Lacrosse Resolutions for 2025
January 6, 2025
I don’t know if you made any New Year’s Resolutions for 2025, but I’ve got some for you whether you did or not. I know I’m a few days late, but these aren’t the kind of resolutions you have to do every day.
They’re lacrosse resolutions (of course!), so you really don’t have to worry about getting started with them for at least a few more weeks.
They’re lacrosse resolutions, but they probably can be transferred to many other aspects of your life as well.
You don’t have to adopt every one of them, but I’d be disappointed if you didn’t latch on to at least one or two…
I thought about separating these into “Parents” or “Players” or some other kind of specific lists, but I’m just gonna lump them all into one long list. I’ll let you decide which ones apply to you.
Here goes:
· Parents, ask your son’s coach if there’s anything you can do to help. Whether it’s plan a tailgate, an end-of-season party, a fundraiser, or a community service project, chances are pretty good that he’s swamped with Xs and Os, team personnel decisions and situations, practice planning, scouting, etc. – and he’d love to have a hand with some of the other stuff. And if things go well all season, don’t dismiss the idea of a thank-you note or email.
· Coaches, don’t be afraid to accept offers of help. Delegating can be difficult, especially when you’re used to micro-managing everything. But at the same time, sincere efforts by parents – or even assistant coaches – should not be routinely dismissed. And while I’m not suggesting you write thank-you notes to every player’s parents, maybe send a few to the ones who really stepped up over the course of the season.
· Parents and coaches, treat every kid like he’s your own. Watch your choice of words, watch your tone, and smile (or laugh!) more than you growl. First and foremost, playing lacrosse should be fun. Cheer for every player on the field, not just your star or son.
· Players, think about how you can be a better teammate. What did the older players and team captains do that you liked when you were younger? What did they do that you didn’t like? Learn from your own experiences; don’t “Do unto others that which was done to you,” but rather “Do unto others as you would have done to you.”
· Here’s a challenge: Crack a joke with an official. Be sure to pick the right time and place, but share a laugh.
· Go to a local scholastic game – modified, JV, or varsity – and cheer for both teams. You just might have more fun than you expected.
· Go to at least one of each of the following: a college club game, a JUCO game, an NCAA Division III, D-II, and D-I college game. Make a mental note of differences and similarities to scholastic games. Appreciate both.
· Establish a favorite PLL team and, if possible, go to a game. Their season runs from June through September.
· Same goes for the NLL – professional box lacrosse. Their season started in December and runs through May, and there are teams in Buffalo, Rochester, and Albany.
· Get off the couch and get certified to referee. What better way to give back to the game? Sure, coaching is fun but, generally speaking, there’s no universal shortage of coaches. We’ve got games being re-scheduled and officials doing modified and JV games by themselves because there simply aren’t enough qualified refs out there. Classes usually start in late January or early February, so don’t put it off much longer if you’re thinking about making the leap.
Want some help? Here’s some contact information for most of the Upstate boards:
Niagara Frontier Lacrosse Officials Association
Chris Clark clarkch3@yahoo.com or Nick Schmitt schmitty12@gmail.com
Genesee Valley Lacrosse Officials Association
Kevin Curley kclaxref@gmail.com
Central New York Lacrosse Officials Association
Ray Haynes rayhaynesins@gmail.com
Watertown Lacrosse Officials Association
Mike Branski mbranski@gisco.com or Spike Decker spiker@gisco.com
Capital District Lacrosse Officials Association
Skip Spensieri skiplax@juno.com
· And speaking of referees, resolve to go a little easier on them this year. If you’re at a game, keep your comments to yourself; the ref probably can’t hear you anyway, and the people sitting near you will appreciate it, too. Remember, you never know who’s within earshot, and maybe that guy sitting up there is a college coach looking at your kid. It’s been well-documented that coaches do, in fact, cross names off their recruiting lists based on the behavior of their parents. And if it’s not a college coach? Maybe it’s the ref’s wife, daughter, son, mother, or father – you just never know.
· Support your local lacrosse chapter. Volunteer at a fundraiser. Offer to serve on its Board of Directors. Go to its Hall of Fame banquet. Look over the HOF membership and nominate someone you know who’s deserving but not on the list… a local player, coach, or referee – maybe someone who helped grow the game decades ago.
· If you’re not already a paid member, join USA Lacrosse. In addition to supporting the national governing body of lacrosse, you receive issues of Lacrosse magazine, get discounts on official gear purchases, and are covered with player, coaching, and even referee insurance. More and more youth and masters tournaments are requiring USA Lacrosse membership, so you’ll save yourself some time and aggravation by signing up and then renewing every year.
· While you’re at it, subscribe to Inside Lacrosse magazine, too. I’m not crazy about all the seemingly self-serving recruit and club rankings, but most of the features are excellent.
· If you played collegiately, make a donation to your alma mater’s lacrosse program. Send a note to the current coach and introduce yourself, too. Believe me, coaches love to hear from alumni!
· Also, if you’re a former college or even high school player, reach out to some of your old teammates. Years tend to fly by and we all move here and there, but there’s nothing like reuniting with your old goalie, your linemate, or your own bench warming buddy. Reach out and make that effort today!
· If you’re a lacrosse parent who doesn’t like the cold, doesn’t have a kid who gets much playing time, or is frustrated by your kid’s coach (or teammates, or teammates’ parents), go to your son’s games anyway. I was honestly proud of how my sons conducted themselves when they weren’t on the field – how they cheered for their teammates, how they celebrated goals with other teammates at the far end of the sideline, how they got excited when the reserve standing next to them got called into the game – but I only knew that because I was there to watch their team play. They probably won’t appreciate me saying this, but they each scored just one goal in their NCAA careers – and I was there those two games to see it happen. Like the old Mastercard TV commercials used to say, “Priceless.” And I shouldn’t have to remind you how quickly those opportunities to watch your kids play fly by. Don’t let them pass you by.
· Finally, if you’re not a subscriber to Road Trip Dad on Substack.com, become one today! And if you already are, make it your goal to get a friend to subscribe to RTD!
Thanks for reading this week. Please consider subscribing at roadtripdad.com to receive weekly RTD pieces via email. It’s free – really! No fine print; no catches.
Once again, Happy New Year wishes to Road Trip Dad readers everywhere! Please, drive carefully, and put down that cell phone! Donate blood. Get vaccinated, and then get your boosters. Volunteer. Put a dollar in the red kettle, and stay safe, stay smart, and stay kind. Help someone in need – and be sure to take care of your crew!
- Dan Witmer
Dan is the author of four books: The Best of Road Trip Dad – The Laker Lacrosse Collection is an accumulation of 45 articles written for www.JustLacrosseUpstate between the years 2012 and 2018, about the history and traditions, the people, and the stories of the Oswego State men’s lacrosse program. … and piles to go before I sleep – The Book of Wit is his memoir describing his 33-year career teaching HS English and coaching at Hannibal Central School. His third book, The Best of RTD – A Lacrosse Coach’s Handbook contains more than 55 weekly Road Trip Dad blogs spanning 2012-2020, featuring Xs and Os, highs and lows, and even some Dos and Don'ts, and plenty of advice for coaches of all levels. His latest book, The Best of Road Trip Dad – On the Shoulders of Giants: Upstate’s Lacrosse Founders and Legends, profiles more than 50 icons who helped grow the game in Upstate NY. All four books are available at www.amazon.com.
Dan grew up in Lynbrook, NY before coming to Oswego State to earn his teaching and coaching certifications. He then taught English at Hannibal High School for 33 years before retiring in 2015.
In addition to coaching the Oswego State Laker men’s lacrosse team part-time from 1982-2010, Dan also coached JV and varsity girls’ soccer at Hannibal for 16 years, girls’ ice hockey at Oswego HS for 8 years, and boys’ JV and varsity lacrosse at Oswego HS for 12 years.
Dan is now in his 18th year assisting Summit Lacrosse Ventures with their various tournaments, especially the annual Lake Placid Summit Classic, and he worked for 3d Lacrosse for three years as well. He has served on the staffs of the 2014 FIL World Games in Denver, the 2015 FIL Indoor Championships in Syracuse, the 2018 FIL World Games in Netanya, Israel, the 2022 U21 World Championship in Limerick, Ireland, and the World Lacrosse Championships in San Diego in 2023. He was the game ops staff director for the World Lacrosse Men’s and Women’s Box Championships in Utica in September of 2024. This year he created Witmer Solutions LLC, a lacrosse event staffing and internship offering service that he hopes will get his foot – and others’ – in the door at lacrosse events worldwide.
Dan served as the Community Service Coordinator for the Oswego State athletic department from 2010-2023 and has been a certified lacrosse referee for the past seven years. He has also been the Volunteer Event Organizer for the annual St. Baldrick’s fundraiser in Oswego for the past 18 years, raising more than one million dollars for childhood cancer research.
In 2023, he returned to the Oswego State coaching staff as an assistant coach, where he currently serves as defensive coordinator and alumni liaison.
Dan and Sue Witmer live in Oswego, while their sons Brian and Eric are currently living in Prague and Denver.
The hope is for many more road trips to come.