Thursday, May 8, 2008
Mammoth Cast: Stan Kroenke
So who ownes the Mammoth? Where did he come from? Click to find out more!
Mammoth Cast: Lacrosse Basics
Want to know more about the game of lacrosse? How did it all start? Click to find out!
Lacrosse, Explained
So you would like to play lacrosse, eh? Well, perhaps just watching the Mammoth is too hard to follow and pick up on the rules. Here is a basic history of the game and some rules to remember when playing lacrosse.
Lacrosse began in early America when Native Americans had up to a thousand players on each team in a game that sometimes stretched over 500 yards. It was given the name “lacrosse”, which translates to “hooked stick”, by French missionaries who observed this unique game. After evolving over 200 years, the game is much different today than in the past.
Today, lacrosse is played with an eight ounce rubber ball on a 110 yard field with the goals spaced 15 yards from the out of bounds line, unlike soccer. Each team has ten players, one goalie, three defenders, three midfielders, and three attackers. Each player has a stick, with the attacker’s sticks being the shortest and the defensemen’s sticks the longest.
Lacrosse began in early America when Native Americans had up to a thousand players on each team in a game that sometimes stretched over 500 yards. It was given the name “lacrosse”, which translates to “hooked stick”, by French missionaries who observed this unique game. After evolving over 200 years, the game is much different today than in the past.
Today, lacrosse is played with an eight ounce rubber ball on a 110 yard field with the goals spaced 15 yards from the out of bounds line, unlike soccer. Each team has ten players, one goalie, three defenders, three midfielders, and three attackers. Each player has a stick, with the attacker’s sticks being the shortest and the defensemen’s sticks the longest.
Each game starts with a face off, where the referee drops the ball into the starting circle and players from opposing teams try and capture it in their sticks. Players run with the ball in their sticks, constantly “juggling” to prevent defenders from knocking the ball loose. There are four 15 minute quarters, and the clock runs continuously unless a player is injured or if it is the last three minutes of the fourth quarter.
Attackers must stay behind what is called a “restraining line” when the other team has the ball to prevent “cherry picking” or offsides infractions.
The goal is to score more goals than the opponent. If tied, there is one overtime period, followed by a shootout if there is still a tie, much like hockey.
Attackers must stay behind what is called a “restraining line” when the other team has the ball to prevent “cherry picking” or offsides infractions.
The goal is to score more goals than the opponent. If tied, there is one overtime period, followed by a shootout if there is still a tie, much like hockey.
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Award Winners
Losing in front of 15,554 fans is never easy. And although the team suffered a “Mammoth” loss to the Roughnecks of Calgary in the playoffs, Colorado isn’t going home empty handed. Mammoth forward Dan Carey walks (hopefully) away from this season with the NLL’s Sportsmanship Award after suffering a debilitating injury 11 games into the season.
Carey scored 22 goals in his 11 games this year with 27 assists, and has made the all star game every year in his three year career.
But Carey wasn’t the only one with Mammoth season awards. Brian Kitts and Dave Reeder of Kroenke Sports Enterprises won team executive awards for the 2008 season. Kitts is the director of marketing and public relations, and received the NLL’s Marketing Executive of the Year. Under his excellence, the team has ranked in the top two in NLL attendance in each of its six years in Denver, including the number one spot the last three seasons.
Reeder, an account executive, has guided growth of sponsorship revenue in each of the last two seasons and has done an excellent job managing team inventory.
Well, at least we got something for all the hard work. We’ll see if we can add a National Title to the list of awards come November.
Carey scored 22 goals in his 11 games this year with 27 assists, and has made the all star game every year in his three year career.
But Carey wasn’t the only one with Mammoth season awards. Brian Kitts and Dave Reeder of Kroenke Sports Enterprises won team executive awards for the 2008 season. Kitts is the director of marketing and public relations, and received the NLL’s Marketing Executive of the Year. Under his excellence, the team has ranked in the top two in NLL attendance in each of its six years in Denver, including the number one spot the last three seasons.
Reeder, an account executive, has guided growth of sponsorship revenue in each of the last two seasons and has done an excellent job managing team inventory.
Well, at least we got something for all the hard work. We’ll see if we can add a National Title to the list of awards come November.
Profile: Get to Know Gavin Prout
He is the reason why goalies lay wide awake late at night. He is the reason goalies cry to their mothers. He is the reason that coaches have specialized playbooks. He invented the wheel and built the Pyramids all by himself. Ok, that was a bit of an exaggeration.
However he is indeed Gavin Prout, and happens to be one of the most dominant forwards in the game of lacrosse.
With blazing speed, unprecedented wit and sheer ability, Gavin has risen above the competition in the National Lacrosse League and made a name for himself. With countless awards under his belt and a couple of national championships around his fingers, no one can say that Gavin Prout hasn’t earned his dues as a professional athlete.
“I can’t get a goalie to bite on all of my moves,” says Prout, a four time NLL scoring champion. “But there ain’t too many moves that he won’t bite on!”
One thing that every goalie will bite on is the fact that Gavin is among one of the most feared in the league, leading in several statistical categories on both the Colorado Mammoth and in the National Lacrosse League. Goalies fear him in the circle.
He is not feared, however, in the local community, but rather praised for his outstanding donations to local charity. Despite always being on the road or in practice, Gavin Prout loves to donate his extra time to kids in the local community.
“It’s great to get out there and see all the kids that look up to you. It’s just extra motivation to do my best for them whenever I step onto the lacrosse field,” Gavin remarks.
Gavin isn’t only a hard worker on the field, but also received straight A’s throughout high school and at the University of Loyola (MD).
“Gavin has always been such a hard worker,” says Nancy Pinkerdensfurter, Gavin’s high school English teacher. “I hope that he always has the same success playing [lacrosse] as he did in school!”
Verbs like ducking, diving, shooting, scoring and celebrating aren’t new to this player’s dictionary. However, there is one word that isn’t in Prout’s dictionary: losing.
Recently, Gavin and a few Mammoth buddies visited local elementary schools to spread the benefits of teamwork and good exercise. He is absolutely committed to making a difference in young kids’ lives.
Gavin runs in between cones, climbs up ropes and shoots a few zingers into a net while on his visit to a Denver area elementary school, but these aren’t his most important skills on display.
“I really want kids to see that trying hard is the only way to get what you want out of life,” Gavin says as he juggles a lacrosse ball in the wickets of his stick. “That and following your dreams. When I was a kid, like these youngsters here, all I could think about was playing lacrosse for the rest of my life. Hey, if I can do it, so can they!”
School guidance councilors couldn’t be more pleased with the message that Gavin delivers. “The kids just love him. And he’s a pretty big hit with the staff here as well, especially the ladies!” says Mindy Gandolfstien, a councilor at Heathbar Elementary where Gavin Prout attends at least once a year.
Spending time with the kids has definitely had an affect on their goals and lifelong aspirations.
“I want to be just like Gavin when I’m all growed up! He’s the best!” Says 6-year-old Stephen Glansburg as he eats a yogurt treat by himself compliments of the Gavin Prout Foundation. “I want to play sports and get good grades!”.
The Mammoth veteran is both a pleasure to watch both on and off the field, and he truly has touched many lives in his quest to make the world a better place.
However he is indeed Gavin Prout, and happens to be one of the most dominant forwards in the game of lacrosse.
With blazing speed, unprecedented wit and sheer ability, Gavin has risen above the competition in the National Lacrosse League and made a name for himself. With countless awards under his belt and a couple of national championships around his fingers, no one can say that Gavin Prout hasn’t earned his dues as a professional athlete.
“I can’t get a goalie to bite on all of my moves,” says Prout, a four time NLL scoring champion. “But there ain’t too many moves that he won’t bite on!”
One thing that every goalie will bite on is the fact that Gavin is among one of the most feared in the league, leading in several statistical categories on both the Colorado Mammoth and in the National Lacrosse League. Goalies fear him in the circle.
He is not feared, however, in the local community, but rather praised for his outstanding donations to local charity. Despite always being on the road or in practice, Gavin Prout loves to donate his extra time to kids in the local community.
“It’s great to get out there and see all the kids that look up to you. It’s just extra motivation to do my best for them whenever I step onto the lacrosse field,” Gavin remarks.
Gavin isn’t only a hard worker on the field, but also received straight A’s throughout high school and at the University of Loyola (MD).
“Gavin has always been such a hard worker,” says Nancy Pinkerdensfurter, Gavin’s high school English teacher. “I hope that he always has the same success playing [lacrosse] as he did in school!”
Verbs like ducking, diving, shooting, scoring and celebrating aren’t new to this player’s dictionary. However, there is one word that isn’t in Prout’s dictionary: losing.
Recently, Gavin and a few Mammoth buddies visited local elementary schools to spread the benefits of teamwork and good exercise. He is absolutely committed to making a difference in young kids’ lives.
Gavin runs in between cones, climbs up ropes and shoots a few zingers into a net while on his visit to a Denver area elementary school, but these aren’t his most important skills on display.
“I really want kids to see that trying hard is the only way to get what you want out of life,” Gavin says as he juggles a lacrosse ball in the wickets of his stick. “That and following your dreams. When I was a kid, like these youngsters here, all I could think about was playing lacrosse for the rest of my life. Hey, if I can do it, so can they!”
School guidance councilors couldn’t be more pleased with the message that Gavin delivers. “The kids just love him. And he’s a pretty big hit with the staff here as well, especially the ladies!” says Mindy Gandolfstien, a councilor at Heathbar Elementary where Gavin Prout attends at least once a year.
Spending time with the kids has definitely had an affect on their goals and lifelong aspirations.
“I want to be just like Gavin when I’m all growed up! He’s the best!” Says 6-year-old Stephen Glansburg as he eats a yogurt treat by himself compliments of the Gavin Prout Foundation. “I want to play sports and get good grades!”.
The Mammoth veteran is both a pleasure to watch both on and off the field, and he truly has touched many lives in his quest to make the world a better place.
Mammoth Move Into Post Season
After finishing the regular season with a disappointing 9-7 record, the Colorado Mammoth will move into the post season as the underdog against the highly respected Calgary Roughnecks. The Mammoth beat Calgary two out of the three match ups this season, and have fared well against them in their playoff history, defeating them in 2005 to go on to win the NLL Championship.
The Mammoth have been the more prestigious group this season, as Calgary was nearly out of the playoff picture at 4-9 with only three games left in the season. The roughnecks rallied to win their last three games and slip into the playoff picture once again, however, and are now as hot as ever.
To win, the Mammoth need to continue to play good team defense and continue to score goals on the offensive end. Though this is a John Madden-like introspection (noting his famous “the team who scores the most is sure to win” analysis), it really is that simple.
The game is scheduled for May 3rd at 7pm at the Pepsi Center. For tickets, go to www.ticketmaster.com or visit your local box office.
The Mammoth have been the more prestigious group this season, as Calgary was nearly out of the playoff picture at 4-9 with only three games left in the season. The roughnecks rallied to win their last three games and slip into the playoff picture once again, however, and are now as hot as ever.
To win, the Mammoth need to continue to play good team defense and continue to score goals on the offensive end. Though this is a John Madden-like introspection (noting his famous “the team who scores the most is sure to win” analysis), it really is that simple.
The game is scheduled for May 3rd at 7pm at the Pepsi Center. For tickets, go to www.ticketmaster.com or visit your local box office.
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