Wyatt Pierson and Brian Mekeel sharing duty. Defense was anchored by John Szevin, Jeff Lacko and Paul Richter. In no particilar order here is the list of Middies and Attack: Chad Nelson, William Haskell, Robbie Finnegan, Adam Beard, Adam Rohan, Geoff Rohan,Terry Dikeman, Willie Bartow, Will Stafford, John Lilburne, Fred Williams, Alex D’Orchmont, Josh Brooks, Tom Szevin, Zach Parkin.

7&8TH Grade - Team Manager Kay Corkrum, Head Coach Bob Freeman, Ass’t Coaches Thad Cook, Frank Fusco

With new uniforms generously sponsored this year by Tom Pasquasie and Thad Cook, most of these 8th graders began their local Lacrosse journey 4 years ago with Bob Freeman as their head coach, and Thad Cook skipping his competitive sailboat racing to assist Bob. This year Frank Fusco stepped up as their defensive coaching specialist and added a new dimension to the group.

Seeing improvement over four years in anything is a great feeling, and this group typifies that feeling. At one point in its lifecycle this team (like all of our teams) was barely competitive. The Native American meaning of Lacrosse "little brother of war" was literal in our early years, scraping by with just one victory per season. Playing against some of the best Lacrosse programs in the nation, this new sport in Philipstown had a steep learning curve. In the hurly burly of competition it was easy for our kids to break a Cardinal rule and panic. But that is behind us now, panic is a way of the past and practice is the way of the future..

Like the Flight of the Earls, these players will leave our program now fully baked. The have mastered a sport and in many instances are ready to face the rigors of any High School and then perhaps a College Lacrosse program. We credit these coaches, the players and their parents for not quitting and seeing this effort through. Last year this group was 1-9. This year they were 9-1 (and played very well in the Jamboree). The reasons coaches exist is to demonstrate the possible and in our game this crew of coaches has done just that. You’ve represented our community and yourselves very well.

Goalie- Tim Scott, Attack of Zach Freeman, Art Cecchini, Thad Cook, Ben Levine, David Beard, Andy. .Middies of Matt Dengler, Jared Lai, Doug Lilburne, Patrick Corkrum, Michael Cecchini, Jamie Carano, Amandeep Raju, Miles Cooper, Chet Campbell, Andrew Perpetua, Alex Delvecchio, Thomas Giordinello, John O’Rourke, Joe Diange, and TJ . Defense was anchored by Matt Pederson, Jerome D’Orchmont, Sam Kemp, Sam Newton, Zach Trenner and Garrett Freeman.

I am anticipating that I will become the head coach of this team in 2002.