May 1, 2012 It is with a heavy heart that I blog about the close of our 2012 season. After an incredible journey this first year I am excited and eager for the next crop of freshman to arrive in September and get right back on the practice field. That being said, I welcome the slower pace of summer coaching responsibilities as I slather on sunscreen and bug spray and fill my summer calendar with recruiting tournaments and camps across the country. There are many loose ends to tie up over the next few weeks as we reflect on 2012 and how we can be even better in 2013! Although this year has been a roller coaster ride of wins and losses, I look back with many fond memories - breaking eggs at team time, Halloween competitions, moving into our new offices, my first win at home, joke times at practice, spending time at Children's Hospital, and all the fun road trips and bus rides with the team. And while I know that next year will be just as awesome, I am sad that my time with this special group is over. I believe that every team, every year is special in its own way and this group has been particularly rewarding to coach because of the heart and passion they brought every day. Taking their cues from the unparalleled leadership of our senior core, these Bears have valiantly battled all season long against the odds. With every reason to accept mediocrity, this team chose instead to set their sights high and refused to be okay with just being okay. We fought and came close in just about every game we lost this season. No one likes losing, but not once did I see this team give up, and even in the toughest times we were there to support each other. The closeness and resiliency of this team is truly unique and will be a pillar of our future success. And while we may have come up shy of our goals, I am so proud of every one of our players and what each of them has done to change their mindsets, improve their game and push themselves every day. When I think about how far some of our players have come I am truly inspired by what we can accomplish going forward. We have built a foundation I am proud of and know that the solid groundwork that our four seniors leave behind will be the bedrock of our future success. We stand on the shoulders of many great athletes and coaches that have come before us, and we represent one of the finest institutions in the country. The future is bright for Cal lacrosse! Thanks for following along this year and hope you will continue to follow your Bears as we set our sights on 2013! Check back from time to time as I will be blogging on occasion throughout the summer to keep our readers connected. Regular blogs will begin in September! Until next time, GO BEARS! April 25, 2012 Today begins our 2012 postseason. While I'm sure many of you expect for me to touch on our Stanford game, senior night or our end of year banquet, that would be looking backwards. Right now, we're only looking forward with excitement as we begin this new season - the postseason. While we come into the tournament as the four seed, having surrendered regular-season games to all three top seeds, we are very aware that the regular season bears no weight in the postseason. It doesn't matter if we got blown out or lost by one. Everyone's slates are wiped clean. This is anybody's tournament this weekend, and why can't it be ours??? I am hitting the reset button on our first two goals of the year being "consistency" and "no regrets," and if we can do better by those first two, our third goal - "win MPSFs" will be within reach. All along I have spoken of the talent on our team, but talent alone doesn't win games. All along I have spoken of the incredible heart and resilience of this team, but heart alone doesn't win games. We must execute. We must take advantage of opportunities as they present themselves. We must take care of the ball. With this clean slate, we get to come out on Friday and play the best lacrosse we've played all year. We get to bury the ghosts of close losses past and begin being the team we wanted to be all along. We are shedding the baggage of our roller coaster regular season so that we can come out lighter, sharper and more focused than we've shown all year. Playoffs bring with it new emotion, energy and effort knowing that it's loser go home, and I know this team isn't going down without a fight. There's nothing more fun than playoff time. And while the regular season has been quite the ride, I'm confident that the best still has yet to come...GO BEARS! April 16, 2012 It's amazing how quickly the season flies by. As I prepare for end of year festivities, Friday night's game against Stanford, and senior night I am reminded of what has made this year so special. Sure it's been nice to win games and settle into the Bay Area but nothing is more rewarding than watching the growth and development of a team. Early on we struggled to find an identity. We had an idea of who we wanted to be but becoming that was easier said than done. After many "team times" and sessions with Dr. Troesch, I feel as though we have a much better idea of who this particular team really is. We are resilient. We are fighters. We are supportive. We like hard work and have fun doing it. We hold ourselves to high standards and play the game with honor and respect. We like to eat (A LOT), and we love the opportunity to enjoy each other's company at practice every day. While we battled through some tough losses early on in the season, we now have learned how to win those close games. We have learned how to pull away and capitalize on our opportunities. We have learned how to roll with the punches during a game and how to keep swinging when our backs are on the ropes. We have learned how to make adjustments at halftime and to come out even stronger after the break. We know that very few teams play perfect lacrosse, but with the support of our teammates, we know we can back each other up and find ways to overcome our mistakes. We have learned that, no matter what adversity is thrown in our direction, if we work together we can find a way to rise above it. With one regular-season game left, we know we have one last game to go out and leave it all on the line. We will be diligently preparing all week to play our best lacrosse yet. We spoke of getting "one day better" every day, and I am happy to say that the team we are today is dramatically better than the team we were in February. When we take the field Friday night, it will be with a strong sense of self and confidence knowing we are capable of defeating any opponent. We have become the team we wanted to be all along, and I am so proud of our players for sticking together through the tough times to get to this point. We still feel as though we have much to prove and hope that we get that opportunity in the postseason to make that statement. But first, we take on the Stanford Cardinal for what is sure to be a great game! The Stanford/Cal rivalry is part of a deep-seated tradition here in the Bay Area, and I expect Friday's game to be one of the best all year! We get a chance to take all we have learned and apply it in a game that our players look forward to all season long. I know these Bears will be fired up for a great game against a great opponent! Hope to see you at Witter Rugby Field to cheer on your Golden Bears! Goooo Bears! April 9, 2012 After what seemed like a long spring break, we had quite the quick turnaround for last Wednesday's heated MPSF matchup against UC Davis. It was a very important conference game as we knew Davis would be hungry for the win. We intentionally kept the focus on us in an effort to deflect how critical the game really was. With only three conference games remaining, and having already dropped close games against Oregon and Denver, we all understood that every win from here on out really mattered for our postseason prospects. Instead of focusing too much on Davis or the importance of the game, we made sure the focus was purely on execution and discipline. We came out focused and sharp and managed to jump out to a 6-1 lead halfway through the first. We got caused turnovers and saves in our defensive end, we were able to transition the ball smoothly and we were able to dominate the time of possession on attack by being patient, disciplined and recovering second-chance opportunities. We managed to play together for 60 minutes and played our most complete game to date in a 15-10 win. While there is always room for growth, I was very happy with the effort and certainly the result! It was great to see us build on the success we had at Villanova and come out even stronger and even more focused. We seemed to pick up right where we left off! We are approaching another tough week with three games in five days, but I have confidence in our road warriors to attack this week with great energy. We have Fresno State at home tomorrow and then back on the road Wednesday for the East Coast. For our New Englanders, it's a chance to play in front of a hometown crowd as we hit the road to take on Vermont and Boston College. With only four games left in the regular season, it seems as if the season has just blown by. It feels like just yesterday we were headed up to Oregon for our first road trip. It's been a long, arduous road, but I couldn't be happier with the team that we are today and how much we've grown since the season began. We knew this season wouldn't be easy, but we've managed to stick together through the tough times and are ready to tackle the last few games of our season with the confidence that we have seen it all. We are a stronger and wiser team than we were in February. We are more resilient. We are more disciplined. We are more focused and hungrier than ever to finish this season strong. As we open this last leg of the season, I am confident that we are becoming the team we envisioned ourselves to be back in September. It's a good time to be a Golden Bear! April 2, 2012 What a spring break! The Bears traveled east for a trip that included two major cities, two birthdays, LOTS of food, four-square tournaments, quality mall shopping and terrific tailgates. We arrived in Annapolis, Md., on Monday for Wednesday's face off against Navy. After a full day of travel on Monday, we shook off the jet lag with a morning practice at the Naval Academy on Tuesday. After practice, we had time to stroll downtown by the water and take in the historic sights and sounds of Maryland's capital city, and I even got a new pair of Top Siders to commemorate the trip! Despite the good vibes going into the game, we stumbled against Navy and received a good old fashioned butt kicking. As it is with sports, some days are just not your day. Some days there isn't a whole lot you can do from the sideline to stop the bleeding. Some days, it seems like every player on the field is just having a bad day. Wednesday night against Navy was one of those days. All due credit to Navy, who took full advantage of our mistakes and controlled much of the game. Following the game, we acknowledged that our effort fell well short of our expectations and ability. The next day we loaded the bus and made our way up to Philadelphia. We regrouped on Thursday as if Wednesday had never happened. We knew we had played poorly but chose not to dwell on our mishaps and focus on our next task at hand - Villanova. Friday night, we came out strong against the Wildcats, but with the score tied at half we knew we needed to make some adjustments. I am happy to say that this time (the first time in a long time) we were able to make those critical halftime adjustments and came out of the break with a vengeance. We battled hard and were able to pull away by the end of regulation. With a new mindset on defense and a refocused effort on attack we began to posses the ball and put more balls in the back of the net against Villanova. Both of our East Coast tailgates were top notch featuring Southern barbecue, birthday cake, tomato pie, pretzels, gumbo and much more. It was so great to meet and connect with our East Coast families that we don't often see. The Guererra clan even brought an Eagles mini bus! That's real tailgate action right there! We had real quality team bonding time, but by Saturday evening we were all thankful to land in Oakland and make our way home. While I would have loved to come out of the trip with two wins, seeing our team's ability to not just rebound from a bad loss but also to stay focused in a tight game and make adjustments was great to see. This team has come a long way. Earlier in the season, we would have easily been in a funk for a few days after suffering a defeat like Navy's. At times we have struggled to make in-game adjustments, but finally on Friday we were able to stick to our game plan and see it be successful. I am proud of the way we finished the trip, and we are back to work this week as we prepare to take on more of our conference opponents. Fortunately for us, we have weathered many storms to this point and are better for it. We couldn't be more excited to get back to conference play and show what we're made of. Buckle up, Bear-fans! April has arrived! Davis and Fresno up next before another trip back east. Stay tuned! Go Bears! March 26, 2012 "Character is not revealed in times of peace but rather times of war." We've had several seemingly gut-wrenching losses so far this season. At times frustration and disappointment have been almost too much to bear. While this team has had every reason to accept mediocrity, we came together after those losses and simply refused to settle for less than our best. We set lofty goals from the beginning knowing that we had the talent to achieve what most would think as unlikely at the outset of this season. Despite the setbacks and the adversity we have already faced halfway through this season, the Bears once again showed just how resilient we can be. With each loss we have gotten better. We have still found ways to grow and we continue to push the limits of our potential. We have attacked practices with a renewed focus and intensity. We have tweaked and tinkered with our in-game strategy and tactics. We have raised the bar of accountability and have been more diligent in our preparation. Instead of accepting mediocrity, we buckled down, laced up our cleats and got to work. It is with newfound confidence and burning desire to play our best that we took the field this Sunday at home against Hofstra. The Bears played with heart and passion. They supported each other and backed each other up all over the field. We got big plays and gritty extra possessions. We finally got that big win we were looking for! While hopefully this win is one of many more to come, it currently holds a special place in my heart. It sure didn't come easy and it truly tested my faith at times. I've won a lot of games in my day, but Sunday's win felt different - somehow more important. Overcome with emotion and relief after the game, I couldn't eloquently express how proud I was or how gratifying that win truly was. Yet a simple wordless hug from one of my defenders after the game said it all; a moment that will stay with me for a long time. With that wordless hug, I knew they (my players) knew exactly how I felt, and it validated that we had accomplished that great feat together. We had weathered the storm together. That small gesture will forever remind me of the importance of never losing faith in what you know you are capable of. Never settle for less than your best. We have leaned on each other through these tough times and have pushed each other to be the best that we each can be. As we head off to the East Coast for spring break, I know that we have the courage and resolve to face anything, so long as we do it together. Go Bears! March 19, 2012 "Rome wasn't built in a day." I've had to remind myself of this often lately. Amidst watching game film, scouting reports and practice plans, it's easy to forget where this program was just a year ago. It's easy to forget this program was on life support after a tumultuous fall. It's easy to forget that we're a whole new staff presenting all new concepts and ideas. It's easy to forget that we've only been here a little over six months and are still figuring a lot of things out about our team. In a way, I'm glad that we have forgotten. These aren't excuses I want our players making for themselves. There are no excuses for not going out and executing the task at hand. But while these aren't excuses, it is our reality. The reality is we're still learning and growing as a team. While we have taken a few lumps already this season, we must remind ourselves that the season is long. It's not about where we are today but rather who we will be at the end of April. It's about whether or not this team can endure the bumpy roads of the 2012 season to hit our stride in April. It's about whether or not we challenge our challenges or succumb to them. We all want to win. We all want to win now. We all know the potential this team has to really be one of the best in program history, but that must be tempered by reality. The reality is there's a learning curve. The reality is we have a lot of young players we've asked to step into much bigger roles. The reality is many people's roles have changed, positions have changed, expectations have changed. The reality is we're still learning. We're learning each other, new systems and how we respond under pressure. My confidence in this team however, is unwavering. We continue to remain focused on our goals and know that as long as we continue to get one day better (and that doesn't always mean win as much as I wish it did!) we will be a formidable foe in April. We have already become a better team, a grittier team, because of some of these tough losses. I know that this team is hungry and itching for that big win. We've put a lot of blood sweat and tears into this season already, and I know reward is right around the corner. We are teetering right on that edge.... We may not be an overnight sensation but we are learning how to handle pressure situations, how to dig deep in the clutch and soon we will finish out that game that no one else expects us to win. Getting better, one day at a time! Roll on you Bears! March 12, 2012 I can't tell you how excited I am about D1 women's lacrosse in Southern California! This weekend featured the first ever match-up between Cal and San Diego State University and the Bears couldn't be more pumped about flying down to San Diego for the four-day trip. This trip we were able to work great family time as well as take advantage of some classic SoCal traditions. After flying in Wednesday night we had dinner at McCarter's (owned by Kelly McCarthy's folks) for some awesome custom grub like Chicken Cal-fredo and Bear-y Cobler. The next morning we took the field to take on the Detroit Mercy Titans. After a shaky start, we managed to pull away and several of our San Diego natives had a chance to play in front of their hometown crowd. Following the game, we were lucky to be hosted by program friends, the Shelkuns, who let us invade their backyard for a Mexican BBQ featuring some of the best tacos I've ever had. Our players were able to mix and mingle with parents and friends, and it gave me the chance to get to know our parents and families better, which I really enjoyed. After practice Friday morning, we had some down time and made our way over to the San Diego Zoo! I think we all felt like kids again seeing the giraffes up close and animals that most of us had never heard of. Later that evening, we visited our athletic trainer Brendan's favorite Italian restaurant in San Diego's Gas Lamp District for a great dinner to fuel up for our conference match-up on Saturday against the Aztecs. Dinner must have been just what the Bears needed because the next morning we came out ready to rumble from the first draw. We came out strong from the start and managed a sizable lead before the half. It was so great to see the stands packed and to see so many Bear and Aztec fans alike. The future is bright for lacrosse in Southern California, and we were happy to see so many of our SoCal supporters out for the game. I'm already looking forward to our next trip down South. The Bears continue to improve, and we have yet to be satisfied with our performance, which is a good thing. There will always be things we can improve on as we continue to get one day better. We now turn our attention to BU, who we'll see at home this Wednesday! Come out and cheer us on! Go Bears! March 6, 2012 Hello Blog faithful! My apologies in the tardiness of my last few blogs but as you can imagine the pace in the office has picked up considerably now that we are in season. We are busy bees crafting travel itineraries, coordinating tailgates, finding restaurants that can handle parties of 30, watching game film, putting together scouting reports and still doing every day practice planning, high performance team meetings and individual player meetings. With a good solid break between games, we've done some significant soul searching. We've had to adjust to new game day routines, new line ups and have even had to battle our fair share of injuries already - the most notable of which was the loss of our senior captain Tara Arolla just days before our first game. I could never do Tara justice by trying to fully explain what she brings to this to this team. She's not just our leading scorer from last year, but also the quarterback of our attack and often has been the heartbeat of this team. She is an incredible leader and even better person. While losing Tara has been a challenge, we know that we will be okay. We made it clear that we did not expect any one person to fill the big shoes that Tara has left behind. That would be an impossible task. Instead every person has had to take on an extra element to their game. Everyone has had to step up. Despite not having her, Tara has left behind a blue print for success for every single player on our team and it all starts with hard work. Senior captain Tori Harrison said it best when addressing the team saying (paraphrasing): "Tara wasn't one of our best players because she was naturally gifted with unbelievable talent. Rather, she is one of our best players because she works harder than anyone else, every single day." We can and have learned a lot from Tara. Not just about valuing the opportunity to run and compete every day but also how to practice like a champion. Tara was an expert at the little things whether that be redefending on the clear, supporting the ball in transition, footwork on the crease or patience on her feeds. Much like the philosophy of legendary Steelers coach Chuck Noll: "Champions are champions not because they do anything extraordinary, but because they do the ordinary things better than anyone else." That has been our focus in this welcomed reprieve from games - the little things. We will be more organized, we will be more focused and we will be better at the little things. Most of life's most important lessons happen in times of adversity. We won't let the opportunity to learn and grow through this adversity pass us by. While we miss Tara dearly, we have already seen people step up in new ways and take on new roles with great courage and success. If there's one thing we already know about this group of Bears is that they are resilient and we will "Roll on." Go Bears! Feb. 27, 2012 I didn't imagine this blog would be as hard to write as it is. At the outset of our season JMU and Oregon were two games that most folks probably didn't expect us to win. For those that didn't see the last two games, the results may not be surprising. But for us, for me, it is surprising. I know we have the talent on this team to win both of those games. If you were able to see either game, you know we were our own worst enemy at times. Although we should be happy with playing two great opponents close, close only counts in horse shoes and hand grenades. At the end of day, we're still 1-2 with a mess of shoulda, coulda, wouldas. While we don't get to go back in time, we do get the chance to play another game. With 12 games left we have a chance to fix our mistakes, make adjustments and get better every day from here on out as we work toward that postseason. Through these tough times it is imperative to stay positive and hopeful and most of willing to work even harder to accomplish our goals. What's encouraging is that we have yet to play our best lacrosse. We will continue to improve and with 12 games left we will have many more moments to shine. Despite being 1-2 we have had some incredible moments already this season: We've had our first win with a record-setting day. We almost upset one of the best teams in the country in front of a great hometown crowd with fans traveling both near and far. It's great to see alums, parents and friends of the program out to cheer on the Bears up on beautiful Witter Field. We've had our first real road trip which, despite the loss, was filled with laughter and quality bonding time with each other. We all want the same thing - to realize team's potential. And while it's tough right now, the most comforting thing is that I don't doubt his teams heart, desire or commitment and I know that we're going to figure this thing out together. Go Bears! Feb. 20, 2012 The first game of the season has now come and gone. As I reflect on yesterday's game and the exciting win, I am struck by the emotion and heart my team came out with yesterday. It was moving to see the players work together and support each other in an all around team win. It was especially rewarding to see the joy and pride our players were able to play with throughout the game. It really looked like they were having fun. When you can go out on game day and trust your skills and what you've learned, well that makes playing lacrosse a whole lot of fun. Over time, things like getting recruited and postseason play have added all sorts of stress and expectations. So much so, that sometimes we can forget why we wanted to play collegiate athletics in the first place - why we run the sprints, give up nearly every spring weekend, lift heavy weights and push each other every day at practice. Being a Division 1 athlete is certainly not always fun. Sometimes it's grueling and can really challenge your limitations. Despite that, we always want our players to remember why they started playing lacrosse in the first place - before collegiate athletics ever crossed their minds. At some point every kid on my team fell in love with the sport of lacrosse. We were all once that little girl scooping through her first ground ball or making her first catch. We want our players to remember that little girl that just loved to go out with reckless abandon and run around with her teammates, completely oblivious of the score. It's that little girl that we have to channel and play for on game day. Somewhere, for each of them, that little girl still holds on. She sits patiently through the lifts. She sits patiently through the conditioning and the long training sessions waiting - waiting for game day. And while there are no longer oranges at halftime or popsicles after the game, game day is about being that little girl again. Playing for the cheers of your teammates, high fives from the coaches and hugs from parents and loved ones after the game. On game day that little girl gets to shine again and hopefully have the time of her life. For me, that's what game day is all about. A quick story: I never will forget watching a SportsCenter interview where Terrell Owens was getting questioned about his new contract in Philadelphia and the bloated salary he was slated to receive that year. The interviewer asked him how he felt about making six figures a game and whether he was worth that much. He responded by balking at the figure and saying, "They don't pay me for Sundays! They pay me to show up and come to work Tuesday through Saturday. I play the games for free!" It's that mentality I was hoping for yesterday. We spent five weeks tirelessly working and preparing and yesterday I was just hoping they'd put all that aside and channel that little girl again. I'm happy to say that yesterday the Golden Bears were playing for "free." Go Bears! Feb. 13, 2012 Six days until the first draw for the Golden Bears of 2012! With our last week of preseason before us we will be sharpening up our patterns, defensive sets and working through our in-game scenarios. I'm not sure who said it, but "failure to plan is a plan for failure." We will be preparing our girls for any game scenario whether we're up by five or attempting a late-game comeback. This is the week that we fine tune and really hope to put it all together. It undoubtedly will be a long season that somehow flies by (isn't it funny how that works!) At the outset I hope for two things: 1.) That we cherish the moments we have to spend with each other. Stop and take a deep breath every once in a while and appreciate how lucky we are. As I'm reminded daily of how quickly tragedy can strike, I also am reminded of how great being part of a team is, how great collegiate athletics are and the truly special, unbreakable bonds that come out it. 2.) That we don't take a single thing for granted. Not just the opportunity to play at Cal but every loose ball, every draw, every extra possession, every minute that could impact this team. The hope is to finish every game the way we want to finish this season - with no regrets. As excitement for our first game mounts, I can't help but be very proud of where we've already come. I can't wait for road trips, tailgates, pregame meals, bus rides and much, much more to report about. It is Valentine's Week so as the chocolates and flowers roll in, I will leave you with these words "Do all things with LOVE." Go Bears! Feb. 6, 2012 We are through three weeks of our preseason and I can't believe how sharp the Bears look already. While most of the focus has been on really fundamental aspects, we are executing at a high level and have approached each day with the requisite amount of focus and intensity needed to progress significantly. This past weekend we scrimmaged several of our conference opponents at Stanford for an early idea of where we are as a team. For the Bears, I'm sure this was a much needed change of pace to play some outside competition as well as a measuring stick to see how far we've come. I was extremely pleased with how we started off the day but a bit disappointed in how we finished. We did a lot of things very well, actually much better than I had hoped - we moved the ball well, we created numerous scoring opportunities, and we got big saves from our goalies and tough defensive stops down the stretch. We finished the day 3-1 with our lone loss to Stanford being a hard-fought battle with several missed opportunities. When we play at our best, this brand of lacrosse is really fun to watch (and hopefully play!). We had kids battling for loose balls, tenaciously causing turnovers, making point-blank saves, hitting pinpoint feeds and ripping shots into the corners. Those things are all the ingredients for a successful season. As the day wore on however, we lost our edge and focus. Fatigue perhaps played a role here, but we must learn to play well when we are tired. After all, how you end a game is just as important as how you start it. I have heard that in the past we have been a "second-half team." On the flip side, I have also heard that we have struggled to "finish games strong." I don't know who we were then but our goal now is to be an every half team, an every possession team, an every minute team. Disciplined focus for 60 minutes certainly isn't the easiest task, but you can rest assured knowing we will get better at it every single day. Consistency is a point of focus for us this year, and I have no doubt that if we can put together consistent effort and execution we will be a tough team to beat in 2012. We get back to work this week as our team identity evolves and our confidence continues to grow. The focus is back on US and getting better one day at time. With an especially determined and committed group, I can't wait to see where we'll be when we open up in two weeks. Until next time...Go BEARS! Jan. 30, 2012 Last week seemed like a long week. Even with Saturday as an off day, it seemed like we did quite a bit and got a lot accomplished as group - from our first lift in the new weight room, to sports psych with Dr Troesh, hosting recruits, the speaker series on tolerance and closing the week by hosting our newly minted "4v4 Queen of the Turf" Tournament and Clinic Day. Last week seems like a whirlwind! At Queen of the Turf, the elder Bear lax group narrowly defeated the squad from Monte Vista to capture the title as "Queens of the Turf." For us, this was a fun opportunity to interact with our lacrosse community and meet some of the local kids and parents. Although it was an early 7 a.m. start for the players to set up the fields, they too had a blast coaching teams, reffing and teaching skills. We even had one middle school team (The Highlighters as they were tabbed due to their brightly colored bibs) that was the fan favorite team of the day. The little ones battled valiantly against mostly high schoolers and certainly held their own. With near perfect weather and 100s of little laxers on the turf, it was certainly one of those special lacrosse moments. I've said it before, but it's simply amazing to see how far the sport has come in the Bay Area. We are two weeks into preseason and I can genuinely say we have been getting better every day. The effort, focus and intensity have been sharp and we continue to improve fitness wise. This week we will begin to introduce some new concepts and begin to grow up from our solid foundation from the fall. It should be a fun and challenging week as we prepare for some outside competition next Sunday at the Stanford play day. I know our girls will be itching to play someone other than themselves, so it should be an exciting set of scrimmages. Until next week....Go Bears! Jan. 23, 2012 Week 2! Hopefully the excitement of week one will still linger as we head into our second week of preseason training. Last week we spent a great deal of time incorporating fitness into all of our drill sets. This will continue through week two as we hope to start the season in our best shape yet. We will also work in some of our settled sets so that we can begin building on the foundation from this fall. Today we will also have our first session with Dr. Jeff Troesch, a nationally renowned sports psychologist. Dr. Troesch has worked with some of the other programs here at Cal with much success. As consistency has been an issue for us over the years, we thought Dr. Troesch could help us tackle the mental aspects of competition. Like baseball, lacrosse is "90 percent mental and the other half is physical" (bonus points if you know who said that!). This determined group won't let anything stand in our way this year - certainly not ourselves! This past weekend also featured the Northern California Lacrosse Convention. I love conventions as they serve as wonderful opportunities to share knowledge and continue to help the sport flourish as it has done in the Bay Area. For me, it was also an opportunity to meet many local area coaches whom I haven't had the pleasure to meet yet. Coach Allison, Coach Emma and I gave a whirlwind presentation on patterned offenses, which was a ton of fun. It was great to see how many coaches came out. It shows how serious many coaches are in raising the level of play. It's only a matter of time before the majority of our California kids are capable of going toe to toe with the best of the best from Long Island or Baltimore - many of them already can! Wish us luck in week 2 as we strive to get better every single day! Thirty days until the first draw! Go Bears! Jan. 16, 2012 Welcome back, Golden Bear lax fans! The 2012 season is upon us! I couldn't be more eager to get back on the field with a whistle between my teeth, sun shining and balls flying. Glad you have found me online here and hope you will follow along all season as I provide a coach's perspective on what is sure to be a very exciting season! (You can also follow us on Twitter @CalWLacrosse and @GingerMiles and through the Cal lacrosse Facebook page.) It's been a long winter break, but after returning from US Lacrosse convention I am even more fired up to lead an inspired season. I am even more amped to get back to practicing fundamentals and technique and perfecting the craft of our players. I'm sure I'm not the only one chomping at the bit either. As players trickle into town, the anticipation for Thursday's first practice with sticks only builds. We will begin with a team meeting Monday to refocus and frame this upcoming season. For a coach, the month off for winter break is excruciating. You work all fall long to build a solid foundation and the threat of losing it all is very real and unsettling. All you can do is have faith that your players are committed to their goals. We set some lofty goals way back in September and very soon our feet will be to the fire and our true mettle will be tested. Talk is cheap, and I won't let our players forget that. One of our goals this season that the team came up with was "no regrets." Having gotten to know this team over the past few months, I understand that this goal means much more than simply seizing opportunities as they present themselves. This is a group that doesn't take a single day for granted. They are willing to be pushed and are committed to doing whatever it takes, and I think they understand the intemperance of any given season. Usually it's not until a player's senior year that she realizes time is fleeting and if not now, then when. I LOVE that this team gets that. "No regrets" is a huge goal (perhaps even bigger than wanting to win MPSFs - also no easy task!). "No regrets" means you have to be fearless. It means channeling not just the will to win but the will to prepare - the will to work hard and push yourself every single day- not just on the field but in the weight room, during film, in the classroom and at home managing sleep and nutrition. "No regrets" will affect everything they do. The hope is that four months from now, regardless of record, we will be able to look back on the season, from day one until the final horn, and know that we gave it our very best. We left it all out on the field. We did everything we possibly could to not just win, but get better every single day. We will know that we did everything that we could to support each other in our pursuit of courageous feats. And if we can do that, I guarantee this will be a season they will be proud of. This will be a season they remember for a lifetime. Who wouldn't be excited about that? Go Bears! Dec. 5, 2011 Happy Monday everyone! I thought today would be a good opportunity to answer the question I know you all have been losing sleep over: Who is Ginger Miles? So today I thought it might be fun to use today's blog as an opportunity to get to know me better! I asked our girls to email me with questions of things they'd like to know. I've the best questions to answer here:
Q: What is your favorite TV show/ What is your guilty pleasure? (T. Arolla)
Q: If you could go anywhere in the world where would you go? (C. Burke)
Q: Who is your role model? (S. Milik)
Q: What is your favorite college lacrosse memory? (T. Arolla)
Q: What made you choose Cal? (E. Abbood)
Q: What is your favorite holiday? (S. Milik)
Q: Did you ever cut your own hair? (P. Gasparino)
Q: What's your favorite food? (G. Parente)
Q: What is most likely to come up on your iPod on shuffle? (M. O'Meally) Thanks for reading everyone! I will be taking a short holiday vacation but will be back in January to take you behind the scenes for this season. If you've enjoyed it so farm just wait until we start playing real games! Happy Holidays and Go Bears! Nov. 28, 2011 It's meetings week! This week we will be meeting individually with all of our players, and for once I'm really looking forward to it! Usually most coaches brace themselves for these meetings expecting a litany of excuses, tears and frustration (sometimes all three in one!). This is when we stock up on Kleenex and get ready to "tell it like it is!" While we most certainly will be "telling it like it is," these meetings are a good opportunity to keep players motivated as well. It's a great time to let them know what they're doing well and to encourage them to keep up the good work. It's an opportunity to for us to help our players come to realistic goals and expectations and to help define a role for every player. We hope that our players will walk away knowing both what they need to work on but also know that we very much value what they bring to the team and where they have been successful. Despite being optimistic, I don't expect to escape tear-free (we are females after all and sometimes our emotions get the best of us!). I do know that there's been a lot of good work and effort so far this year and that should be commended. We have seen much more success than failure this fall, and while all of our players have room for growth, I am quite pleased with our considerable progress. Beep test scores are up across the board and our minds and sticks have stayed sharp post-fall ball. So far, not bad! It's also another opportunity to connect with each player and to help them get the most out of their college careers. That's different for every player, and with a flock of 30 it is vital time for me to find out just what makes every player tick. As long as they want to be the best athlete/lacrosse player they can be, we will find ways to help them get there. Ultimately we hope to leave them with some positive vibes before they ship out for winter break, so they'll be motivated to hit the winter workout packet hard and come back ready to roll into the season! It makes a big difference if they're doing the packet because they WANT to and not because they feel they HAVE to. That is the hope! Wish us luck! Go Bears! Nov. 21, 2011
Gobble! Gobble! With Thanksgiving right around the corner I think it's appropriate to highlight some of the things I am thankful for: Nov. 14, 2011 I love that Berkeley is a place where students and the community is an outspoken one. This is a place where having an opinion is encouraged and the student body will always be a very active one. I love that this is something that the University administration embraces and supports.
This past Wednesday marked the second big protest/demonstration I have witnessed here at Berkeley, and each one is more fascinating than the last. The first protest was in regards to a demonstration objecting to the perceived inequalities of Berkeley's admission processes. The one this past Wednesday was a demonstration in conjunction with the wave of Occupy movements that have swept the country's major cities. With Occupy movements in San Francisco, Oakland and downtown Berkeley, "Occupy Cal" was an inevitable occurrence. With kids threatening to walk out of classes most teachers wisely cancelled class, and the campus was abuzz about the movement all day. Although we certainly don't want our athletes participating in these events or making the 10 o'clock news, it's fascinating as even an outside observer. Rather than make headlines for activism, the Golden Bears piled into a van and headed over to Children's Hospital of Oakland. Passing out pom-poms and "Go Bears" cheer cards, the Bears had an opportunity to connect with some inspiring young people that are battling a myriad of health problems. While we missed much of the day's Occupy movements, we spent the day doing various arts and crafts projects like making bracelets, decorating picture frames of Justin Bieber and weaving lanyards with several of the young patients.
It was such a rewarding opportunity to give back to our community. What our players took away was even more special as they gained valuable perspective on what's really important in life. To sit bedside with a kid who has been bedridden for months makes all the sprints we do on conditioning days not seem so bad. Some scenarios were certainly challenging, but I am so proud of our players for handling it with poise, grace and a positive attitude. It was a really special day for both players and patients. We will be returning to Children's for the holidays and can't wait to bring back more cheer! Stay tuned...Go Bears! Nov. 7, 2011 I seems as though the first few months here at Cal have just flown by. It's hard to imagine that just a few months ago we were a program in transition without a full staff and playing catch up in many areas. As a staff we've buckled down and really made some great headway in getting back to where we need to be at this point in the year. The dust is starting to settle and we are getting comfortable in our new home in the High Performance Center as things fall into place. I couldn't be happier with how hard the team has worked through fall ball and the progress we have made thus far. The culture of hard work and discipline in place here has been coupled with a newfound fun competitive energy that the players seem to be embracing. We are pushing each other every day to be our bests, but also we are enjoying and valuing our time together in new ways. We have gained a great appreciation for what may seem like a routine, everyday practice. The team has been very engaged in this improvement process throughout fall and will continue with our "Team Time" classroom workshops this November. "Team Time" is our opportunity to really hold ourselves accountable to our High Performance mission. We set and track our goals - both individual and team-wide. We will also be giving our players opportunities to workshop sport psych elements like imagery, leadership and mental toughness that can only help us be the best team we can be in the spring. This November we will also feature cross training with different sports to keep things fun and competitive but still athletically focused. We'll likely hit the gym for some basketball and roll out some soccer balls and let the team show off their skills in a whole different arena. Maybe if we're feeling up to it, the coaching staff might even hop in! We just keep chugging along! Go Bears! Oct. 31, 2011 This weekend marked the end of fall ball lacrosse for the Golden Bears. Participating in a play day at Davis this past Sunday, the Bears looked good in their final competitions. The transition was much improved, the defense was strong and tough all day and the attack had found its rhythm. Our players responded to our wishes of more heart and hustle and made big-time plays throughout the day, which is always fun to watch. We learned that mistake-free lacrosse is hard to come by but success can still be achieved when teammates back each other up and refuse to let our mistakes hurt us more than they should. We hustled to create turnovers and extra possessions for ourselves and saw that even though we didn't play perfectly, we could still have fun and compete and ultimately be very successful. That's what it's all about - finding ways to make plays, finding ways to get the ball back and finding ways to win. I was very proud of our effort on the day and know that it's that kind of effort that will be this team's trademark in the spring. Now today marks an exciting day in Berkeley - Halloween! If you've never been to Berkeley, you may not know that this is a place where being different is the norm. While there are plenty of regular people in this town, there are just as many people that have been drawn here by this city's distinctive individuality. Being yourself, whomever that may be, is always encouraged, and I am so excited about seeing what this college town will look like on Halloween! And while it may be difficult determining who is dressed up for Halloween and who just dresses like that every day, I'm sure today would be a fun day to be a student on this campus. Happy Halloween everyone! Oct. 24, 2011 As our fall ball practices begin to wane I am reminded how much I really enjoy the actual coaching portion of my job. Of course there are about 100 other responsibilities that come along with being a head coach, but being out on the field on a sunny day with a whistle between my teeth is truly my comfort zone. This is where the magic happens. And while the practice days pile up in season and it's difficult to discern one practice from the next, with every new day comes the excitement of the unknown. We set up drills and stations with specific intentions, but we can't script just how each practice will play out. It's fun watching players learn and create on the blank turf canvas - and every pinpoint feed, closed double, knockdown or behind the back shot is more exciting than the last. This is what excites me a coach. But coaching has many challenges. Making up plays and creating drills is easy. Beyond the X's and O's we have to manage personalities and somehow strive to find consistency amongst the peaks and valleys of our performances. Mental toughness, decision making, execution are much more abstract and can't be chalked up on the white board. Instead we must push our players every day and remind them that it's these things that define championship-caliber teams. We must become the broken records of disciplined thought and action. We must be the bearers of accountability and hold each player to their own standard of performance. It's certainly not easy, but the reward is worth every ounce of strife. Every team strives for greatness, but there are few who actually achieve it. We are fortunate to have great models of achievement here on campus as we spent last week celebrating our National Championship teams and athletes. At halftime of the Cal/Utah football game this Saturday, we had an opportunity to honor those teams and individuals that had reached the pinnacle of collegiate sport. It gave me goose bumps remembering my own opportunity to be honored at halftime, and as the crowd stood for a roaring ovation and players waved with smiling faces, I couldn't help but hope my players were in the stands hoping to stand there one day themselves. We are a team of incredible skill and if we can conquer the abstract beasts that plague us I have no doubt that someday we will. The Bears wrap up their fall ball competition this Sunday at the UC Davis playday (schedule still TBA). If the players get their way, there's a chance I will be in costume! Hope to see you there! Go Bears! Oct. 17, 2011 It has been a long week since I last blogged. We've logged strong hours continuing to reinforce the fundamentals of our new systems. I've learned patience as a coach as sometimes things you expect to be grasped right away take a little longer to sink in. This weekend that patience finally paid off! Against Saint Mary's, this past Saturday marked a long-awaited culmination of everything we've been grueling over for the past few weeks - implementing new motions, defenses, patterns and concepts. In many ways, we have asked our players to think about the game differently than they are used to, and that's an extremely hard thing to do. Systems become ingrained in the way you play and think and are truly tough habits to break. This is the challenge of taking over a program - implementing YOUR system. And while some days are more frustrating than others, the reward is in that moment when you see your team finally get it. Oprah calls them "light-bulb moments." This weekend it was all light bulbs. On Saturday everyone started to operate on the same page, the motions made sense and the level of trust was the highest I've seen it yet. All of the pieces fell into place and we were able to play at a high level for the entire 60 minutes. The girls played smart and focused. They made good decisions with the ball and trusted their instincts. They were tough and determined and did a good job finishing their opportunities and possessions. When someone made a mistake, a teammate was there to back her up. I swear I heard harps playing and angels singing somewhere! It was that kind of moment. With families and alums dotting the sidelines, the Golden Bears hit their stride this weekend. Although this is just the foundation, it marks a pivotal point in our growth and development as a team. We are eager to continue building on that foundation. As our Alumni Weekend and also Homecoming, we had a number of alums back in town and hosted a team/alumni BBQ following the game against Saint Mary's. The post-game tailgate is a must in the lacrosse world, and we were happy to kick off our first of the year at home with our alums. This BBQ was also my first introduction to the lacrosse house, which has been passed down for years amongst both field hockey and lacrosse players. A long-standing locale for our postgame tailgates, the lacrosse house garage (like most college houses) appears to be where old, ugly unwanted furniture goes to die. With the grill blazing and families grazing it was great to see the Cal lacrosse community coming together. It was a great to see so many families, friends and alums in town to support the Bears! Next up for the Bears is this weekend at Stanford, where the Bears will face UC Davis at 10 a.m., face Saint Mary's at noon and wrap up the day at 4 against the host team, Stanford. Oct. 10, 2011 This past weekend featured the second round of fall ball play for the Golden Bears. Facing off against conference rivals Saint Mary's, Oregon and UC Davis, our players had three games to go out and really test their mettle against someone other than themselves. It was rewarding to watch as our team made adjustments on the fly and put into motion all of the things we have been working on since our last scrimmage against Stanford. The transition was much improved, we had a couple opportunities to work on our man down defense and our attack is slowly finding its rhythm. The progress is fun to witness. Our style of play continues to evolve, and with the addition of Coach Comito I am eager to see how our attack continues to develop. With an emphasis on freedom and creativity our attack will only continue to improve with time. Coach Comito's arrival also gives me more time to focus and work with our defense and goalies, which I am really looking forward to. We are really happy with our progress thus far. The players have given us great effort every day at practice, and I know our success this season will be due in large part to how hard they work every single day to improve. This team continues to impress me - not just with their effort at practice but how much they do off the field. Being right in the midst of mid-terms, I can't help but remember those days myself and how hard it can be to balance school and athletics at this level. It's hard to play Division 1 sports and go to school anywhere - let alone Cal. Despite taking rigorous course loads, our girls are excelling on both fronts - one of our players even got a 100 percent on a midterm! That's crazy good! Even this weekend while other teams milled about, took naps and snacked between games, most of our team could be found with books in hand studying for exams or catching up on reading in the shade. It's great to see how committed our girls are to their academics as well as lacrosse. The academic culture here is incredible to see. It's amazing to see how engaged and robust this campus community is. Our athletes definitely have carved out a unique identity for themselves. Despite standing out in most classrooms (usually due to stature and wearing distinctive practice gear), they prove every day that they are just as capable and focused in the classroom as they are on the field. They take pride in their athletic achievements but also realize that the educational opportunities here are too great not to take full advantage of. It's great to see that even during mid-terms our players still come out to practice focused and driven to keep developing their game. I am happy to lead this group that continues to make me proud of being a Golden Bear! - Coach Miles Oct. 3, 2011 Our first fall ball game took place this past Friday. It was an exciting game against conference foe Stanford with whom the Golden Bears have always had a long-standing rivalry. After a few weeks of inter-squad competition it was a welcome change to finally be playing another team. We did well on the draw circle and played tough defense. While we did a lot of good things, we learned pretty quickly what we still need to work on as we settle into new systems and patterns! I LOVE fall ball! Fall ball games are an invaluable opportunity to tinker with lineups, personnel groupings, match-ups and important game strategy. Fall is all about change whether it is the color of the trees or the NCAA women's rule book. Every year we adapt. With some major rule changes this year, the game will change in significant ways for spring of 2012. The first major change is in regards to the draw. Instead of the typical five girls on the circle, there may now only be three. This is to reduce the number of bodies involved in the draw scrums and hopefully reduce the number of injuries that occur off the draw. While there are fewer bodies IN the circle to start, we saw that there are now more that come charging in from the outside. Not sure if it's working, but time will tell. With more space to send the ball, it will be interesting to see how teams use this to their advantage. The second major change has to do with yellow-card administration. After much debate, we will now be playing a man down following a yellow card as a releasable penalty. Like the men's game, we will now have to adapt our defenses to play a man down. Unlike the men's game however, we have to worry about three seconds and shooting space. This will provide crafty offensive coordinators an opportunity to develop new plays and schemes to take advantage of the man-down scenario. This will be a significant change to how we play our game. Hopefully we will see fewer yellow cards! New rules are fun for coaches who like to tinker and I am excited to see how the game changes as a result. The teams that are able to best adapt will have a significant advantage in 2012. We will be competing this weekend again against Saint Mary's and Oregon for rounds two and three of fall ball competition. With a new list of things to work on it should be a promising week! - Coach Miles Sept. 26 Casting Call Two weeks in and practice is beginning to gain some normalcy. The players are becoming familiar with the rhythm of practice and beginning to find their new roles in new systems. This is the exciting time as a coach when you start to see the light bulbs turn on one by one, and every day we seem to be shining brighter and brighter. This is also the time where personalities evolve and reveal themselves, which is particularly fun! I'm starting to figure out who our leaders are, who to turn to for comic relief and who will crack the whip when needed. I can't help but hearken back to other teams I have joined and see many similarities among them. Every team seems to have a somewhat repeating cast of characters, and orchestrating them is no different. Here are some of the characters you will find on any given lacrosse team: The Comedian - The Comedian is gifted with quick wit and enough charm to get away with her antics. She cleverly finds the right time to inject much-needed levity into a practice and can make even the toughest character crack. She brightens the mood whether it's making a joke or just being able to laugh at herself. The comedian performs at her best when she is having fun and gravitates towards The Eager-to-Please. The Natural - The Natural is the player that frustrates many. She was given a tremendous amount of talent at birth and makes everything she does look easy. The Natural is often chosen to demonstrate drills and show everyone "how it's done." While The Natural may frustrate some of her peers with how easily she performs new skills, she is almost always the team's go-to player in crunch time. The Enforcer - The Enforcer is that player that makes sure stuff gets done. Sometimes she's the coach's right-hand woman but not always. She's usually an upperclassman who makes freshman cower, and when she speaks, everyone listens. The Enforcer makes sure everyone always knows the pecking order at practice. She gets along great with The Stoic and has even been known to crack a smile in the presence of The Comedian. The Stoic - The Stoic takes every drill, every rep, every set very seriously. She is committed to being an elite athlete and works very hard to stay on top of her game. The Stoic is focused and determined. She can't be swayed by The Comedian and normally looks to The Enforcer to get everybody back on track. The Eager-to-Please - This is the player that will do anything to get on the field. She's always at attention and does exactly what you ask of her - even if it means taking the coach entirely too literal. She's usually a jack of all trades and is willing to play any position to help the team however she can. You can't have too many of these! The Eager-to-Please simply needs to find her role, and once she does, the sky is the limit. The Over Performer - The Over Performer is that athlete that surprises you every day. She may be less gifted than her teammates but doesn't let that stop her from going all out in every drill. She turns it on when the ball comes her way. The Over-Performer constantly leaves those on the sidelines scratching their heads thinking "How the heck did she do that???" She is usually smart and determined, and she finds ways to surprise you. The Mayor - Every team has a mayor. The Mayor is loved and known by all. From other athletes, training room personnel, strength coaches, to professors on campus, the mayor seems to know everyone. She enjoys striking up conversation with strangers and makes friends everywhere she goes. She is sure to be best friends with any waitress and is usually on a first-name basis with bus drivers by the end of any road trip. The Mayor can be found associating with the Comedian and the Eager-to-Please. The Space Cadet - The Space Cadet seems to always miss the critical pieces of instruction. You hope that she's not in the front of the line, or she's sure to kill any drill. This player's attention tends to drift off halfway through any instruction. Despite great effort, she seems to do exactly what you explained not to do merely seconds ago. With strong eye contact, sometimes you can get through. It's especially encouraging to see The Space Cadet pair up with The Encourager or The Mom, who will be sure to walk her through the drill step by step as soon as you stop explaining the drill. The Mom - The Mom is the player that steps up to ensure everyone is well taken care of. She picks up the goggles left behind at practice, bakes the team cookies for no reason and can be counted on to take the freshmen under her wing from the first day. The Mom is thoughtful and kind and a player that all her teammates gravitate to. Sometimes this player overlaps with the Encourager but not always. The Diva - Every team has a Diva. The Diva loves attention and loves making her goals look good. Most divas are attackers - go figure. She is usually the player that can be found in front of a mirror putting on eyeliner before a game because she lives by the motto "look good, play good." The Diva usually gets fouled more than most as everyone will know when she's getting roughed up during a game. The Diva thrives when she is given opportunities to shine. The Encourager - This player is critical to a team's success. Often her actual play is overshadowed by her words of encouragement that help their teammates through tough times. Whether it's the second-to-last sprint or fourth try at a new skill, she's always there for her teammates. She is the girl that circles back after a run to make sure the slower members of the group finish in good form. The Encourager is liked and appreciated by all. Every team has these characters in some way, shape or form. None are flawless, but each brings something different to the table. More importantly, they all bring something different out of each other. I'm still figuring out who's who on our team, but I have already seen some of our personalities on display. As I become more familiar with our players, I become more and more excited to figure out how to get the best out of each of them! It's a long road to go! Until next time...GO BEARS! - Coach Miles Sept. 19 And they're off...! It is with much anticipation that the Cal Bear fall ball is underway! With that, I would like to welcome you to a behind the scenes look at this season as we'll be blogging once a week - and yes, normally on Mondays! - about what's going on in the world of Cal lacrosse. The squad has been working out diligently for the past few weeks in the weight room with our new strength and conditioning coach, David Ziemba. Together, Coach Ziemba and I are working on a plan to turn these Bears into the fastest and strongest team in the conference whether that means pushing weight sleds or running up Tightwad Hill. These Bears have set lofty goals for the upcoming season and I couldn't be prouder to be working with such a determined group. This team is stronger, tougher and more resilient than ever. They've shown it thus far in our runs and lifts, and we're seeing it now as we hone our stick skills and learn new sets and patterns. We took some time this fall discussing what it will take for us to reach our lofty goals. The team has been putting their brainpower to work figuring out what we'll need to do to be successful in 2012. After much discussion, brainstorming and collaborative work, I am confident we all have a firm handle on what it will take to realize our goals. What we have in our favor this year is a bond and a sense of unity that has only been strengthened in the face of adversity. We want to reach our goals for each other as much as we do for ourselves. Our girls have learned some invaluable life lessons and none bigger than cherishing every moment whether it's on the field or off. Every day I walk through campus, soaking in all the sights and sounds of Berkeley thinking to myself "How lucky are we?" How lucky are we to live and learn in a city so full of life, culture and passion? How lucky are we to be at one of the most prestigious academic institutions in the country? How lucky are we for the opportunity to coach and play the sport we love at such a storied university with such rich traditions and history? How lucky are we to be a part of this lacrosse family that has and will continue to see each other through thick and thin? I am grateful that this is a team that takes none of that for granted. We have attacked this fall with a renewed hunger and steadfast determination to ensure that this year is one with no regrets. I look forward to taking you along on our journey this year and hope you enjoy my view from the sideline as our staff works hard to take this team to new heights. There is much I could say in this first blog, but we have a long year ahead so stay tuned and enjoy the ride! Go Bears! - Coach Miles
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