Men's Lacrosse

Expect challenge; Achieve distinction. Recruiting and renewing tradition.

Changing the culture of our lacrosse program is not an easy task. I am proud of the current players. They want change, they want to play at a higher level, and they want to win. This can be seen every Monday and Wednesday as the team lifts together. It is there during the captains’ practices and the weekly team game they organize. But when it comes to winning in the spring, the biggest obstacle is going to be their expectations.

All the work we put in during the off-season will get the team on par with other successful programs. Year-round dedication is the hallmark of winning teams. Our obstacle will be that when the opportunity for excellence arises, we may find expectation to be low. A program that has not seen or felt consistent success habitually has a hard time of finding it. Frustration may then hinder motivation in these circumstances.

A culture of winning cannot be diagramed or charted. It is built with every success, no matter how small, in which the team shares. It is then supported by positive attitudes and a can-do spirit. The optimism a place like Norwich University exudes can be contagious. “I Will Try” is a motto of trust, effort, and persistence. It will epitomize a rebuilding campaign like this. I believe that our current players can change the culture for Norwich Lacrosse. They overcome their past each time they come together in this fall off-season. They are building expectation.

We are recruiting some very talented players to Norwich. Players that come from winning programs will contribute to the team’s expectation level. I ask our current players as well as our recruits to concentrate on creating short term, realistic goals. Whether it is getting to the gym twice this week or making time to finish school work before wall ball; success is a habit that comes from accomplishing what you set out to do. All-Americans do not set the goal of becoming one; they set daily goals of doing more than before. Championship teams focus on maximizing each practice and expect that doing so will get them to the big game.

Do not underestimate the power of expectation. Understand how strongly it is linked to creating goals. A culture of winning is built psychologically and then reinforced by physical work. When creating your goals be honest with your effort. The future distinction of Norwich Lacrosse will rest in our team’s understanding of this challenge.

Interested in being recruited to Norwich University? Fill out the Prospective Player Questionnaire found on our webpage. All recruits wanting to send in video tape and related materials should use the following address:

Neal Anderson
Men’s Lacrosse Office
158 Harmon Drive
Northfield, Vermont 05663