Matt Hawes ’10
Staff Writer
Practice, hard work, communication, and commitment all leads to the success of a team, but when all else fails, Staples athletes turn towards their pre-game routines to prepare them for the game.
When the field hockey team has a game they cheer…
Captain and Goalie: What are we going to do?
Team: WIN
Captain and Goalie: What are we going to do?
Team: WIN
Captains and Goalie: How are we going to do it?
All: Shoot, pass, run real fast, be aggressive, kick some huh rah.
Not only do they have a cheer, but also the Field Hockey team takes “gameday dressup” very seriously. Field hockey has an assortment of looks, from schoolgirl day, risky business, logo wear day, to the traditional dress up day.
While the field hockey players yell and chant before games, boys cross country huddle in a circle for a “Laddie story time”. As the runners strip down to their short shorts and singlets, long time track coach Laddie Lawrence tells one of the many inspirational stories he has witnessed over his successful career as a coach. After the story, the runners are pumped up and excited to run.
Tri-captain, Sam Zorfas ’10 feels that Laddie’s speeches are really moving and none better than the one about former Staples runner Per Hoar.
“Per Hoar is an incredible athlete who jumped over the long jump pit on a bad ankle. His incredible story inspired the team because this guy was willing to push himself to the limit, no matter what the cost,” Zorfas said.
The Captains add in their final words, and Laddie asks on the count of three for a loud, booming, inspiring, “Lets Go.” And with that the runners take their stance at the starting line, waiting for the gun to sound and the race to begin.
As the Soccer players walk onto the Albie Loeffler field, the starting defensemen for the Wreckers have their own ritual that prepares them for the game. Quad Captain Jack Hennessy ’10 and Sean Gallagher ‘11 take a move from Russell Crowe’s Gladiator bending down to pick up dirt. Still on one knee, they both rub the dirt in their hands and emphatically pump their chests.
To the left of Hennessy and Gallagher, fellow defensemen Mike Fitzgerald ‘10 sports his always impressive fro-hawk. Since freshman year, Fitzgerald would puff up his hair with the help of a sweatband, before the game.
“The fro-hawk is a routine, the whole team has embraced it and it helps the team get fired up for the game,” Fitzgerald said.
Lastly, the football team waits hours before the game, sitting at the base of their lockers. The locker room is blasting music, and the occasional talking is drowned out.
On Friday at 2:45 a group of players and one of the coaches goes to Saint Luke Church to pray before the big game. The priest leads the team in prayer creating a special bond between the players.
“It gives us the confidence to make plays when we need to, such as the miracle play by Rankowitz in the FCIAC game,” Murray said.
Whether it is the football team blasting loud music or the field hockey team yelling their cheer, every team at Staples has their own unique ritual that contributes to the success on the field.
