Syracuse University will be putting on a Centennial Celebration for its men's lacrosse program on April 1. The event will kick off at 6:30 pm at the OnCenter and will feature drinks, dinner, and guest speakers. For $75 for adults and $25 for kids, fans can meet and interact with former players and help memorialize the history of this program.
On Monday, the speakers for the event were announced and will include Roy Simmons Jr., Mark Winter, Jeff McCormick, Pat McCabe, Paul Carcaterra, Mike Powell, and Joel White. It's always tough to know what to expect from these types of events but according to the press release the speakers will be sharing memories and stories from their Syracuse careers and experience.
I don't know about you, but for my money, getting the opportunity to listen to Paul Carcaterra and Roy Simmons Jr. are easily worth the price of admission on their own. Everyone knows Roy Simmons Jr. from his legendary coaching career. He brought some of the best lacrosse players in the world to Syracuse, won six National Championships, and is possibly the greatest lacrosse coach of all time. While that's all well and good, Simmons is more widely regarded as a mentor and educator rather than a former coach, and there is possibly no better person for a young lacrosse player to listen to than this man. Maybe he'll even tell us where the 1990 National Championship trophy sits. Carcaterra, on the other hand, is one of the premier voices of college lacrosse on television. I don't know if he's going to stick strictly to his memories as an Syracuse Orange player, but I'd be more interested in listening to his thoughts and takes on his broader view of the game.
If you will be in the Syracuse area on April 1, I highly recommend grabbing a ticket and checking out what these guys have to say. It's not often some of the top names in the sport get together for an event open to the public and provide this level of access and availability. More importantly, if you have a young son or daughter who plays lacrosse listening to these speakers could be an invaluable experience.
To purchase tickets, call the Orange Club at 315-443-1419 or visit this link.