Often a question for many high school seniors who are preparing for college is, how can I play the sport that I love if I wasn’t recruited to play? The simple answer; club sports, and at SUNY Cortland the red dragons club lacrosse team is one of the best.
A common misconception regarding club sports is the competitive level that they play at. The red dragons club lacrosse team play in the Division one NCLL (National College Lacrosse League) conference which has the likes of The Ohio State University, the University of Maryland, and the United States Naval Academy. Two consecutive Empire conference championships in the past two years have allowed Cortland to travel and play in the NCLL national tournament. In 2022 losing to the number one seeded United States Naval Academy, and in 2023 losing to the number four seeded Penn State University.
“Wasn’t the way we wanted to end the year, but I couldn’t have done it without everyone ready to do anything they could to help the team,” said former captain and Cortland graduate Chris Cascio. “The defense was solid and had the ability to shut down key opponents at the right times, I can’t thank the guys enough.”
The success of the red dragons is remarkable considering the stiff competition that they have faced in their conference; against division one schools.
But where has this success come from? Five-year club lacrosse player and Cortland graduate student Dean Chapman says the success has always been here.
“I believe the seniors and the graduate students played a huge role in showing the younger guys that it is really just about playing the sport you love and having fun while doing it,” said Chapman. “Those guys were huge for me when I first started, and I hope I was able to repay it to the younger guys this past year.”
Former captain and Cortland graduate Justin Goldschmidt says comradery and trial and error are huge for leadership and for the team as a whole. “It’s very much an open forum and really about making sure that everyone has a say in some of the decisions,” says Goldschmidt. “We don’t have a coach or figure of authority and I felt it put the ball in the team’s court and the guys bought in and always stepped up to the plate.”
With significantly less members than the team today, the Cortland club lacrosse team were still competitive and had some runs of success in the past.
“The comradery of the team was really high and because there were only about twenty-five – thirty of us we were all really close and it showed on the field,” said Goldschmidt. “Although we don’t have a trophy or plaque to go with it, we battled hard and had some great games and trips.”
One of the big changes that has occurred over the past few years is the schedule in which the club team has played. Over recent years, the red dragons have been able to travel to more tournaments and more schools that in the past would not have welcomed Cortland. Two years of being consistently ranked among the top twenty teams in the conference has allowed the red dragons to open up their schedule and play teams that were considered, “out of their league”.
A rough tournament this year in Maryland at the Beltway Bash humbled the red dragons slightly as they lost all three games, by wide margins, to the University of Maryland, University of Vermont, and Ohio State University. Although the red dragons were not at full strength, the loses seemed to light a fire under the team as they then went on to clinch the empire conference at home against rivals Cornell and Union.
“I think we left that tournament knowing that it wasn’t our best, it definitely took a little bit of our confidence away,” said junior attackman Ricky Hill. “But coming home and beating Cornell was huge for us as a team.”
Without a coach, some may say a team may have additional difficulties including a lack of concentration and direction or trouble resolving problems. Each member is responsible for their own performance and contributions, and this can create a greater sense of ownership and accountability for their actions and outcomes. But on the other hand, situations can get dicey as soon as members put personal gains over the gains of the team.
“Playing without a coach can be really challenging sometimes, especially when ego’s get in the way,” said Chapman. “It’s hard for Chris (Cascio) to make decisions when he was on the field, so a lot of times it is about accountability and respect.”
Problems can arise once the captain or leader are unable to make decisions and game plans are thrown off as a result of no constant leader on the sidelines.
“It is nice to know the team looks to you for answers, but it can be really stressful at times,” said Cascio. “Transparency and communication with everyone proved to be super helpful when explaining drills or game plans.”
But in a year where a record number of students joined the club lacrosse team, one of the main problems was keeping track of all the newcomers.
“With the number of new members this past year, I have learned that organization makes things a lot easier and a lot more efficient,” said junior midfielder Gunnar Johnson, the newly elected President and captain. “It is especially important to keep an eye on the big picture as well, and I am fully prepared to take on this extremely important role.”
Not many sports teams can operate without a coach, but club sports have found ways to be successful and still be valuable to students. In many cases players are able to “play their own game” as opposed to the agenda or game plan of a coach which may negatively affect the player.
According to Laura M. Miele Ph.D. and Psychology Today, “Coaches often feel the pressure to win throughout the season, sometimes inadvertently projecting their anxiety onto their players. Regardless, this can break down a player mentally and physically. It will eventually generate a domino effect where one player will shut down, and then another, etc.”
These cases often times will occur in high school where coaches may have a reputation to maintain or outside voices having a say over team aspects. In addition, favoritism plays a role in how coaches feel about their student athletes, adding to the student athletes’ negative outlook on the coach or the particular sport that they are playing. Although this does not happen in college club sports, many athletes have had coaches who have ruined a sport for them. Once these athletes arrive in college, they may have given up the sport but still have a love for the sport, in which case they can transfer to a club sport where they are free from a coaching or authority figure. Effective communication between the captain and the athletes helps prevent misunderstandings, confusion, and a lack of trust on the part of the team.
With success and growth comes change, and for the red dragons a few changes will be in effect next year. After a year that involved many missing practices or games, more of structural set of rules was implemented in order to make sure that those who play have bought in 100% to the success of the team as a whole. Cuts will be implemented at the beginning of each semester as well as mandatory practices for everyone who makes the team.
“Structure is something that we quickly learned is crucial for allowing the team to run smoothly,” said junior defensemen and elected secretary Nick DeFelice. “But these are good problems to have, and these changes will set the foundation for what is to come in the future.”
In addition, Trevor Cusick will fill in the new Vice President roll, after just his first year on the team. Cusick became the faceoff man for the red dragons and immediately made his presence felt becoming a valuable part of the transition game on offense.
“I am really looking forward to my role next year, but I also know how tough it will be,” said Cusick. “I really fell in love with taking faceoffs and it became a way for me to make an immediate impact on a really skilled team.”
In addition to Cusick, Johnson, and DeFelice, junior Andrew Trezza will finish out the board with the Treasury position.
“I believe the changes being made will benefit the club not just now, but in the future too,” said Trezza. “We were able to see the kinks this year and now it is just about ironing them out and looking ahead.”
While having a coach can surely be beneficial, it is not always necessary for a team to succeed. By promoting open communication, solid relationships, and a feeling of purpose among their members, teams without a coach can succeed. Team members can build the knowledge and skills required for success by controlling what they can and holding one another accountable. As seen with club lacrosse, without a coach, team members can develop their own individual techniques, assume leadership roles, and acquire a sense of pride and ownership in their accomplishments.
Success for a team ultimately depends on the commitment, effort, and cooperation of its members, coach or no coach. Looking towards the future, with many seniors graduating and new members filling positions, the red dragons may look a lot different. Following the changes, Cortland looks to stay consistent next year with another conference championship and whatever else falls in their path.
“I think we are all a little tired of finishing up in the same spot these past two seasons,” said junior defensemen Peter Hespe. “We are hungry, and we definitely play with a chip on our shoulders, especially when we make it to the tournament against these division one schools. Most of them have never heard of Cortland and we are looking forward to changing that.”