A Conversation with Westminster College Coach - Joe Kerwin

SPEAKER_03 0:21

Welcome, welcome, welcome to season two of In the Crease, a coast-to-coast discussion of D Two Men's Lacrosse. I'm Kevin Stenstrom, your co-host, and I'm with my partner in crime and fellow lacrosse dad, Danny Moran. Hey Danny, how you doing?

SPEAKER_02 0:35

I'm doing well, Kevin. How are you doing tonight?

SPEAKER_03 0:38

I'm all right. I'm all right. A little uh rainy and thundery out and thundering out here in the Virginia, but then I hear you've got the same thing up up farther up north.

SPEAKER_02 0:46

Same thing on Long Island. We just haven't had a nice thunder boomer just roll through just now.

SPEAKER_03 0:51

So hopefully we'll keep power on both sides as we go through this. But let's pray. Yeah. Um, so before we dig into the podcast, let me explain why we are starting season two now. It actually is pretty simple. As our listeners know, we started this podcast towards the end of the 2021 college lacrosse season. We carried that first season from conference tournaments through the NCA tournament and then concluded with a couple of recruiting episodes. But now it's mid-August and all the lacrosse programs are gearing up for the return of their student athletes and preparing for fallball. So Danny and I figured it was a perfect time to follow along. And as they're starting the new lacrosse season, so would we. Right, Danny?

SPEAKER_02 1:32

Absolutely. I mean, um lacrosse doesn't stop at the NCAA level. It kind of keeps going year round. So even though it's summer, even though it's summer, you know, uh tournaments just got over and the coaches have been recruiting, and now they're gearing up to have um teams come back and the kids come back and and and welcome freshmen to the uh campuses.

SPEAKER_03 1:55

Yeah, we it's funny, we we kind of went through that lull and that that down period and and mourning after the NCAA tournament ended, right? And uh but the coaches didn't didn't have that chance, right? They were probably right on the recruitment circuit. Right, right out on the road. Yeah, so to kick off the season, as we discussed in our last episode, we are very fortunate that a few D2 lacrosse coaches have been willing to give of their time to come on the show. And in true coast-to-coast fashion, our first guest, as our first guest, we are really pleased to have Coach Joe Kerwin, the coach of the Westminster College Griffins from the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the RMAC, join us. Welcome, coach.

SPEAKER_00 2:36

Guys, thanks for having me.

SPEAKER_03 2:38

Yeah, it's great to have you on.

SPEAKER_02 2:39

Thank you. Thank you so much for coming on with us. We really appreciate it.

SPEAKER_03 2:43

Yeah, Danny and I are, yeah, we're really excited, coach, to have you on uh first, really, because Danny and I are both East Coast guys, and your coaching background is all from the West Coast. And so we're really excited and hoping to pick your brain and get your insights on growing the game out west.

SPEAKER_00 3:01

Yeah, yeah, it's been um it's been interesting to kind of be involved with it out here for about 20 years and uh you know, I grew up back east, but uh, you know, kind of seeing it evolve and and uh just never would have thought I'd be part of it for 20 years, but uh here we are.

SPEAKER_03 3:16

So yeah, so just on that, I mean, what drew you uh from the East Coast out to the West Coast?

SPEAKER_00 3:25

Uh just the West Coast, you know, after uh after college, a couple buddies and I jumped in the car and went west and uh didn't even have a real spot to land. We just we we'd figured out, you know, when we got to about Denver. And uh once we got to Denver, we went south to San Diego and uh parked there and kind of spent the next three years there and uh um eventually got kind of aboard with what I was doing and uh headed up north to uh University of Oregon for uh grad school. And that's kind of where uh coaching got got started and and kind of uh took off from there.

SPEAKER_03 4:00

That's that's an awesome story. That's an awesome story. Um, so I guess with that, you know, since you've been out there, you said for about 20 years, can you just give us some insight and how you've seen the game grow out there and and how you've seen it actually, you know, especially the maybe the last few years and maybe even in D2 or whatever out there?

SPEAKER_00 4:20

Yeah, it's uh just the talent overall. I mean, the amount of lacrosse, the quantity has been really impressive just in terms of the growth, but just in the quality as well, and just all these different areas and how many guys are going D1 and having an impact with the D1 level and D2 level and so on. So it's um, you know, just the amount of youth lacrosse and the organization, just having all these D1 guys move out west, or former college guys, just to say moving west and uh getting involved and just seeing their kind of um, you know, what they're bringing to kind of the coaching, and and it's just kind of snowballed on itself. And uh you're just seeing so many great players now from from all of these areas out here and all over the west. So it's been uh been kind of fun to watch.

SPEAKER_03 5:05

Yeah, that that uh that is great to see. I mean, and you've seen that, you know, from players out west playing on, you know, in those uh traditional programs out east. And you know, looking at your roster, you most of your roster, almost all of it, is is from the West Coast, which is great to see. I I love to see that. Um, and you're growing the game uh just um from the roots in the west for your for your program, it seems.

SPEAKER_00 5:34

Yeah, yeah. I mean, it's been a natural fit for guys out west. I mean, just to have the opportunity to um be an hour and a half plane flight from home, you know, and their families are able to come in, watch a game. Um, you know, we get families at every game, every home game. And so um, you know, then the guys can also drive home. And so that's just I think a unique opportunity. And then I think also, you know, growing up in the west, you kind of are attracted to the mountains or the outdoors. And, you know, I think it's uh it's a little easier to go from east to west than west to east, maybe. And uh, you know, so I think a lot of guys like to uh kind of hang around in this type of uh environment and stuff. And so it's it's it's been a good option for a lot of guys and and just kind of a natural fit.

SPEAKER_02 6:16

Coach, speaking from going west to east, I've noticed that you know you take your team out east every year. You know, you'll play Sunshine State Conference teams, you'll play some SAC teams, uh Conference Carolina teams. What do you think about coming to the East Coast and playing, you know, some of those teams?

SPEAKER_00 6:37

Yeah, I mean, that's uh we we have to do it. You know, we're in the southern region for D2. And uh so you know, there's no automatic bids out of D2, as you guys know, so it's all based out of regions. And so we're in that southern region with those conferences, the Carolinas and the Florida schools and and the GLVC out in the Midwest. So um, you know, those are teams we have to play and uh you know to really kind of boost our rankings in the polls and or in the ranking system and uh you know for the selection committees. So we uh you know, we just have to get out there and play those teams. And um uh it's you know a lot of great teams out there. So it's uh it's not hard to find some good competition. And and uh uh, you know, I'll tell you it's it's a little bit easier to go to Florida in March than uh to me, Long Island, I'll tell you that. So no doubt. No doubt right here being in the uh Southern conference.

SPEAKER_03 7:25

Do your players enjoy that too, I would assume, if they can go out go down to Florida when it's what's because it's gotta be cold out in Utah at around that time, too.

SPEAKER_00 7:33

Yeah, we're we're just starting to turn over there, and uh, but it's it's one of the big challenges we have as a coaching staff because they hear Florida and you know they're thinking shirts off on the beach, you know, and we're going there to win games, and so you're going you're going for there for business. Yeah, yeah. And they're thinking spring break, they're thinking, you know, coach, when are we going to the beach? When are we going to the beach? And uh it's it's a kind of daily struggle, and you know, keeping them out of the pool and stuff like that. And uh also their uh their pale bodies and just getting torched in the sun day one.

SPEAKER_03 8:03

So that is so funny, coach, because my son, when he was a freshman in high school, uh uh here in Virginia, they their team would go down to Florida every spring break and play a bunch of high school teams down there, and and they played three games back to back three days in a row. But every day during the day, they're out at the beach in Fort Lauderdale, and then they're going to play a game at night. That third game, there was like no energy whatsoever.

SPEAKER_00 8:31

Yeah, as a coach, you know, you you you kind of want to go up north, and you it's just one of those battles you're you're gonna lose. Uh so it's better just keep yourself out of that situation a lot of times. But uh for us, it's kind of inevitable, it's inevitable at some point during the season.

SPEAKER_03 8:47

Is it difficult to schedule those, or do you find it pretty uh receptive with the the schools in the in the south south you know division to get to line up?

SPEAKER_00 8:57

Well, you know, every everybody will take us as a home game. I think everybody wants home games, and that's kind of uh, you know, so we we don't have a problem getting games. The big challenge for us is getting return games. And so, you know, we want to play the top, the best teams we can. You know, if we can have uh an out-of-conference schedule of top 10 teams, we would do it. But you know, we just also have to balance that with okay, who's willing to come back the next year and play us here at Salt Lake? So that's that's our big struggle. And um, you know, hopefully we get two games a year that they'll they'll come back and play us here. Um, you know, so that's that's what we're always trying to balance is we want the best competition, but you know, we also need to keep our home game schedule in mind.

SPEAKER_03 9:38

I'll tell you if my go ahead, Danny.

SPEAKER_02 9:40

I'm sorry, Kevin, go ahead.

SPEAKER_03 9:42

I was gonna say if if my son's team, uh I would love for them to come out to to to to Salt Lake to give me a good uh opportunity and and reason to go out there and and see the sights.

SPEAKER_00 9:53

Yeah, yeah, it's it's a pretty it's a great place, especially in March. Uh, you know, it's the sun's out and and the sun's always out here, and uh, you know, skiing is great and uh a lot of a lot of good up outdoor activities and stuff to do here. So it's pretty fun place to visit.

SPEAKER_02 10:08

It sounds like a great school for a kid to you know come and play lacrosse, you know, um just in what you're saying, like just the the atmosphere, the outdoors, the mountains, the sun, um, and then a team that's gonna take a trip to the east coast and play some of the big boys. That's very attractive, I think, to a lot of lacrosse players. Um, do you use that when you start to recruit players and stuff like that? Do you talk about that with them?

SPEAKER_00 10:36

Yeah, yeah, definitely. I think that's the big one of the biggest things we offer. I mean, you know, we have a very good academic school in Westminster. Um, you know, it's a very good level of lacrosse. Um, but then you kind of have that balance in your life of the outdoor activities of fishing and hiking and skiing and all that stuff. So, you know, I just think we offer that kind of well-rounded experience. And uh, you know, to me, it's you know, you talk about kind of the whole person, you know, developing the whole person as like a young man into a man, and yeah, that's part of it, right? What do you enjoy doing? And it's not just partying and and and doing this stuff and that stuff. It's you know, these guys are learning to go fly fish or you know, get up on the slopes and find some other hobbies. So it's kind of a healthy um outlet, and uh, you know, and again, just kind of like a whole well-rounded experience, in my opinion.

SPEAKER_02 11:23

You know, that's great. That's so interesting. Um, I know somebody that was an assistant at Westminster a couple of years ago, uh, Coach Grimwood.

SPEAKER_01 11:32

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 11:33

Uh, I know Seth. I we I go back with Seth a while, and that's how I became to know a little bit about Westminster. And then you came down south and you played uh uh some of the SAC teams, you played Lenore Ryan, and you played Wingate. And I I started looking up Westminster and I was like, wow, this this team is west of the Mississippi, they're in Salt Lake City, Utah, and they're making noise. You know, they're coming out here and they're playing hot knocks teams and they're giving them games. And uh coach, what you've done there is amazing. Um, you've been in the RMAC championship, you know, seems perennially for the last couple of years, winning it this year, avenging a nice uh earlier loss to Colorado Mesa. So um that's pretty cool. And um I I again uh Westminster seems like a really kind of great school for a young, for a young athlete want wanting to play lacrosse out there. Uh I think it's a unbelievable. I I'm just thrilled with what you've been doing with the school.

SPEAKER_00 12:40

Yeah, well, we you know, I I've had a I there was a good foundation built before me, that's for sure. Mason Goodhidden was here for the first 10 years, 11 years of the program. And you know, they were a really strong MCLA program to start, and then we were able to roll that over, which is a lot easier than starting from scratch, right? And so, you know, that that whole foundation was there, and and um, you know, so it was kind of easy for me to kind of come in. I was here as assistant coach with Mason for a while and and uh kind of was able to ease my way into you know the administrative stuff and the travel and and scheduling and all the kind of um you know obstacles that we have out here. And so um, you know, I kind of I had kind of an easy road, I guess, in that regard. And uh um, you know, and we're just trying to keep continuing moving in the right direction. And I think we're we're doing that. We've uh you know won our last two conference tournaments, and we uh, you know, we just feel like we have a really strong team. We kind of have a our our probably our most senior team that we've ever had, um, which is exciting. And uh the culture you have to feel the culture coming from within the from the guys, and uh so that's an exciting feeling where they're really driving things at this point, and uh so it's it's kind of heading the right direction. We just gotta keep keep it moving.

SPEAKER_02 13:51

That's great. It sounds like it's trending in the right direction again. And you've been on my radar for the last three or four years. I, you know, always Westminster always seems to kind of come out and they make noise a little bit. And uh what amazes me coming from Long Island is the the quality of lacrosse that's going on out west now. The California kids, the Colorado kids, even the Utah kids are starting to, you know, the the youth programs are just the the game is exploding out west, and it's it's great to see, it really is.

SPEAKER_00 14:24

Yeah, I mean, everywhere it's got uh there's good players, right? Good athletes, um, you know, whether it's you know, Boise, Idaho or um, you know, Missoula, Montana, um, you know, those good players, Jackson Hole, Wyoming. And uh, you know, there's good athletes out there, and um, you know, so if you're yeah, it's it's amazing. It's everywhere at this point, and um, you know, we get emails and and from all over the place. And it's uh it's pretty fun to see.

SPEAKER_02 14:50

And and uh that's awesome. That's awesome.

SPEAKER_03 14:52

That's yeah, and and so it was funny that Dan Danny and I talked, in fact, we talked about it in one of our episodes. Uh, I I loved watching the the conference champ, the RMAC conference championship, especially watching you lose twice during the season to Calor Mesa. And you know, uh we probably uh if you asked Danny and I would probably predicted just on that that you probably wouldn't have won the the conference championship. And that was just an awesome game to watch and see your team fight back and not not even worry about the fact that they had lost to him before and just recently it was just uh maybe like a week before that. Um so I I guess that if you could, I would love to hear what culture you're trying to build, how you built that culture there and what you look for in uh in a player and and uh to kind of continue to build that culture.

SPEAKER_00 15:43

Yeah, I think um, you know, that that kind of how we finished the season last year, I think was a kind of a snapshot of where we want to go with things and and you know, really what uh we believe as a coaching staff. And we sat down and had some some really kind of you know, we had a lot of discussions leading, you know, through the second half of the season and up through that that conference tournament. And uh, you know, it was more about what we believed and what we wanted, what we feel or how we feel the game should be played. And and we didn't feel we were playing that way. And uh we felt like we were overcoaching it and really kind of clamping them down and trying to make it into something you see on TV every Saturday, and and it just wasn't what we really wanted, and and it wasn't what fit us. And uh so we kind of made uh a pretty pretty drastic change. Um last week the guys were fired up about it, and uh, you know, we really just kind of stayed out of their way and let them go be the athletes they are. And and I think in recruiting, that's really what we're looking for is one, we want great athletes, um, but we want all crossbows, right? We we want guys that maybe have experience at multiple positions, maybe an attackman that played MIDI or a MIDI that played some pole or something, or maybe played some attack, and uh, you know, just that somebody that has those different perspectives from different areas of the field. And I think that uh allows you to you know trust your guys a little more, they're a little more comfortable in in different you know situations. And uh, you know, that's really what in terms of athletics, that's what we're looking for in recruiting, and and um you know, and then on the other side of kind of more the the personal side, we're looking for guys that want our great students. Um, and then two just great people, like good people to be around. Uh, we have a phenomenal locker room of guys. I think there's not a single guy in our locker room I wouldn't vouch for. And uh, you know, we don't want to disrupt that. That's that's that's where it all starts, in my opinion. And so uh, you know, we just want to make sure the guys we're bringing in are gonna be a great fit in that regard, and and then you know, we'll we'll look at the uh the athletic piece after that.

SPEAKER_02 17:46

That's interesting. Well said, Coach. I I really dig that a lot. Um, I think again, I I keep thinking about what a young kid would look for in a look in a school. And if you're out by Westminster, why wouldn't you take a look and and and really give it a good look to see what it's like? I mean, like you said, uh the team comes out each. They're playing good ball, you have a good culture in the locker room, and you're recruiting good kids. And uh that's that's that's the recipe for success, if you ask me. Um I never played the game, but I've been around it a long, long time. Uh both my older sons played D2. Um, my youngest is 17, he's committed to a D2 school. So I've been around the tournament thing and I've seen everything. And being from Long Island, everybody's the best, and my kids the best, but there's a lot of good kids. There's a lot of a lot of really good talent out here, you know, and they start at a young age. So when I see uh what's going on out west, to me, I think that's amazing. And um, again, what Westminster's been doing over the last four or five years has just been trending in the right direction. And uh that has to do a lot a lot to do with you um as a head coach, uh the culture that you're building and the type of kids that you're bringing in. Um let me ask you about COVID and like recruiting during COVID. I know um my youngest son, uh, some of their tournaments were canceled and then coaches weren't attending. And how did how did COVID affect your recruiting?

SPEAKER_00 19:24

Uh yeah, obviously not not having the summer to get out. That's where we, you know, the summer leading up to guys senior year, that's where we get a lot or see a lot of our guys. Um, you know, fortunately, we'd really had done a pretty good job the winter before. And so uh the winter of uh 2019 and 2020. And so we had a pretty good list to work off. And uh so that was, you know, fortunately for us, I think maybe we've just wrapped up our previous class and it turned our attention to that 21 class a little earlier than normally do. But uh so that was that was big help for us. And then, you know, second thing, I heard someone else say this, another coach, and it was, you know, and it feels the exact same way. It was we just went kind of old school, right? We just picked up the phone and started calling the people that we trust, right? The guys we know, and you know, and just it was more about, you know, okay, who's who who's gonna be a good fit here? And uh, you know, and and people that know our program and and just kind of going off their word. And so um, you know, it was uh a little more of that, a little more full game film. Um just the highlights and and hoping to get them to see a point. But uh, you know, so it's kind of you know, as the other coach said, it was a little more old school, and uh, you know, it just it it worked out. We got a we got a great class coming in, and uh um, so it just you know, but it was definitely some hurdles. Yeah, no doubt.

SPEAKER_03 20:45

We so actually it's funny that you say that looking at game film. We when we did our recruiting episodes, Dan and I talked about, you know, the the the highlight um you know, the highlight video you put together. And there there isn't a player that looks bad on on those highlight videos. So, you know, there's got to be able, we talked about little things like I had my son, you know, there's some things that he showed that you know, where he missed a shot or and but got the ball back, got a ground ball and then got it back, you know, things like that where you kind of show that. But I I found it interesting that you you you said that you go through um through more film because it uh you know, game film, which is which is great. Um, but you know, COVID obviously has been permeating our society now for a year and a half. And I'm just curious on the other side from recruiting, how that may have affected a lot. Obviously, it affected your team, how your team works through that adversity. Not only 2020 is shutting down, but you know, 2021 as you probably fought, had to fight through it and probably had sketch schedule changes and whatnot. I'm just curious to hear your perspective on that as well.

SPEAKER_00 21:49

Yeah. You know, the I think the biggest kind of obstruction and negative aspect was was the 2020 season and and those seniors losing out on that the rest of the season.

unknown 21:59

Um

SPEAKER_00 22:00

You know, for every program, right? That's that's um, you know, and for us, a school like us, you know, guys aren't coming back for a fifth year. You know, they're they already had jobs lined up in grad school and they're they're going out, they're done, and they're they've got the next phase of their life already set up before they graduate. So um, you know, it uh for them, it was we had one guy go on and and and do a fifth year in grad school, but uh you know, in that the guys were off um working. And so that was kind of the end of their lacrosse experience, which was obviously um kind of a shame. And uh, but you know, 21 season, uh 21, 20, 21 year, you know, our guys did a great job. I was really, really happy with it. It, you know, looking back on it, it didn't really feel like we went through something as big as we did. Um I I that's a total credit to the guys. I think they just were very focused, very steady. Um, you know, we had some ups and downs. I think you know, we we had some tough situations we had to go through. We had to you know condense our trips and play back-to-back games, which you could tell was really tough on them physically. Um, you know, we obviously all the testing and kind of the protocols and you know, shuffling guys in and out of the locker room. So we only had 10 at a time in there and all that little stuff. But you know, looking back on it, I just didn't feel like there was that much that was a distraction or like an obstacle. And I just cranked the guys. I think they're just you know tough guys. They, you know, they're getting their school work done and just kind of doing the right things, and um, you know, they they stayed away from gatherings, at least from uh, you know, not having a big outbreak on the team. And uh so they were doing the right things off the field, and and uh so to me it was just you know, I it was pretty looking back on it, you know, it didn't feel um as uh momentous of an achievement getting through that as as maybe it was. And I so again, I just credit the guys, you know, there were little things in terms of um how do we handle this, how do we handle that, and um, you know, okay, are we gonna have to you know change this on our schedule and stuff like that? But uh most part it went pretty smooth.

SPEAKER_02 24:05

Excellent, excellent. Okay, coach, let me ask you a question. I'm a freshman, I've committed, I'm coming to your school. What's my day gonna be like when I step on with the team? What's my day gonna be like?

SPEAKER_00 24:22

Well, I mean, once we get into uh once we get into practicing, um, a pretty typical day would be um, you know, like Monday, Wednesday, Friday, we lift. So the guys will have a lift in the morning around 8, 9, or 10 a.m. Um, then they'll usually go to classes. Uh we practice in the evenings at six o'clock. And so uh at five o'clock, guys will generally go get some treatment in the in the training room, 5:30 film, six o'clock on the field. Um, and you know, we practice six to eight. So that's that's a pretty typical schedule, Monday, Wednesday, Friday. You know, Tuesday, Thursday, we don't have the lift. So the guys uh generally put another class or two on that on those Tuesday, Thursday days. Fridays, uh most students don't have class um unless they have a lab. Um so most students have Friday off from class, which is a pretty nice perk. Um, so we'll we'll practice in the morning, lift, and then um you know, guys kind of might go camping or do whatever they do, and um um, you know, and then I I should say there's study hall Friday morning as well. So try to encourage them to get their schoolwork done before they kind of disappear for the weekend or whatever they're gonna do. So um that's pretty typical fall ball type of uh you know schedule.

SPEAKER_02 25:31

How many games do you look to get in the fall?

SPEAKER_00 25:35

Um, you know, that's that's an interesting question. I you know, I knew I actually met met with Coach Berkman um this past May down at Salisbury, and he was uh, you know, they've they've never been a big fallball team. And uh, you know, I've always I understand why, you know, you really want to focus on your team and you really want to kind of you know build the parts the whole method and and take your time on the parts. And uh, you know, so it's you know, I I I kind of want to adopt that a little bit. Um, you know, it's hard to turn down Utah when they want a game. And uh so uh so he kind of got we got almost roped into that in a sense, and uh, you know, then you know obviously BYU is there as well, and that's another solid game. So um, you know, so it's it's a tough balance. Um, you know, hopefully not really more than two, um, just so we can make sure we have enough time to spend on ourselves. But um, you know, it's fun for the guys, and and obviously you Utah gives us a really good opportunity to see what's working, what's not, what you know, where certain pieces need to fit and kind of where we're at. So that's a really valuable game for us to have.

SPEAKER_02 26:41

Interesting. Very good, very good. Kev?

SPEAKER_03 26:43

Yeah, so um in we got about uh I'm looking at my my my meeting clock here, the as it's winding down about six minutes. I got one question and I'm gonna open it up to you. So, you know, obviously this podcast in the crease is all about showcasing D2 men's lacrosse. And uh I just kind of want to hear in your own words why you think what you like about D2 lacrosse um and what do you think it brings to uh the you know the lacrosse world and and maybe even to student athletes looking to play lacrosse at the college level.

SPEAKER_00 27:19

Yeah, I mean it's it's definitely changed a lot, right, in the last 20 years. And uh, you know, when I was growing up, it was Division I, Division III, and um, you know, there wasn't too much uh Division II kicking around. And the uh when I was at NDNU back in 08, 09, it was you know, there were maybe eight good Division II teams, and and you know, kind of dropped off and it was so it was starting to come along. Um, but you know, now it's you know you got 30, 40 really, really strong teams, and and so it's it's gotten a lot more competitive. Um, you know, it's kind of falling more in line with uh the other sports. I think you're you know, when you think about Division I, Division II, Division III, you're kind of seeing Division II kind of creep up on Division III talent-wise. And um, you know, so it's it's fun to see that growth. Um, you know, I think it it offers um obviously opportunities financially for a lot of a lot of players um have athletic scholarships. And uh, you know, so that's that's a great way to help guys out and get into uh helping them pay for college. Um, you know, but it's uh you know it's it's fun, definitely a fun level to compete at. I love the fact that you see so many Canadians kicking around Division II. That brings a whole nother uh element to uh to the game. And you know, we we played a team last year, five of their their starting six on offense were Canadian. So I mean they were basically just running a box offense out there.

SPEAKER_01 28:41

Right.

SPEAKER_00 28:42

So it's uh you know it's it's fun to see that and and kind of have that different uh different experience. But um it's it's fun to see what's going on. It's just gonna get better and better, right? And uh it's gonna be uh very competitive for you in a short time.

SPEAKER_02 28:55

Yeah, coach, what I what I've seen about D2, and especially um my oldest went to St. Leo uh 2009, and I've been around that the D2 game, I guess, since then. And what I'm seeing is a lot of D1 caliber players are going to D2 schools. You know, these these Division II schools are are finding ways to get these real D one caliber type players to come to their their schools.

SPEAKER_00 29:24

Yeah, I think you're maybe seeing the um you know the maybe the element of do I want to kind of sit on the bench or do I want to go you know compete and play and and uh you know so maybe a little bit of the overflow in that regard. But uh yeah, you're right. It's uh there's some there's some teams that have some really high-level players and uh a bunch of them, not just like one-offs, but you know oh I know.

SPEAKER_02 29:47

Like you look at Lenore Ryan, you know, Eric Dickerson is just he's a big boy and he's strong and he's fast and he can shoot and he can get the ball off from any single angle. Like just that's the division one player to me, you know. The big, strong, great shooter, just great skills. Uh and again, over the last uh 10, 12 years, I'm seeing more and more players like that go to division two. I think maybe what you're saying is true, you know. Maybe they don't they don't want to sit for a year or two and you know, and go go right out and play.

SPEAKER_00 30:23

And yeah, and I think the transfer portal's probably made that easier. Um, you know, it's I mean you can jump in the portal and there's you know a hundred guys in there. And so uh, you know, I think that's kind of made the the ability to move around a little bit easier.

SPEAKER_03 30:38

So yeah, and so and uh in closing, I want to just offer up to you, coach, um, anything you want to share um with the audience on your program and and um you know what you're trying to do and and and uh you know just some thoughts on on the Griffins.

SPEAKER_00 30:59

Yeah, I think we touched on uh you know all the key points. I mean, it's it's you know, we're we're pretty fortunate to be where we are and wake up every day and kind of look at the the Rocky Mountains here and um you know enjoy all the things they offer and then at the same time, you know, go to a grade school and and and you know play at a high level across. So I think we're pretty really fortunate. Um, you know, it's uh pretty unique situation and uh um you know again that balance that that um it's pretty pretty special place. I mean there's very few few places in North America like where we are, and uh so we're we're pretty lucky and um I think it's uh like you're saying earlier, it's you know, you get out here and you see it and you're like, oh okay, this is this is this is it, you know. And uh I think once we get guys out here, that's usually usually the response we get is well this is pretty impressive. And uh so that's just um you know, we're fortunate and uh yeah, thankful that uh the school supports it and supports it as they do. And uh, you know, it's it's not an easy thing on their end. So um, you know, we're fortunate in that regard as well.

SPEAKER_03 32:08

Yeah, well, on that note, uh I just want to thank you, Coach Danny and I both thank you uh for getting on with us today. Um, like he has said, we've watched your program and we're we can't wait to see where it goes some more over the next few years. And just thank you so much for your time for coming on in the crease.

SPEAKER_00 32:25

Well, guys, I appreciate you having me on. And uh yeah, thanks for kind of kind of opening up uh Western lacrosse and Western College across to all your audience.

SPEAKER_02 32:35

Thank you, coach. Appreciate it so much for for coming on and uh great luck this season. And uh we'll be rooting for the Griffins. Thanks.

SPEAKER_00 32:43

I appreciate it, guys.