It’s a different planet he hails from when a lacrosse game’s in front of him

People already get it, you don’t need me to tell you. Mark D’Ambrogi, the Vikings’ head lacrosse coach, has been the best head coach at Cape over the last 10 years and not just because of the five state championships and all the great assistants and athletes that have worked and played for him.

I always said if you want an athlete “coached up” in a particular sport, if you want a kid to emerge way better then when he started in a program and if you want an athlete to experience that every practice is intense and important, then you want coach Mark. Mark “sees the field” - it is a different planet he hails from when a lacrosse game is occurring in front of him.

I recently nominated Mark for coach of the year at the Delaware Sportswriters meeting prior to the Jan. 25 banquet. All Cape did last spring was lose big to Sallies in the opener 10-2, then came back to the state final to beat Sallies 8-7 ending their 31-game victory streak with all Cape goals being scored by sophomores.

The entire game, in every aspect, was a freaking clinic and seldom do all involved know where to give credit, but in this case they knew. Mark got votes from other media – they think I’m some Cape promoter - but the Sallies soccer coach and Tatnall girls cross country coaches will share the award, which is cool - they are great and the problem with awards is they shouldn’t be given in comparison to others, but rather in recognition of a job well done.

FADE TO BACK - In 1978 I coached cross country and track All-American Lance White. When the media came to talk to me about Lance I directed them to Dr. Wes Stack, my distance coach, and said, “Talk to him, he’s the one who coaches Lance. I just tell jokes.”

Later, in 1983, I talked the legend of Cape track Tom Hickman into helping me out. I offered Tom the best coaching job - just show up on the track, coach, then leave. I said I’ll handle all the garbage before and after and all the paperwork. I gave Tom the sprinters who were always reluctant to work out - it’s just how fast people see the world - fast and stop.

Cape was 30-0 over the next three years and I was quick to give credit to Hickman before others gave it to him. I would always say, “Coach Hickman is the best, no argument from me, I’m just doing what I have to do to put a trophy on my kitchen table for one night so I can gloat. I love beating people - the more at one time the better.”

Barking in your own kitchen doesn’t hurt anybody!

SUCCESS WITHOUT HAPPINESS - The Eagles had an incredibly successful season from the last regular game beating Dallas while Chicago and Tampa Bay lost then coming all the way back to lead the Cardinals 25-24 only to have the dream blow up in their faces minutes from a Super Bowl against a team they manhandled earlier in the season. But make no mistake, they were successful so why all the long faces?

I have seen high school teams be successful and a coach succeeding in making everyone miserable and glad when it was all over. I once told a Cape athlete, “Depression in the face of victory is a real luxury, plus, you’re the captain, will you please cheer up?”

Sports doesn’t change personalities, it simply focuses them on a mission and win at all cost while coach takes the credit just doesn’t rest well with some players. Know anyone who fits this bill, then you say it. Not me.

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION - I am for separation of church and state violated repeatedly and casually by most public school coaches who do the hands in ask God for a win and break with - you know - prayer.

Eagles kicker David Aikers kept pushing his luck in the NFC championship game giving God a double shout out after every made field goal because those who are loved must endure the toughest of tests. God pushed a field goal and extra point wide right and there was no acknowledgement from Aikers like, “That’s cool; at least I have a foot.”

I enjoy covering teams from religious-based schools and even attended 12 years of Catholic school. I remember my grandmother saying, “We’re Catholics, not Christians. We don’t greet each other in church or play guitars and absolutely never hold hands and we’re not opposed to violence as a form of motivation and discipline.”

There is something sterile about public schools because of the separation and sectioning out of belief systems - a real lack of niceness and gentility but, granted, I don’t want some zealot inside the heads of my grandchildren. But if they’re like me they wouldn’t buy it anyway.

SNIPPETS - Would anyone still read this column if I told you I was getting paid $11 million a year to write it? So why do we pay any attention to grossly overpaid athletes who have never held a real job in their lives but love to tell us about their hard upbringing on the streets and I’m like, enough already!

“Find someone you can help and do one thing for them,” Grandmom Rose said. “Start by taking out the garbage and bringing me a beer.”

“That’s two things, Grandmom.”

You’re right, beer it is then.”