Heard it on the X

I've got a new 'job! A second job, that is.

This spring I'll be an assistant coach for St. Xavier boy's lacrosse.

St. X is an all-boy's (ODL!!) Jesuit school here in the 'Nati. It is an extremely high-end prep school, one of the best anywhere. Their lacrosse program is easily the tops in the area, one of the best in the state -- indeed, the midwest in general (OK, that's not saying much, but still).

Last year they got beat in the state championship game by a team from Columbus. This is a pretty big program by anyone's standards. They have four teams: varsity, JV, and two developmental teams (Blue team & White team), comprised of around 150 kids in all. 150 kids!!

I will be one of ten coaches. I will probably start out with one of the developmental teams. After a long talk with the head guy this evening though, he may want me to be the third coach on varsity and work with the defense. He wants to install some zone defenses this year, which is cool with me because I am in favor of zone defenses. [insert Syracuse hoops joke here]

Whatever, I'm just happy to get hooked up with a program that takes the sport seriously, and is much closer to my home. Last year, I was driving a half hour each way out to Milford to work with those kids (in a first-year program with very little resources). St. X is like ten minutes, tops, with no highway traffic snarls to worry about, and the facilities are first-class all the way.

It's also a paid position, although that's not why I wanted it (and frankly, I'd do it for free). It pays ~$1,400 for the season, roughly Feb-May. So I might look for some kind of charitable contribution to make with it, or maybe I'll just blow it on a motorcycle and see if I can find a whole new way to kill myself.

We 'bout to get busy,

--Jeff