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July-September, 2017

The Goal of the Owls

by Rev. Larry Glenz, O.M.C.

One of the great blessings in my life has been to be a coach of the Lynbrook Owls varsity lacrosse team. I now serve as a volunteer assistant coach on a lacrosse program with which I have been involved for 45 consecutive years. In 2008 I turned over the head coaching duties to my friend and colleague who had been my assistant for many years.

I certainly have a great deal of experience coaching high school boys in several sports since 1972. My role, however, has radically changed. It is simple but significant. I help the players and coaches to focus on the Shakti.

Lacrosse teams at Lynbrook High School have had very successful seasons for decades. The lacrosse alumni continue to speak of the brotherhood that connects them long after they graduate. The goal of the coaching staff has been to get the players to believe in the Shakti — the connecting energy that unites us as brothers.

Shakti, of course, is a Sanskrit word. It could be described in the Hindu spiritual path of Vedanta as “the creative energy of the Universe.” To the Owls lacrosse team, the Shakti represents the power of our minds to connect to each other through our hearts. We expect to play well when we connect this way.

At the conclusion of every practice and every game one of the Lynbrook coaches will pull all the players closely together and ask, “What’s my job?” The boys answer loudly in unison, “To love us.”

The coach then asks, “What’s your job?” And again together they say, “To love each other.”

Lastly he says, “What are we?” And they all strongly reply, “Brothers.”

The players are reminded every day that the goal of the team is much bigger than just winning championships. Our goal is to build the Shakti — the energy of the love of brothers — to the highest level.

Everyone wants to win. Our team competes for a championship almost every season. And our former players from the past seasons will attest that it is the loving connection — the Shakti — that has been our goal and spurred our success.

This year’s team was supposed to be void of talent at the season’s beginning. Some considered it to be perhaps the poorest Owl squad that they could ever remember. We took our lumps early but somehow made our way into the playoffs.

Our Shakti connection has gotten stronger. We have beaten two teams in the post-season that defeated us during the year and will be facing the defending New York State champions in the county finals tomorrow night. Nevertheless, our goal remains the same. We will build a strong flow of Shakti from one player to another through their hearts. We expect to play well.

If the players believe in the power that connects them as brothers, the score really doesn’t matter. But we will certainly enjoy the competition with this uniquely positive attitude. In truth, it’s always a win when the entire team focuses on the Shakti, no matter what the score is.

Let’s Go Owls! ❦

© 2017, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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