Without doubt, aside from a few minor hiccups, this months World Champs will go down as an emphatic success for everyone involved. The many fans who attended were treated to top quality lacrosse, at a great venue, and were able to interact with some of the stars of the tournament in a way that is only available to an "amateur" sport. We caught up with "Englands Matt Bagley" to find out what life was like on the other side of the fence, as a player in the Blue Division.
TopJLax: Hey Matt, welcome back to TopJLax, this time as an England hero! How were the championships for you?
Matt Bagley: Thanks, TopJ. The Championships were a dream come true! It was an absolutely amazing experience, and one that I will never forget. The perfect cherry on top of my international playing career.
TopJLax: Sure, it'll be tough to top that experience, but who knows what's in the future for you Matt. Let's address the big question first though - what was the mood like in the camp when you found out you'd lost out on the opportunity to compete in the semi's?
Matt Bagley: Shock and numbness, to be honest. The Australia vs. Japan group game was being played whilst we were preparing for our next match against the USA later that evening. We had just done our stretching and warm-up when Coach Elwood told us the news; that Japan had scored an upset victory over the Aussies, and we were out of bronze medal contention because we had the lowest head-to-head goal differential between the three of us. To earn a shot at third place, we now had to beat either USA or Canada in our next two games... which is a tall order for any team. It was a crushing blow for everyone, but I think that we played some of our best lacrosse with our backs to the wall. Obviously, we fell short on both occasions, and it took a while for the heartbreak to wear off... if it ever will.
TopJLax: It'll be interesting to see whether that ruling changes at all for the next Worlds, but that's in the hands of the ruling body. Tell us about where you stayed, and what an "average day" at the championships involved:
Matt Bagley: We stayed in the "Blue Division Village" on the Manchester University campus, just below Team USA and next to Japan and Canada. Needless to say, it was unreal bumping into the likes of Paul Rabil, John Grant Jr. and Ryan Powell everyday! In fact, superstar Canadian goalie Chris Sanderson and I chatted about a mutual acquaintance over Weetabix one morning, just two blokes having a chat. Even though they are considered lacrosse gods, it's cool to see that they are just normal people living normal lives too.
An average day at the Championships varied greatly depending on when we were playing. But, because we normally played at 19:30 in the Stadium, we usually had a team stretch in the morning, followed by breakfast and a light training session on the turf fields before lunch. We then had Unit Meetings; where the coaches outlined our strategy for the game that evening, and we watched a bit of game film from our own games, as well as those of our opponent. We were free after that though, and enjoyed plenty of opportunities to check out the other Blue and Plum Division games, as well as the festival itself. Then it was back to the dorms to get treatment from the physios, and prepare mentally for the match ahead!
After the game, we had to take mandatory 3-minute ice baths in the bathroom of head physio Matt Nugent (Monty), with the team Mums - Sarah Donelon and Debbie Baxter - preparing a home cooked meal for the entire team after we showered. I'm telling you, they were the true MVP's of the tournament! A spot of telly or FIFA on X-Box followed to wind the day down, and it was lights out at midnight. Then, the next morning, it was wake up, lather, rinse, and repeat!
Matt Bagley: Thanks, TopJ. The Championships were a dream come true! It was an absolutely amazing experience, and one that I will never forget. The perfect cherry on top of my international playing career.
TopJLax: Sure, it'll be tough to top that experience, but who knows what's in the future for you Matt. Let's address the big question first though - what was the mood like in the camp when you found out you'd lost out on the opportunity to compete in the semi's?
Matt Bagley: Shock and numbness, to be honest. The Australia vs. Japan group game was being played whilst we were preparing for our next match against the USA later that evening. We had just done our stretching and warm-up when Coach Elwood told us the news; that Japan had scored an upset victory over the Aussies, and we were out of bronze medal contention because we had the lowest head-to-head goal differential between the three of us. To earn a shot at third place, we now had to beat either USA or Canada in our next two games... which is a tall order for any team. It was a crushing blow for everyone, but I think that we played some of our best lacrosse with our backs to the wall. Obviously, we fell short on both occasions, and it took a while for the heartbreak to wear off... if it ever will.
TopJLax: It'll be interesting to see whether that ruling changes at all for the next Worlds, but that's in the hands of the ruling body. Tell us about where you stayed, and what an "average day" at the championships involved:
Matt Bagley: We stayed in the "Blue Division Village" on the Manchester University campus, just below Team USA and next to Japan and Canada. Needless to say, it was unreal bumping into the likes of Paul Rabil, John Grant Jr. and Ryan Powell everyday! In fact, superstar Canadian goalie Chris Sanderson and I chatted about a mutual acquaintance over Weetabix one morning, just two blokes having a chat. Even though they are considered lacrosse gods, it's cool to see that they are just normal people living normal lives too.
An average day at the Championships varied greatly depending on when we were playing. But, because we normally played at 19:30 in the Stadium, we usually had a team stretch in the morning, followed by breakfast and a light training session on the turf fields before lunch. We then had Unit Meetings; where the coaches outlined our strategy for the game that evening, and we watched a bit of game film from our own games, as well as those of our opponent. We were free after that though, and enjoyed plenty of opportunities to check out the other Blue and Plum Division games, as well as the festival itself. Then it was back to the dorms to get treatment from the physios, and prepare mentally for the match ahead!
After the game, we had to take mandatory 3-minute ice baths in the bathroom of head physio Matt Nugent (Monty), with the team Mums - Sarah Donelon and Debbie Baxter - preparing a home cooked meal for the entire team after we showered. I'm telling you, they were the true MVP's of the tournament! A spot of telly or FIFA on X-Box followed to wind the day down, and it was lights out at midnight. Then, the next morning, it was wake up, lather, rinse, and repeat!
TopJLax: How did your body cope with back to back games? Was it tough reaching the same level of intensity towards the end of the tournament?
Matt Bagley: Surprisingly, my body held up well. I took a few knocks that required some treatment, and had the odd massage every so often to loosen up a few stiff muscles, but overall, I felt pretty good by the end of the tournament. All credit to Monty, Rachel Lazenby and Dan Moody for holding us all together for two weeks though. Lacrosse is a physical game, and they sometimes worked until the wee hours of the morning to ensure that everyone could compete the next day.
At the beginning of the tournament, your body is fresh and the adrenaline is pumping, so it isn't very hard to get focused and excited for a game. However, by the playoff stages, the pressure and strain of consistently playing at a high level begins to take its toll, and there were a few games we came out of the gates a bit slow. Our game against Scotland springs to mind! However, we always managed to find it at some point, and we were able to compete at a high level night after night.
TopJLax: Personally how did you think you performed? We certainly cheered pretty loud when you scored, and the general consensus from people we talked to is that you performed very well in the midfield!
Matt Bagley: Thank you very much! I feel like I could have contributed more than I did, but just hope that I played a team game, and helped out when and where I could on the pitch.
Matt Bagley: Surprisingly, my body held up well. I took a few knocks that required some treatment, and had the odd massage every so often to loosen up a few stiff muscles, but overall, I felt pretty good by the end of the tournament. All credit to Monty, Rachel Lazenby and Dan Moody for holding us all together for two weeks though. Lacrosse is a physical game, and they sometimes worked until the wee hours of the morning to ensure that everyone could compete the next day.
At the beginning of the tournament, your body is fresh and the adrenaline is pumping, so it isn't very hard to get focused and excited for a game. However, by the playoff stages, the pressure and strain of consistently playing at a high level begins to take its toll, and there were a few games we came out of the gates a bit slow. Our game against Scotland springs to mind! However, we always managed to find it at some point, and we were able to compete at a high level night after night.
TopJLax: Personally how did you think you performed? We certainly cheered pretty loud when you scored, and the general consensus from people we talked to is that you performed very well in the midfield!
Matt Bagley: Thank you very much! I feel like I could have contributed more than I did, but just hope that I played a team game, and helped out when and where I could on the pitch.
TopJLax: Always so modest sir! We saw you signing autographs for the kids after one of the games, how did that feel?
Matt Bagley: It was definitely odd! I wanted to say to the kids, "Hey guys, anyone on Team USA/Team Canada's autograph would be worth much more than mine!" But I guess if I can help inspire the next generation of English lacrosse, then I'll do whatever it takes! I have to admit though, it was kind of fun having a small spot of fame!
TopJLax: We think it's great here that the UK are starting to develop a few stars, hopefully that will grow over the coming years. Back to more day-to-day lacrosse matters, to people who have only played lacrosse at SEMLA or BUCS level... can you describe the main differences that stuck in your mind when playing the US/Canada?
Matt Bagley: The speed of the game is incredible. You really don't have time to think about what you're going to do, you just have to react to the game around you. As soon as you take a second to think, it's already too late! Things happen so quickly on the pitch that you have to rely on your body to guide you through the proper techniques, plays or defensive sets almost on autopilot. It's only afterwards on the sideline can you review your performance and try to make in game adjustments.
In addition, every error you make during play will be punished. In the SEMLA or the BUCS leagues, if you throw a wayward pass, miss a ground ball, take a low percentage shot or get stripped, the chances of that mistake coming back to haunt you are fairly low; you can do those things and usually get away with them. However, the USA and Canada have such good players that every time you turn the ball over, they'll make you pay. At that level of lacrosse, the team that makes the least amount of mistakes will normally win the game.
Matt Bagley: It was definitely odd! I wanted to say to the kids, "Hey guys, anyone on Team USA/Team Canada's autograph would be worth much more than mine!" But I guess if I can help inspire the next generation of English lacrosse, then I'll do whatever it takes! I have to admit though, it was kind of fun having a small spot of fame!
TopJLax: We think it's great here that the UK are starting to develop a few stars, hopefully that will grow over the coming years. Back to more day-to-day lacrosse matters, to people who have only played lacrosse at SEMLA or BUCS level... can you describe the main differences that stuck in your mind when playing the US/Canada?
Matt Bagley: The speed of the game is incredible. You really don't have time to think about what you're going to do, you just have to react to the game around you. As soon as you take a second to think, it's already too late! Things happen so quickly on the pitch that you have to rely on your body to guide you through the proper techniques, plays or defensive sets almost on autopilot. It's only afterwards on the sideline can you review your performance and try to make in game adjustments.
In addition, every error you make during play will be punished. In the SEMLA or the BUCS leagues, if you throw a wayward pass, miss a ground ball, take a low percentage shot or get stripped, the chances of that mistake coming back to haunt you are fairly low; you can do those things and usually get away with them. However, the USA and Canada have such good players that every time you turn the ball over, they'll make you pay. At that level of lacrosse, the team that makes the least amount of mistakes will normally win the game.
Check back here in the coming week for Part 2 of the update from "Englands" Matt Bagley. We just had so much to talk about we couldn't fit it all in one post. We'll be hearing from Matt about his thoughts on playing in the stadium, discussions on the England kit and also stories from in-and-around the player village. Stay posted!
