I missed another of Noah’s tournaments. As I was coaching one of my girls’ teams in a recruiting tournament. Marcia took him, and I think he did well. Had a number of goals and assists, and Marcia got some of it on film. I am so glad to get to see some of him playing. He is so exciting to watch.
One of the dads also took some more pictures. It sucks not to get to see him play. But I love that he is playing with his friends, and that his mom gets to watch and cheer him on.
I was able to arrange, and Maggie and Liz to take part in, an exhibition game at US Lacrosse, Tierney Field. The exhibition game was against the Los Angeles Wave. It was set up for success, because my counterpart from the Wave, Stephen Fossatti, is such a sportsman, and set up a great event.
We decided to have a tailgate together with the families from the Wave and from the Redshirts. While the parents tailgated, the players got to use the US team’s locker room to dress for the event. When they walked onto the field, each team saw their names and logos up on the US Lacrosse scoreboard. And they greeted each other on the field as friendly competitors.
It was a competitive match. The Redshirts were ahead 6-4 at the half, and the Wave pulled ahead to a 13-8 victory. After the game, the Redshirts shared some gifts with the Wave. Marcia had made each of them custom Terp scrunchies as keepsakes. And Liz put on a stickwork demo and taught the California girls how to throw fakes. While she was doing this, Maggie toured the US Lacrosse Hall of Fame Museum with her teammates.
These events are special, and are totally worth the effort.
I went a little early to pick up Liz. Sun was setting. We shot on the goal for about an hour. I took a little video of her shooting some behind the backs.
Liz and I coach Maggie’s 2026 lacrosse team. I am the head coach. I have an associate head coach, Audrey, who is great. And Liz is one of the assistants. It is a lot of fun coaching Maggie’s team, and Liz does a great job. And Maggie is fun, and she works hard, as do a bunch of her teammates. It is a good recipe for this team to be successful.
On Saturday, it was super cold. We had to leave the house early in the morning and drive more than an hour to arrive before 7AM. First game started before the sun came up. It was interesting.
Our team went 4-0. Maggie and her teammates played great through pool play. Maggie played defense and midfield. Our team had fun throughout the four games and in between, and competed hard. They earned the #1 seed and a spot in the championship game.
After the last game though, the coach of the other team was complaining about the scorekeeper not counting one of their goals. Liz keeps the stats for our team, and documents all goals scored, for both teams. And the scorekeeper had it correct. So, I signed the scoresheet, that we won 7-3. But then the scorekeeper came up to me and said the opposing coach requested to talk with me, and she ended up getting in Liz’s face saying that she kept the score wrong and didn’t count one of their goals. Liz handled herself very well (especially given that she wasn’t the scorekeeper, just kept stats which matched the scorekeeper). She showed the coach all of the scoring, how they were scored and who scored. The coach left the field with her team acting like they had been cheated, and she was very vocal about it. Liz was a little rattled, because adults should not behave the way that she did, especially not towards a conscientious teenager who is doing her best to help. But I talked with Liz on the way back to the tent and told her how well she handled herself.
A few minutes later, we learned that this team earned 2nd place and would play us in the championship. Great! In order to teach my teams sportsmanship and honoring the game and the opponents, I have instituted pregame rituals. I have each player on our team go to the opposite bench before the game and shake the hand of the opposing coach and wish her/him luck. And then when they get on the field, shake the hand of the player they are facing off against and wish them luck. I believe it sets the tone for friendly competition and sportsmanlike behavior.
But, after the opposing coach’s behavior in the last pool play game, I broke with our new tradition and just instructed the players to take the field. The opposing coach had not demonstrated very good adult behavior in the prior game, and I didn’t want it to effect us as we stepped onto the field.
In a short game, we got off to a quick lead and kept it. With a few minutes left, we were up 4-0, and I was able to make sure that everybody played in the championship. We came away with a 4-1 victory. And the girls got to enjoy championship t-shirts and medals.
We got to the field at 7AM, and weren’t done until 6PM. Average temperature on the day was 40 degrees. Hour and a half drive each way. I took the girls (Liz, Maggie, and Mackenzie – my all star team) out to Red Robin for dinner to celebrate before driving home. They earned it! And Maggie got desert!
It was a great day to be a coach. And a great day to be a dad.
Noah played in a lax tournament this weekend in Richmond. Marcia, Luke and Jack went with him for the weekend. Just mom and the boys. It was the first time Marcia got to see him play with this new team.
He had a rough day Saturday because he had to miss his last soccer game to go to the lacrosse tournament. And Marcia told me that a few of Noah’s soccer teammates were giving him grief for missing, as they lost the game 2-0, and if they had won, they would have won 1st place in the league. The coach had texted Marcia and me as well giving us some grief.
He played lacrosse well. I called him Saturday night, and he had two goals, and one of them was a behind the back. Sunday was an even better day of lax. He scored seven goals on Sunday. Including the game winner in the semi-final game to put them in the championship game.
I love watching my boy play, and was sorry to miss the tournament. But I am so glad that Marcia was there, and that he is enjoying being with the boys on his new team. One of the dads took lots of pictures. What a gift!
This weekend, the Roughriders team was playing in a tournament in Howard County. It was driving rain. It was the first time I have gotten to watch Noah with his new team. He started and was playing well. He scored the first goal of the game.
I stood by myself along the fence. And was within earshot of a few parents from the other team. They were talking about how good this Roughrider team is. And then they started talking about Noah. They were like he is the smallest guy out there and he is awesome. Look at his moves, he is dangerous. And then they started to yell to the defense to cover Noah, that he was the go to guy.
It was nice and refreshing to hear.
I know my son is good. But have been in so many jealous parent situations in team sports with Liz and Eden and Noah, that parent sidelines have been nasty and unfriendly for several years towards my kids. The nastiness usually comes from parents of their teammates. I have sat quietly for years, watching Noah do his thing, and filtering out the chatter. It was just refreshing to be anonymous this weekend listening to people compliment Noah.
Made my day. Thanks #5 for all of your effort and for being so special. It is a joy to watch you play.
Noah played this year for FCA. He was their leading scorer. They mostly played him at midfield because of his speed and scrappiness. But occasionally he got to play attack. Last weekend, in one game, his team won 6-4; in that game, Noah scored 4 goals and had two assists. I rarely got to go to his games, so Marcia started filming them towards the end. I returned though from Canada with Liz on Saturday, and got to see his last two games on Sunday for FCA this summer.
On Saturday, he scored three goals in two games, and had two assists in very little time. In the first game on Sunday, he barely stepped on the field in the first half, but got a goal. In the last game, they played him most of the game at attack, his natural position. He scored one goal early in the game, and late in the game, the score was tied at 4. At the end of regulation, it was still tied at 4, and so they went into overtime. They won possession and called a timeout. Below is the video from after the timeout.
Is it normal to come crashing back to Earth after an enormous high of a weekend?
I am overwhelmed this morning. Time change and no rest, back to work today. Feeling a little low today. Got a lot to do and need some energy in the tank.
But focusing on the positive. I am overwhelmed also in a good way. I am so proud of, and impressed by, my wife. She organized so much for two retreats over the last two weekends. She organized chaperones, rides, food, and answered a ton of questions along the way. She provided leadership while on the retreat.
But, what I am most proud of was her shining moment during the retreat. In front of a ton of parents, a crowded room of about 50 kids, and a bunch of coaches, she delivered a heartfelt speech. One that made me and my father both tear up. It was about my grandfather, and about how proud he would be of me and my father, and how proud she is to be part of the Kennedy family.
Although I was completely outshined by my wife on this night, I think I did well closing the evening as well. This has always been something that I have not paid attention to plan well during the retreat. One particular aspect, but an important one. Well on this week, I think Marcia, Dad, and I all did well in this moment, and it wrapped up a good retreat.
I must say that I am also very impressed with our developing coaching staff. I was especially impressed with Steve Overbay, Brian Gross and Grant Pivec this weekend. And as always, Sean!
Today, I am back to Earth, with more mountains to climb. Tired, and miles to go before I sleep. Miles to go before I sleep.
Get cracking, COACH!!
This weekend was the inaugural weekend for Signature Chumash. Sean, my father, and I are running a league for 2nd grade boys, and we’re also having the Redshirts playing the sport. We are doing so at GoalsBaltimore, a new arena in Catonsville.
Signature Chumash at GoalsBaltimore
It was a blast for all involved. We ordered jerseys for the boys that would just pop. They remind me of the jerseys we wore in Canada when we played box lacrosse way back when. We played music while the kids played, and Sean and I ran the games. There was no coaching. There were no politics, and we were able to keep the negativity on the other side of the glass, and there wasn’t much of that anyway. A little carryover from the rec atmosphere, but thankfully I am able to get rid of that.
The kids just played, and they knew that they were playing for fun. They were not playing for their parents. They were playing for the enjoyment of the game.
Noah
Topher
Liz
Balance – I preach it. I understand its value and importance. And I design my club team’s schedule to help families achieve this. But do I actually live in balance? Work, sports, family… school, sports, friends. Are these in proper perspective, and do I have time for each of them? At this moment in my life, I have tipped the scales to one extreme, and it is time to rebalance. How am I working to achieve this balance again? First, I need to look at what I’ve got “on my plate.”
At work, I am an IT director for a major research university. I have roughly a dozen people reporting directly to me, and a large organization that depends on me. Our group is integral to all that happens in our organization. I have a family with a beautiful wife and 6 kids, all that are very active in sports and every type of activity. I coach several sports teams, lacrosse and field hockey. I run a girls’ lacrosse club with several teams. I run a lacrosse league with over 50 teams, and a ton of egos. I run a few tournaments, two of which I am trying to get off of the ground in the next few months. And I train kids in lacrosse a few nights of the week.
The scales have clearly tipped towards my commitments to lacrosse and coaching. This is no surprise. I find joy and fulfillment in my life by teaching the game of lacrosse. I do feel that I have the ability to make a difference in kids’ lives and provide them an environment to grow in sports. And I work very hard to provide that for my kids, and for the kids in the club. In order to be successful, I dedicate lots of time to the task.
And my family, and my family members’ balance, suffers. I spend less time with each of my kids doing random things like raking leaves, doing workbooks, teaching them to ride bikes, or playing catch in the backyard.
I have three strategies that I have been employing to bring my life back into balance.
Compartmentalize
In his book, How to Stop Worrying and Start Living, Dale Carnegie talks about living in “Day-Tight Compartments.” He is inspired by a story of an ocean liner. In this ocean liner, there are several large bulkheads, huge compartments that are filled with water and water released at the captain’s command. Carnegie decided to live each day as a compartment. Once it was over, he shut it off. Went on to the next compartment.
I have been working on compartmentalization. For a few years, I was very good at putting my phone down at home, and rarely checking my email. When I started reporting to a Dean, I needed to always be “on”. I am starting though to get better at not answering email at night. I get up early in the morning before waking the kids, and catch up on work and lacrosse emails.
Delegate
I take on way too much. And I want things to be done well. So, I take them all on myself. I do all of the work to run the spring lacrosse league. I have a dozen direct reports at work. I take care of all of the administrative tasks for the lacrosse club.
I need a better support system, and I need others to share the load. Thankfully, all of my individual work has paid off. I am fortunate to be involved with some wonderful and giving people. And very dedicated to share in the same mission as me. I have begun to delegate some aspects of the lacrosse club. And we are working on bringing in more coaches into the fold. I am worrying less. And we are becoming a stronger organization.
Infusion
Infusing the kids and Marcia into my life, where I am. I have started taking Noah to training with me on Tuesday nights. He loves it. And we talk the whole ride home. I take Elizabeth to school every morning. Twice, I have picked her up from school and brought her back to my office. I know I have a busy schedule, and there is only so much of that which I can control, but I can start to include everyone else in the family in my busy schedule.
Conclusion
I will regain my balance. I have a balanced mind and balanced spirit. I believe in all that I do. I trust my instincts and give thought to my actions.
Six With Sticks 