Dear Vandal Lacrosse family,
I admit it’s difficult for me to see other teams having some sort of competitive lacrosse season, but I still believe we made the correct decision about this season. But it makes the anticipation of coming back this Fall even greater!
In the meantime, our once-a-week practices are continuing, as are the weekly player-led team bonding activities. I’ve talked to several players who left campus due to COVID concerns, and several will likely return to U of I and lacrosse in the Fall, so I’m hoping for a competitive roster for Fall Ball.
I’m also actively recruiting players with trips to Boise, one this past weekend and one May 7-8, to Bend, Oregon, June 18-20, and tentative visits to summer tournaments in Oregon, Washington and/or Montana. In addition to having a lacrosse team, student athletes from many states are attracted to University of Idaho for its highly ranked academic programs. But as a non-sanctioned pay-to-play sport club team, Vandal Lacrosse competes for players with private schools, such as College of Idaho and NNU, which can afford to offer scholarships to play. It’s my aim to recruit players who desire the traditional college lifestyle that the campus in Moscow offers while getting a good education, but who also love and want to play the game and can dedicate time to both. If you know any lacrosse players looking at colleges, please send them so I can get a chance to talk with them!
Though Fall seems months away, planning ahead for the new season is vital and filling the openings on our Vandal Lacrosse Board of Directors is a high priority need! The faithful volunteers serving longer than the standard two-term commitment are hanging in there but must soon move on. It is helpful to have one or two Board members representing every grade level for consistent membership, though I especially encourage parents of freshmen to become involved early-on.
At this point, I beg and plead for a few parents or other relatives of current/incoming players to volunteer to serve on the Board as advisors and assist in operations. As Head Coach, I need and value the support of the Board to make our Vandal Lacrosse program function and grow. Past and present members have strived to put successful procedures in place to make it easy for newcomers to step in and learn-as-you go. The time commitment is minimal, but the impact is tremendous. Board members have one monthly conference call meeting, plus a few more hours depending on the position. Again, any outgoing or current Board member is more than happy to answer questions and be willing to be available for advice/questions down the road. PLEASE consider serving!
Without an active lacrosse season, there’s not a lot to share but I will send a monthly update leading into Fall. And there are multiple ways to stay connected with Vandal Lacrosse:
Facebook: University of Idaho Lacrosse Team
Twitter: Idaho Men’s Lacrosse@Vandalax Team
Instagram: idahovandallacrosse
PNCLL Conference Website: mcla.us
I also welcome you to contact me anytime. I’m counting down to September when we can celebrate together, and all get excited about Vandal Lacrosse!
– Coach Colton Raichl
