Priorities... get em straight or face the music!

On the field, it has been an interesting year to say the least, but there is an interesting non-playing trend afoot and it is more disturbing than anything.

Lacrosse players have always been regarded as party-animals and wild-children/men/man-children but the day has come where that behavior absolutely needs to be modified. Colleges have made that clear this year with a number of season cancellations, firings and suspensions. Now, I don't miss the days where college administrators looked the other way for athletes, especially since the preferential treatment got SO out of hand in many sports [Division 1 football and basketball in particular] but I could see how a lot of people would be surprised. The surprise comes from the change inherent in years of people looking the other way and now refusing to do so.

College lacrosse players and college athletes in general need to realize this and make a declaration about why they are at school in the first place. Is it to play sports, skip class and drink all day? My advice to you would be to drop out. Is it to get a good education, grow as an individual and play a little lax? My advice there is to keep at it because you have it nailed! I personally tried to be the latter but feel like most people regarded me as the former. So as a former meat head drunk I can honestly say I made the wrong decisions and should have focused on my academics and growth as a person much more than I did. I probably could have drank a lot less too.

Arizona State's club lacrosse team had its season cancelled. Denver just kicked 3 kids off of their D1 team [for reasons unknown at this time] Ursinus' coaching staff was fired and Curry has now cancelled the rest of their season. Some of these penalties were levied for reasons beyond just drinking but it all plays into the commitment needed to be a college athlete. Not everyone can handle the responsibility and that is becoming more clear every single day. However, don't expect the rules to bend for you because you're a jock since it looks like they are being enforced more strictly... and I believe that is a good and much needed change.