You are needed. It's time to give back.

The seconds rolled off the clock at Gillette stadium for those in the moment they felt like hours. Cornell rushed the field to secure their first national championship in nearly half of a century. There were a lot of new faces hoisting the trophy, but one person stood out to me, Coach Connor Buczek. Connor became the youngest coach in the modern era to win a national championship, at the ripe age of 31 years old.

You might be trying to connect this story, to why I'm writing this piece. I promise you, I'm getting there. It was absolutely insane what Cornell accomplished. But one thing really stood out to me, Connor was not only one of the youngest coach to do it; he was a Cornell Grad.

There’s something about that story that resonates with me. I know what it feels like to return to your alma mater, grab a whistle, and stand on the same sidelines you once knew from a completely different perspective. There’s something special about investing in your own community, building something where you came from, and having the chance to bring something meaningful back home.

But unfortunately, I'm not spending time at my laptop in my free time to preach how cool it is to be a townie. I'm writing this article to scream out something: our sport is dying.

Now I'm not saying tomorrow lacrosse will become obsolete, and no one will pick up a stick again. Being involved in the coaching ranks, both as a participant and an administrator has really opened my eyes to the stagnant growth of our sport.

In the past 10 years we've seen an increase in schools which on paper has been great from 137 to 172, on paper that's good news. Hooray! There's a word that describes the next situation 'vanity Metric'. In the statistics world, this means we're looking at a good-looking number, while ignoring the meaningful one. The next stat is jarring, in the past 10 years player participation has gone from 4,948 to 4,979, a .06% increase.

That's not growth, that's dilution.

Now there's a lot to attribute to this: Covid, cost of sport, spring travel saturation, accessibility etc. Being involved in numerous conversations with ADs, coaches of all levels, and just friends of the sport. The biggest thing is: there is no coaches.

Now I'm speaking from the highest level in our state, which is High School. This is a problem everywhere, including at the youth level. Time and time again, I'm told by directors "We couldn't find a coach, so a dad volunteered" or "We couldn't field a JV team because we couldn't find someone who'd do it"

Now I'm not one to put two and two together and make it 5. But if I were a betting man, I'd say the lack of coaches at the youth level directly correlates with the sharp drop-off we're seeing in our high school numbers..

The first thing I'm going to say is, to those who can, it's time to step up. If you're a recent college grad, or staying home and just hanging out, not sure how to say this: WE NEED YOU!

I can't even contain my emotions when it comes to the recent college lacrosse grads, shame on you. For all the sport has gave you, when's the last time you given back to the game? You don't remember the feeling when you picked up your first stick?

The feeling of euphoria when you finally accomplished something, in a sport that comes naturally to almost no one. Your first goal, that first save, the first takeaway? How about when you caught the ball for the first time with your buddy, or when you held that foreign object in your hands the first time.

Ok, one massive caveat. This is not me saying you need to drop everything and be a varsity head coach. Actually, my recommendation to every new coach, is always the opposite. Very often I see young guys immediately full of life take on a HC job and be out of the coaching ranks within years. You know what the best job on earth is? (besides being a stay at home dad to while your wife is a doctor). An assistant coach at any level, for gods sake you can just be a vibes guy! No one is expecting you to pick up a whistle and to turn into prime Bill Belichick. I wish I had better words to articulate this, but to these kids you are a literal titan to them. You are their hero. I don't care how cool a 12 year old acts, when they see someone in their late teens or early 20s show up to coach, they think that's the coolest thing in the world. You could be someone's hero, you don't even have to wear a cape!

Me coaching at 19 as an asst. coach with a XXL polo just being an absolute distraction to the guys

Now if you got this far, you're probably like, "So how do I get involved?" That's a loaded question, and this isn't a Q&A. But for this question, I'll always answer. There are so many different ways.

You got a lot of free time? Go coach at your local high school, email the HC the AD start a conversation.

Don't got a lot of free time? Go coach youth, show up when you can and make an impact on a young kids life.

Have no free time? I bet you got tons of old equipment in your garage, DONATE IT. Every time I see a recent grad post their stuff on sideline swap or Facebook market place I want to swan dive off a roof. You have no idea how many kids are dying for gear, I would say the biggest deterrent from most of them starting is because mom and dad walk into dicks sporting goods, see a price tag, and walk out. Donating really opens the doors for someone.

Lacrosse has given so much to me, I credit it for pretty much everything in my life outside of my faith. There are so many kids and young adults who haven't gotten to experience what we have. I'm begging you, please give back. You have no idea the impact you can have.

This is my Optimus Prime call to the Autobots, come home you are needed. (RIP Peter Cullen)

Need to find a home, or have questions. Email me at peachmenlax@gmail.com I will find you one, join the https://www.ballknower33.com/group/the-locker-room/discussion, or go to https://www.mhslca.org/teams/default.asp?u=MHSLCA&s=htosports&p=roster and email a local hs coach.