UNC Lacrosse Project: Friday Run Day, Fun Day

Originally weightlifting was on the schedule today. But I saw the players make a quick sprint out of the locker room past me for what I thought was just a pre-lifting warm-up. A couple players who were not running though told me the herd was heading to the Ernie Smith Field House. Mike Munnelly was kind enough to walk me over the field house. Despite being back in North Carolina for the last three years, this was my first time in the new Field House. When I was in school, in the new Field House’s place was the old “Tin Can” as it was called. So it was great to see this new facility and my Rams Club donations at work. Boo yah.

I was worried the Field House would be too dark to take photos with, but found it to not be as bad as I expected. It was around 1/250, f/2.8 at ISO 1250 for photo heads. In the center of the ceiling is a large skylight letting in natural light. This natural light helped to both add light, but also wash out the bad color casts that the fixed lighting in the Field House emit.

The team did a run test for which I can’t remember the name they termed it. The players ran 20 yards forward then back 20 yards to the starting position. Using the overhead sound system, three tones were emitted for each round trip. The first tone sounded the start, the second tone indicated the halfway point at which time they should be heading back to the start position, and the final tone sounded when the athlete was expected to have returned to the starting position. If at the third tone they were not back to the starting position, they were given a warning. If they didn’t make the third tone the second time, they were eliminated. As the session progressed, the time between tones gradually decreased. The first level required only a leisurely jog. As the levels progressed, players slowly were eliminated until only Fletcher Gregory and Pell George remained. Before the test started, a couple players volunteered to take my place taking photos if I would run in their place. Worried that after the first two levels I would require hospitalization, I graciously declined their warm offer.

The session was ended with a lighthearted moment compliments of frosh Chris Hunt. Coach Haus was reminding all players that they needed to come to his office for a one-on-one meeting. Hunt asked with all seriousness, “Will you be in your office over the [Labor Day] weekend?”. Coach laughed out a “no” over the chuckles of the other players.