Picard said that the emphasis on character was one of the most poignant ingredients to their success: "It was our way of including each town program in on the process. We wanted them to honor the leaders and the youth athletes who best embodied the spirit of the game. And that extra step really proved its worth."
With personality as heavily weighted as skill, the team's composition gave organizers many reasons to be proud. "We surrounded ourselves with 44 of the most coachable and well-behaved athletes,” said Picard. “And not by coincidence, a support structure of parents, grandparents, siblings, and friends came to Denver and cheered us on with class, integrity, and affability. I truly believe it made all the difference.”
At the tryouts, the athletes went through a series of three drills and a game-simulated scrimmage that was devised and run by Mitch Belisle and Will Manny of both Trilogy Lacrosse and the Boston Cannons.
Belisle's and Manny's participation was an extraordinary treat, to both player and administrator alike. They were organized, vocal, quick to offer a helpful correction, and supportive of all the athletes.
A group of impartial evaluators, including MBYLL trainers, coaches, and board members, wandered the fields quietly and observantly. They made notes and graded the athletes on everything from their "off-hand" shot to their field vision and voice.
After two grueling, but productive sessions, the tallies were calculated, the statistics were compiled, and a report was generated. Three days later, in the MBYLL office in Natick, a selection committee poured through the data and chose the 44 inaugural members of the Mass Bay Colonials.
Coming Together
With 54 days until the World Lacrosse Championships' opening ceremonies, Spangenberg, Zaccardo, and Picard had many more items yet to be crossed off their "to-do" list. Among them were player acceptances and deposits, the recruiting and selection of coaches, the implementation of a practice plan, and the creation of a winning scheme.
"The MBYLL tournament committee met frequently, stayed focused on a host of challenges, and were very decisive in developing an organized plan for players, coaches, and families," said Zaccardo.
In exchange for their role in the shaping of the tryouts, Trilogy Lacrosse asked MBYLL to commit to sending as many of the newly-formed Colonials to their New England camp in Deerfield for team preparation and bonding.
Camp director and Trilogy national director Matt Striebel took on the challenge of designing a camp regimen that tailored to a team identity, which proved to be essential to the team chemistry. Three scheduled practices would be no where near enough preparation to properly harmonize these unfamiliar teammates.
Three practices would have to be enough, however. The Colonials came from all corners of the league: from as far north as Chelmsford, as far west as Dudley-Charlton, a handful of players from the South Shore and Cape Cod including two boys from Martha's Vineyard,
and peppering all points in between.
Weston High School was the chosen venue for two of the three practices. The high turnout was indicative of the excitement the athletes had for the opportunity and the dedication to the sport by both player and parent—some requiring a three-hour drive to get there.
"They were all so eager to get along and play at the highest level possible," said Tom Atkins, former director of MBYLL Select and head coach of the U15 Colonials. "We let the boys play and they naturally showed us their best skills. Then it was just a matter of putting everyone in the best place on the field to use their natural talent. It ended up working out very well. The boys complemented each other on the field quite nicely."
Spangenberg was named head coach of U13. Completing the U13 coaching staff were Zaccardo, Chris Weber of Hull, and Peter Larsen of Northborough-Southborough. Supplementing Atkins at the U15 level were John Roberts of Melrose, Craig Pietz of Dudley-Charlton and Larry Cordio of Leominster, secretary of MBYLL.
"I can't say enough how pleased I was with our coaching staff, said Atkins. “Every one of us was used to being a head coach, so I thought it would be best for each of us to have specific responsibilities. It allowed me to really focus on the players and getting good matchups on the field."
With the exception of Spangenberg, Zaccardo, and Atkins, each of the Colonials coaches had sons named to the team and represented the league as both MBYLL certified coach and proud, supportive parent.
"Being able to share this experience with my son was awesome," said Weber, whose son Bode was named one of two goalies to the U13 team. "This was my third world games so it is cool to know we will always share the memories of this one together. Makes it the best one so far."
8 The Scoop / Winter '15