The 2012 season is here and we wanted to work closely with college programs to bring a part of the excitement to you. Throughout the 2012 season we will highlight lacrosse programs on our space for all of our readers to follow. Player blogs serve as a unique outlet for programs to showcase their season as it develops, plus highlight everything they have to offer a student-athlete. In contrast, families and fans get a glimpse into the program’s athletic and academic regimen.
Mike “Big Mike” Whalen
Morgan State Lacrosse
Blog #1
I know all too well the struggles of being a white lacrosse player at an HBCU. That’s how I felt. Coming from Calvert Hall, I didn’t make varsity, but I played club for two years with the Dirty Birds (Calvert Hall Red Birds) under Coach Frank Kelly. I learned the game from my friend Meegs and from playing with and watching kids in the talented class of ’09.
Even though I played my summer ball with BlaxLax, an inner-city lax group; Morgan was a real culture shock for me. It was like the game slowed down, but I couldn’t catch up. It was a different type of lacrosse like the difference between Baltimore city public schools and the MIAA. No offense to the athletes, that’s just how it is. The amazing thing was; no matter how many people had played the game before or even knew what the game was about, they were willing to put on pads and find out. The ones who remained on the team show their dedication to learning and getting better by coming out to practices, paying for their own equipment and giving their time.
Even though we now have a place to practice and a of couple goals, it would be nice to have home games in the stadium where the school could come and support us. For now, most of our games are away, so even getting to games is a commitment. But we go, and we play hard. We’ll see if our record shows that commitment at the end of the season.
We are a self-funded team but have had tremendous support from Kelly and Associates and other local businesses. If you are interested in donating or have any other questions please feel free to contact us:
Email: morganstatelax@yahoo.com
Twitter: @morganstatelax
1 comment
These dudes ball hard. Conventional lacrosse play doesn’t matter when they out-hustle you to every groundball.
Morgan is a solid opponent for any team. Don’t sell yourself short, Big Mike.