JU Women Bolt Out of the Gate

Rachel Krell (Apopka, Florida) and Abby Warnken (Naples, Florida) compete in drills at practice on Wednesday.

Jacksonville, Florida - If the first day of the Jacksonville University women’s lacrosse practice was any indication of what the season will be like, good things are on the horizon.

The Dolphins showed up to Wednesday’s late afternoon, early evening practice at the Ashley Sports Complex with an abundance of enthusiasm and a world away fundamentally from where they were a year ago when they won the National Lacrosse Conference regular-season title.

“I think they did a great job today,’’ head coach Mindy McCord said after practice as a snippy cold front made itself known. “As (assistant coach) Paul (McCord) said, where they are now as to where they started last year at this time is leaps and bounds above.’’

The energy level wasn’t lost on junior Rachel Hannon, from Annapolis, Md.

“It was awesome,’’ said Hannon. “It was great to be back and have the vibe really high, it’s going to help carry us through a long season and into the playoffs.’’

Hannon said winning the regular-season title but not the conference tournament is serving as motivation this time around.

“It’s definitely more motivation,’’ she said. “It was like we talked about today, if we had had that little extra push, if you would have been a little more mental that would have made you a better player (last season). If you could go back and rewind, you definitely would have done that.’’

Neither Hannon nor Mindy McCord were surprised by the burst out of the gate.

“One thing our team brings is spirit,’’ McCord said. “Our team loves to play, that’s what they tell us. They love this game and they love to play and so it didn’t surprise me I was really excited. The enthusiasm and work they did to prepare for this first practice was excellent. You can tell they have worked hard to prepare for this season.’’

The trick now for the coaching staff is to keep the early momentum going.

“We look at that you improve from the day before, that you’re not making the same mistakes today that you made yesterday,’’ McCord said. “That you’re focused on execution and your position and you’re focused on learning your position fundamentals as well as the game that builds your position’s system. We’re in a lot of teaching right now.’’

- Jim Nasella

Jacksonville University Adds 11 to Team for 2012-13; Two Floridians in Bumper Crop

Freshman Morgan Derner (Lake Mary, FL) rips one of her team high 54 goals in her 1st year as a Dolphin. The new recruiting class arrives for her Junior season.

From JUDolphins.com - The 2011 National Lacrosse Conference champion Jacksonville University Dolphins are feeling the momentum from the successful 2011 campaign that resulted in the Dolphins finishing the season the top-ranked offense in Division I. Nowhere is the Dolphins momentum more evident than in their recruiting for the 2013-2016 seasons, the high school class of 2012. The signees include nationally rated position players who have speed, athleticism, skill and height.

“It certainly helps being a nationally competitive program in two seasons. We had some really big wins and at Division I, every win means you are doing something well,” head coach Mindy McCord, starting her third season with the Dolphins, said. “The 2012 class has some nationally regarded players who are going to step in and compete with our team right away. That says a lot, because we think a lot of the team we have for the 2011-12 season.”

McCord, who hails from Westminster, Md., and founded the JU program, has placed an emphasis on recruiting players from traditional and non-traditional areas, providing her team with as much diversity as any roster in Division I lacrosse. The athletes perform well in JU’s record-setting scoring system.

“We think our style of play, our location and our school make JU a very attractive place for the top players in the country,’’ she said. “We would like to continue being one of the most fun teams to watch. Our players certainly are fun to coach every day. We think lacrosse practice should be the most fun part of our team’s day and look for top student-athletes who have the same values. This class is a reflection of these values.”

JU returned to its Maryland connections for seven of its class of 2016. Samantha Bauer (Saints Peter & Paul), Kelsey Wilson (Saints Peter and Paul), and Amy Cecere (St. Mary’s) come to JU from Maryland United, one of the top elite club programs in the country. Kelsey Wiglesworth (Towson), Allie Colson (Manchester Valley), Summer Wassel (Dulaney), and Kelly Lacy (Towson) are veteran elite club players from nationally acclaimed Skywalkers lacrosse club.

“We have had a lot of success with student-athletes from top club programs and we always look to build our program around the happy, successful student-athletes on our roster,’’ McCord said. “They sell our program by example on and off the field and you can see this with the large number of Maryland United and Skywalkers players in the 2012 class.”

Joining the class are a pair of athletes from Florida, Kirstin Purdy (Park Vista) and Katie Kastner (Palm Coast). Both were standouts for the LaxManiax Black elite club program. Their club team won 21 games against elite club competition at national recruiting events.

“The LaxManiax players are as competitive as they come and I don’t think any other program in the country utilizes southern athletes as well as we do,’’ McCord said. “The Florida and Georgia players have shined in our big games against top-20 opponents and we certainly want to keep the pipeline open in the south.”

Rounding out the recruiting class are Kara Cunningham (Auburn, NY), from Upstate New York’s Star Riders club, and Sally Holbert (Upper Arlington, OH) from Midwestern Force lacrosse club. JU has several starters from upstate New York currently on the roster as well as one Ohio native.

Coach McCord’s Class Assessment

Samantha Bauer – Defense/Midfield, 6-feet: “We feel like Sam is one of the top defensive players in the country and she has all the tools for running the system. She is a defensive player, but she can run the midfield very well and is a tall target at 6-foot.”

Kelsey Wilson – Attack, 5-8: “Kelsey has a nice left hand and was a very productive scorer for Maryland United this summer. We think she can help our attack from the right side of the pipe. Sam and Kelsey played for a high school program that went 13-2 and a club program that won nearly all their games.”

Amy Cecere – Defense, 5-10: “Amy has as much athleticism as anyone in our class. She is tall and plays with a great amount of range defensively. When Sam and Amy play next to each other there is not a lot of daylight for attackers to see and their foot-speed closes down lanes in a hurry.”

Kelsey Wiglesworth – Midfield, 5-9: “Kelsey is deceptively fast but she is also tall and strong which are all rare combinations for midfielders. We think she is a blue-chip prospect who a lot of schools missed on. She is versatile and has a lot of potential.”

Kelly Lacy – Midfield/Defense, 5-5: “Kelly is a good athlete and one of the fiercest competitors in the class. She helped her volleyball team to a state title and her club team seldom lost a game. I love her passion and work ethic.”

Summer Wassel – Midfield/Defense, 5-4: “Summer has great quickness and is a very strong possession player. She is versatile and speedy and those are great attributes for our system.”

Allie Colson – Attack/Midfield, 5-3: “Allie has very soft hands around the goal. She is an excellent scorer. She is also very fast and quick and moves with deception. We think she is a great playmaker.”

Kirstin Purdy – Attack, 5-2: “Kirstin is a strong athlete who plays the transition game very well. She is a great connector on the field and a very hard worker off the field. She has not played lacrosse very long yet she is among the top players in the south. That speaks volumes to her potential.”

Katie Kastner – Goal Keeper, 5-5: “Katie is a nice stopper. She has a lot of energy and communicates as well as any keeper we have seen. In the south we feel she was the top goal keeper in the class of 2012.”

Kara Cunningham – Defense, 5-8: “Kara is a great defensive player who is a three-sport athlete. She is all-region in upstate New York which is a top proving ground for college players. We feel her athleticism is going to take over in college running our system.

Sally Holbert – Attack, 5-8: “Sally is a very productive high school player competing at a high level at Upper Arlington, one of the top programs in the Midwest. She is athletic and has good height on attack. She is a team-first player.”

LaxManiax Day Clinic Comes to the First Coast!

Players wishing to participate in the LaxManiax Day Clinic who are not signed up for LaxManiax can contact Linda.kelly@laxmaniax.com, or sarah.gallion@laxmaniax.com. The clinic is open to the public. More information is available at www.laxmaniax.com. The clinic takes place the day prior to the JEM Memorial Tournament, a local tournament that pledges its profits to Saving Duval County Girls Lacrosse. Information about the JEM may be found at JEMLAX.com.

Jacksonville, Florida - One of my favorite movies is Christmas Vacation. I think the older I get the more I recognize the funny relationships between the families. Clark’s never-pleased father-in-law is one of my favorites. Not because I like the guy but because his attitude creates much of the subtle humor of the film.

He’s the kind of guy who would watch his son-in-law someone walking on water and scream out to him, “What’s the matter, can’t you swim, Clark!?”

One of my favorite lines takes place when the families are in front of Clark’s house as he fails at turning the 60,000 Christmas lights on, a project that nearly got the man killed earlier in the movie. Lets face it, in real life and not comedic episodes that job probably would have! Clark’s wife sees the disappointment in his eyes and she empathizes by saying, “Clark worked so hard to get those lights working for you all!”

Clark’s father-in-law says quite matter of fact, “My dishwasher works hard.”

How blunt. How true.

Working hard, while at the core of many beliefs held in the US and elsewhere, is no ticket in and of itself to greatness. In fact, if you work hard at running fast without someone teaching you how to run fast, you will just reinforce what a bad runner you are and get frustrated. People mistake working hard for production all the time. I have had many ideas that have not succeeded despite my efforts. Companies go out of business all the time. Some of the worst teams in sports happen to be the best conditioned teams. At the pro level, people don’t look at the struggling teams and say, “Those teams need to get into bette shape!”

In lacrosse we often make the same mistakes.

As a coach, I try to avoid the mistake of conditioning bad habits. Before I condition my team I teach them how to run more efficiently and faster and I analyze how they move. If they can move more efficiently and faster, they may not need to condition as much because they will be using less energy to move. Most importantly, the teams condition speed and not their old slowness they may bring in from their past experience as an athlete.

Going to the wall for an hour is not good enough if your feet are not engaged correctly. It doesn’t work if you are not focused on your stickprotection. If you can’t catch with one hand, moving on to two hands will often show you as a ‘stiff wristed’ player who looks rigid and uncomfortable. So, just going to the wall and working hard will not take your game to the next level either.

Becoming a great lacrosse player requires the right information AND hard work. Doing things correctly. Your team can become “decent” by just working hard, but guess what? They will always fail against teams that work hard and work smart! Maniax Day Clinics and Camps are amongst the best way for our athletes in Florida to stay current on the best ways to develop their talents while working hard. The best way to take advantage of these clinics is to attend all of them, and work on what you learned repetitively in between them!

The next Maniax Day Clinic ($100 for new participants/included in LaxManiax membership) is coming up on Saturday, September 3rd, noon-5pm at Landrum Lacrosse Park in Ponte Vedra, Florida. What a great chance for any lacrosse player to use their time wisely! Coaches from colleges as well as college players who used to be Florida high school players (alums!) will also be putting on the clinic.

While hard work does not equal success, Laziness does equate to failure. Does the word LaxManiax sound very ‘lazy’ to anyone? No way! We are obsessed with being the best we can through hard work and most importantly, a very well thought, detailed, and highly successful PLAN of ACTION!

See everyone next Saturday!

2011 Fall Ball – Year #6 Brings New Lax to the First Coast!

Jacksonville University Players and Coaches serve as clinic instructors and coaches for the middle and elementary school divisions. Many also officiate in the league.

St. Johns, Florida - First Coast Lacrosse League enters its fourth season in north Florida. The first league date of competition is Sunday, October 9th and the league competes each Sunday thru November 6th.

Blessed by the backing of the area’s top coaches, park and recreation complex, and college players, FCL will be another smash hit! To date, more than 2,000 girls have participated in the league, including more than 1,000 first-time players! Learn about your age-group below! The league has an open house on Sunday, September 25th where you may try new equipment and ask the experts questions about lacrosse!

High School: A 16-team league using last year’s fun format of three :25 minute, full field games each Sunday at Plantation Park. Coaches should contact Paul McCord at Paul.McCord@mccsportsinc.com or Linda.Kelly@mccsportsinc.com to secure their spot in the league. As of today, more than ten spaces have been reserved for the league. High school teams practice with their coach on their own and compete in a season ending tournament on the final day of competition!

Middle School: As many as 8-teams representing individual middle schools will be participating in Sunday clinic taught by JU coaches and players, Sunday middle school challenge full-field games, and a weekly skills practice to develop lax IQ. Local high school and college coaches and players will be involved in the league.

Elementary School: You can’t get a better value than five consecutive Sundays of lacrosse coached by JU coaches and players! Why not learn the game from the area’s best teachers and competitors in the sport? Each Sunday brings a two-hour clinic and small games format that is guaranteed to improve your lacrosse skills!

Registration is now open! CLICK HERE!

Bartram Trail’s Sarah Gallion Joins Jacksonville University Staff

Jacksonville, Florida - The JU women’s lacrosse team will have a fresh face on the coaching staff as head coach Mindy McCord added former Johns Hopkins standout Sarah Gallion to the fold as a volunteer assistant.
Gallion brings a wealth of experience as a coach and player to the JU program. She will fill the role vacated by former graduate assistant coach Jen Heup, who finished her master’s degree in the spring.

“We’re excited to add someone who has excelled as a coach and player to our staff,” McCord said. “Sarah has been already been a successful coach at the high school and club levels and I can’t wait for her to bring her skills and experience to help our program.”

“College coaching has always been an aspiration of mine since high school and I am very excited to start the journey with a great group of women and a phenomenal coaching staff,” commented Gallion. “I was really interested in developing my coaching philosophy and learning about all that goes into collegiate coaching before I took that next step. Working with MCC Sports and LaxManiax while coaching Bartram Trail has enabled me to put together a comprehensive philosophy. It’s taught me how to multi-task successfully in many areas, being able to work with a variety of different athletes and different peers. This experience has really progressed my ability to teach in a diverse way.”

Gallion made a quick transition from star player to the coaching ranks. She most recently coached in the Under Armour All-America Lacrosse Classic, leading her team to a tournament championship at the prestigious all-American Showcase for her club program, the LaxManiax Elite. Her teams earned undefeated records at two major northern tournaments competing against the nation’s top club programs.

Gallion also served as head coach of local prep powerhouse Bartram Trail, helping the squad remain one of the top programs in north Florida with consecutive district championships. During her tenure, the Bears posted a 42-13 cumulative record. Her final senior class saw four players move on to college teams, including three who earned Division I scholarships.

Prior to coaching with Bartram Trail and the LaxManiax, Gallion coached her former prep club team, North East Maryland Select (NEMS). She gained her first coaching experience during her time at Johns Hopkins, working with the Little Jays youth league team.

A former captain and four-year varsity starter for Blue Jays, Gallion twice was named her school’s “Defensive Player of the Year” award. As a senior, she earned all-American Lacrosse Conference honors in 2008.

Gallion played in the prestigious IWLCA North-South Senior all-star game as a defender, helping her South team to a win. The appearance capped a stellar career in which the Bel Air, Md. native also earned Second Team All-ALC and Second Team Mid-Atlantic Region honors as a sophomore.

Gallion starred for Maryland’s C. Milton Wright High School from 2001-04 and was a four-year starter and varsity MVP her junior and senior seasons. She was a team captain and earned first-team all-Baltimore Metro in her final two seasons.

MCC Sports and First Coast Lax step up to Save Duval Girls Lacrosse

JU battled UF at JU last year in Duval County. The state's first Men/Women lax program tandem was founded where else, Duval County!

Jacksonville, Florida - The death penalty. That is the switch that gets pulled by the government when the most undesirable criminal elements pass through the system. That controversial measure eliminates the most horrid criminal offenders. Those who have done tremendous harm to society. So why would youth sports be a government target for the death penalty?

We can wonder why it is so easy for government officials to use programs that benefit our kids through investment and therefore project our society forward until we are blue in the face. Does any sane, and rational person see the point of following the path that Duval Public Schools has been on for the past 10 years? Certainly not the path anyone would want to see their sports program go. Eliminate sports programs and see things like teen pregnancy, juvenile justice bills, and unemployment rise. What do they think the economy needs – a bunch of teenagers entering the work force?

They have no idea.

But we have a great idea. Let’s find a way to FUNd Duval County Girl’s Lacrosse. Jon Fox still has no idea what the lines mean or the rules are for girl’s lacrosse, but that doesn’t mean that the sport is not the fastest growing youth sport in the nation. Maybe if he had a daughter who played he would know the rules. What’s important is that we all know the rules…well most of us anyhow…and we can do something to keep the girls playing lacrosse. First Coast Lacrosse League, LaxManiax Elite Lacrosse Club, and the Living Crosse Foundation are teaming up in an effort to raise $12,000 for the Duval County Girl’s Lacrosse Programs.

FCL is going to make a donation based on the total league participants this year. Last year, more than 400 girls competed in the Fall league and gained valuable experience in a relatively stress-free environment. This year, for every participant who signs up, $10 will be donated to the Living Crosse Foundation to be given to Duval County Athletics for Girls Lacrosse. FIRSTCOASTLAX.com

In addition, the JEM Memorial Tournament JEMLAX.com will be donating their profits to Duval County Athletics. The tournament is run by the Living Crosse Foundation in support of Florida’s grass roots lacrosse programs. In addition to donating proceeds from team fees, the JEM will also host a Braveheart Tournament, a hardest shot competition, and a shot accuracy competition with prizes involved to assist in the fund raising. There may also be a hat passed around too . We hope to raise a significant amount of funds from the tournament.

As a local lacrosse person, I want to make sure that everyone knows that lacrosse is truly a community game. We are proud of having served the lax community for the past six years in many different ways. I would like to challenge those of you who have been blessed financially to help with this effort – it will have a tremendous impact on the lives of these young student-athletes for years to come! This is the final piece of the puzzle – individuals who can step up and help, doing so and feeling good about it!

Here is a challenge! I will personally match every $1,000 gift for Duval County Girls Lacrosse up to $5,000! Let’s make a difference this year and work to insure that this doesn’t happen again by redesigning and reinvigorating the Duval programs! Everyone who donates will have their name listed on the front page of the FCL website in a section called “Duval Lax Life Savers”. Now if that doesn’t make you want to part with your pesos I don’t know what will (I am kidding of course).

If you would like to join us in supporting the drive for Duval County girls lacrosse, please email me at paul.mccord@mccsportsinc.com. There are a lot of great ways to get involved.

Let’s be clear: There WILL be girl’s lacrosse in Duval County this year. No doubt about it!

Fox Should Cut Himself, Not Lacrosse, in Duval County Budget Crisis

Jacksonville, Florida - While battles rage throughout small municipalities and larger ones on what to do with budget shortfalls, tough choices are being made. In Duval County they face a shortfall of millions of dollars for the 2011-12 fiscal year. One of the popular ways to trim the multimillion dollar budget deficit is to cut sports from the docket. Cutting sports saves as much as 5% of the total shortfall.

But sports cost kids opportunities to stay out of trouble after school and helps build confidence and character, some would say even more so than classes themselves. The cost to the county in juvenile court costs would more than make up for the monies (as much as 5%) saved by removing options for kids to do good and build positive lives.

One of the sports on the chopping blocks is lacrosse. Considering the incredible lack of support showed lacrosse by the district athletics office over the past five years (the county field crews still cannot line a field correctly) this comes as no surprise. Duval County Athletics Director Jon Fox until recently was unaware that there was any difference between women’s and men’s lacrosse.

In one meeting with Fox, he felt that the South Eastern Conference (SEC) was going to name “women’s flag football” as its next sport. Seriously! Fox, an athletic director in a county of more than one million people, thinks that the SEC is adding women’s flag football to their list of sports! He may have missed when the University of Florida, Jacksonville University, Stetson, Rollins, Florida Southern, and St. Leo University all named lacrosse an NCAA varsity sport. I doubt University of Florida AD Jeremy Foley, or Jacksonville University AD Alan Verlander would ever start a flag football program. Although the intra-mural beer leagues of the SEC more than likely have co-ed flag football as an option. Maybe “rough touch” girls football will become the Big-10′s next sport. Just ask AD Fox, he seems to be the authority of girl’s flag football.

Build a Better Mouse Trap

St. Johns County has no county athletics director and no county office for athletics, yet their sports programs dominate those of the Duval county school districts. In fact, the county eliminated the position of ‘County AD’ about seven years ago. Is there any reason for Duval County to pay his six-figure salary to “run” the athletics programs for the county when St. Johns County schools operate just fine without them?

Fox has operated an athletic program that has pushed non-inter collegiate sports, like girl’s flag football (which was NOT on the chopping block) behind Fox’s pro-football agenda. Girl’s flag football allows Fox to pay football coaches more money while seemingly being under the requirements of Title IX. Fox’s inability to manage the athletic programs in Duval County while he offers pet projects like flag football to retain football coaches should be called into question in these tough times.

Rather than cut lacrosse, a savings of less than $100,000, the county should cut the antiquated AD’s office, a savings of closer to $200,000. Follow the much more successful and cost effective model in St. Johns County and modernize its scholastic sports effort to be streamlined for the times. Contact your school board member and ask for a review of the costs that Duval County has through AD Fox’s office. Maybe it is time for change to come to Duval County.

JU Video Highlights 2010

Jacksonville, Florida - With an undefeated conference regular season championship in the bag and a 12-4 record competing against many of the top programs in the country, JU has accumulated some impressive high lights. Follow the code below from the coach’s website to check out why JU is one of the fastest teams competing in the “fastest game on two feet”.

JU Women’s Lax Hilights from Paul McCord on Vimeo.

SEND US YOUR TEAM’S VIDEO LINK! If you are from the First Coast area and your team has a high light video somewhere on the web (YouTube, Vimeo, etc.), send us the source code and we will link to your team’s high light video! It’s easy, it’s fast, and it is great for everyone to see the excitement of the game in north Florida!

The Fins Claim First Title

The JU women's lacrosse team celebrates the school's first-ever lacrosse championship in just their second season.

Clinton, South Carolina – The JU Dolphins women’s lacrosse team continued its winning ways today with a stellar 24-goal offensive output and solid goal keeping en route to a 24-9 National Lacrosse Conference win on the road.

Amanda Hurley (SO – Columbus, Georgia) scored six goals and Morgan Derner (FR – Lake Mary, Florida) added five as the JU women’s lacrosse team defeated Presbyterian, 24-9, to clinch a perfect record in the National Lacrosse Conference on Saturday at Old Bailey Stadium in Clinton, S.C.

The Dolphins (12-4, 7-0) finished the regular season undefeated against the NLC and with an eight-game winning streak overall. JU entered the game having already won the league’s regular season championship. Head coach Mindy McCord’s team will be the top seed in the eight-team NLC Tournament starting April 29 on Davidson’s campus.

“We’re excited for the top seed and a regular season title, but we’re not satisfied,” McCord said. “Our goal remains to win the conference tournament and we’re happy to go in with momentum following a win against a skilled Presbyterian team.”

In just the second year of the program, the Dolphins have dominated conference opponents in earning the first regular season crown in school history. In seven NLC games, the Dolphins out-scored opponents, 139-51. On the season, opponents are clearing at just 67% on the year against 84% for the Dolphins. The possession difference is amongst the best in the nation. Presbyterian (4-11, 2-4) saw themselves clear the ball just six times during the game while losing possession nine times. The 40% success rate created numerous second chance opportunities for the JU shooters.

Against Presbyterian, JU scored 11 goals in the first half and 13 in the second half to crack the 20-goal plateau for the fifth time this season.

Derner finished with seven points and became the first player in JU history to score 40 goals in a season. The freshman attacker fell one point shy of tying her season high but will enter the postseason as JU’s leader in goals and points (52), setting Dolphin records for both despite missing two games due to illness.

Hurley was one of six JU players to score multiple goals against the Blue Hose. The sophomore attacker is now second on the team with 26 goals despite starting just two contests. Hurley will carry a five-game scoring streak into the postseason, racking up 16 goals during that stretch.

Fellow freshman Jen Cosgrove (FR – Kent Island, Maryland) recorded her third consecutive hat track. The reigning NLC “Player of the Week” registered three goals against Presbyterian and has 10 in her last three games.

Presbyterian moved to within 7-4 almost 20 minutes in before JU went on a game-ending 17- 5 run. Kayleigh Hynes scored three goals while Ali Hoffman and Rachel Krell both added two goals to cap the blowout.

Derner, Hurley, Cosgrove and Ellyn Spangenberg (SO – Oviedo, Florida) have already scored 20 or more goals during the current campaign. JU’s offensive ability was again on display, as the Dolphins out-shot the Blue Hose, 39-23.

JU continues to move up the charts in the NCAA rankings, earning top-five status going into the final week of the regular season. The JU attack is averaging 15.9 goals per game. The high octane group is spearheaded by Derner, but features ten players who have scored 20 or more points and another three who have scored 11 or more points. This type of scoring is very unique in women’s lacrosse where normally only a few players crack the 20 point plateau.

“Some teams do not utilize thirteen players on a regular basis, so to have that many contributing to our scoring on a high level has been great,” commented JU attack coach Adam Norton, a former Stanford championship head coach. “We run our players at practice every day and they all contribute. We do not have to worry if one or two of our players are not on because we will figure out who is on and play the hot hand. I have never been around such a diverse group of athletes.”

During the contest with Presbyterian, JU utilized all thirty of its rostered players, twelve of whom scored points on the day. The game marked the third appearance of all rostered players this season.

Bo Kimble to Visit JU Lacrosse, Promote 44 for Life

In honor of fallen teammate Hank Gathers' life, Bo Kimble shot his first free throw of the 1990 NCAA tournament left handed, a skill that Gathers worked on tirelessly going into his senior year in an effort to improve his free throw shooting. Gathers died tragically in a game after collapsing due to a heart defect prior to the NCAA tournament.

Jacksonville, Florida – Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Just ask Bo Kimble what he thinks about the Jacksonville University women’s lacrosse team’s success in just their second season as a Division I program.

“They are literally running the same system as we used to run at LMU (Loyola Marymount University) but in women’s lacrosse. Now I don’t know that much about lacrosse, but it’s pretty cool to think that our style of play is being used in different sports.” Said Bo Kimble, the former LMU point guard who led the nation in scoring his senior season at LMU. “If you put in the work and you are faster to the ball than you can do things that your opponent’s can’t.”

The formula seems to work very well for the Dolphins who carry a 7-4 record (2-0 in the National Lacrosse Conference) into this weekend’s critical double header against undefeated conference rivals Liberty and Longwood.

“Watching the 30-for-30 special about Bo and his team at LMU, it became clear that their style of play complemented the types of athletes that we have at Jacksonville University,” commented Mindy McCord, head women’s lacrosse coach. “A coach can draw many parallels between the sports of basketball and women’s lacrosse and the types of schools and athletic programs at Loyola Marymount and JU. The system was a natural fit and Bo’s team-first personality and fearlessness are great mentors for our young team.”

“The System” of play is very different from other ways of playing women’s lacrosse. It does not rely on stick skills as the primary mechanism of success, but conditioning is a huge key. The system has developed eleven JU players with more than 10 points this season. Only seven may play on attack at a time, giving opponent’s fits in terms of scouting. Opponents never know who the hot Dolphin is going to be game by game. With more than a dozen players on their roster from non-traditional states, it makes sense for JU to play an unconventional style of play.

Kimble led the nation in scoring in 1990, averaging 35.3 points per game in LMU’s frenetic system taught by then-coach Paul Westhead. His teams led the nation in scoring (124 points per game) and to this day still hold the most combined point scores in NCAA history. It was not uncommon for LMU to place five players in double figures in scoring in a game. Kimble led his upstart small school program to the Elite-8 in the 1990 NCAA basketball tournament. The season is chronicled in part of the ESPN 30-for-30 special “Guru of Go”. During that season, Bo’s best friend and teammate Hank Gathers passed away tragically due to a heart condition. Bo and his team dedicated the remainder of the season to the fallen Hank, and now Bo and his fiancé Dr. Tamara Goode, have dedicated their lives to prevention of sudden death at sporting events through their 44-for-Life Foundation.

“Having family members who have been saved thanks to CPR and AED training, we owe a special debt to the workers on the front lines of this issue. The 44-for-Life Foundation provides education, training, and equipment to schools and programs nationwide while providing emotional support to those who have lost family and teammates. Bo and Tami are very special people to us personally and provide more inspiration than just the system.” Added McCord.

McCord’s father-in-law, Jim McCord, was saved twice during his life by CPR and AED’s. Once at age 50, and a second time at age 68.

“The life that my father-in-law led touched so many lives and his life was a direct result of being near people who were trained in heart related life-support. These are skills taught by the 44-for-Life Foundation. More lives will be saved as a result of the things that Bo and Tami are doing and we support their work.”

Jim McCord (left) was able to enjoy many years with family, including son Paul (middle) and grandaughter Taylor (right) thanks to technology (AED) and CRP trained roofer who heroically gave McCord CPR for 20-minutes after he had suffered heart failure in his Venice, Florida home. Doctors credit the CPR for saving his life and preventing brain damage due to oxygen loss in the brain.

44-for-Life’s mission touches First Coast lacrosse in even more direct ways. Several years ago, Fletcher Goal Keeper James Hendrix was struck in the chest with a shot, stopping his heart. His high school coach Josh Covelli, a quick thinking paramedic, was able to revive him utilizing his training and background in lifesaving techniques! The school’s AED was used to shock Hendrix back to a stable heart beat. The incident shows how lives can be saved through technology and education. Hendrix did not have a cardica defect, so he returned to play lacrosse after recovering from his chest injury.

photo courtesy of lacrosse.com - Fletcher head coach Josh Covelli, armed with an AED, helped to save James Hendrix after a shot hit him in the wrong place causing his heart to stop.

Lacrosse has experienced cardiac related deaths similar to basketball. In states like Florida where heat may be a mitigating factor, having CPR trained personnel and every game and AEDs at all sporting events is essential to continuing to prevent cardiac-related deaths. Cornell’s George Boiardi was killed when he was struck in the chest with a ball in 2004.

Dr. Goode and Mr. Kimble will address the JU Women’s lacrosse team on Saturday and share their inspirational story. On Sunday, Bo will serve as honorary game captain when JU takes on conference rival Longwood University. Longwood is the two-time defending conference champion, and has not been defeated in conference play since the inception of the NLC in 2009. JU started their program in 2010 and is the only team in the history of the league to hold a half-time lead against the reining champions.

Morgan Derner (Lake Mary, Florida) uses her speed and fitness to run "the system". Could she be the Hank the Bank of JU lacrosse? Her teammates will honor #44 on Sunday when they take on defending champion Longwood at noon.

“I am so excited to serve as an honorary game captain on Sunday. We are grateful for all the positive messages that are being spread regarding our cause to get AED’s in every school nationwide. The awareness of our foundation and the cause is the most valuable aspect of what we do as a foundation.” Added Kimble.

The JU Women’s team will hold a fundraiser for the 44-for-Life Foundation at the Sunday game. Those wishing to donate may bring checks to “44-for-Life Foundation” or contribute cash. Individuals wishing to become involved with or donate personally to the foundation may visit the website 44forlife.org for more information.

“Their foundation puts into perspective what college sports are all about. If we can use sports as a vehicle to make our society better by developing leaders like Bo and Tami within our program at JU, then we are fulfilling our true duties as coaches. And the
system is fun to run too.” Said McCord.

The Dolphins have already surpassed their regular season win mark from the 2010 campaign where they obtained six regular season wins en route to an 8-11 opening season. They can clinch a winning season by sweeping their opponents this weekend. The Fins, at 2-0 in league play, would put themselves in the driver seat for the NLC regular season title with wins over Liberty and Longwood, each of whom sport undefeated conference records (2-0 and 3-0 respectively). JU defeated conference foes High Point (7-2, 2-1) 17-10 and pesky Davidson (1-8, 0-2) 13-9 last weekend. Davidson defeated JU twice in their first season, including the conference semi-finals when they dropped JU in a heart breaker 10-9 in the final minutes.

“Every game is a championship game to us. Every opponent is dangerous. We have to play our game and do our best each time out on the field in order to become a champion. Liberty and Longwood coming into town will present us with another ‘conference tournament’ feel just like last weekend’s games. We have to focus on each game with zoom focus in order to be successful.”

About Bo Kimble:
Featured in the ESPN special series, “30-for-30” in the documentary “Guru of Go”.
Played prep basketball at Dobbins Tech in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Player at USC as a freshmen before transferring to Loyola Marymount
Led #11 seed LMU to the elite-8 in the 1990 NCAA tournament
Led the nation in scoring his senior season, 35.3 points per game
Drafted in the first round of the 1990 NBA Draft (8th overall by Denver)
Currently on the Board of Directors of the ’44-for-Life Foundation’
44-for-Life Website

A JU/LMU History:
Bo’s LMU team played against JU during his senior year. Bo matched up against Dee Brown in a showdown that ended with a 106-105 overtime victory for LMU. The game is considered one of the best basketball games ever played in Jacksonville. The point guard match-up was perhaps the greatest match-up between small-college Division-I point guards of all time. Bo and Dee became friends, competing against each other in the National Basketball Association in future years. Dee Brown was a Jacksonville-area prep product. Hank Gathers was the second player in NCAA history to lead the nation in both scoring and rebounding. The first: Artis Gilmore, a Jacksonville University standout in the early 70′s.