By Chris Goldberg, Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 10/26/20
St. Augustine Prep/SouthShore (N.J.) 2021 midfielder David Minder said he had no choice but to adapt to life as a lacrosse player in the COVID-19 pandemic.
“One of the positives for me with the constantly changing pandemic situation is I’ve become much more flexible, more self motivated, and much more persistent,” he said, “I also learned to take opportunities when they present themselves.
“That includes hopping on any opportunities to play lacrosse whenever I can, because at the end of the day I just really love to play the game.”
Minder enjoyed himself Saturday by earning the MVP honors at the Victory Events Beast Nationals Showcase at the Delaware Turf Sports Complex in Frederica. The performance was a big boost to a versatile middie who missed last year’s fall season with a fractured pelvis and, of course, the spring season due to COVID.
“With everything going on, I’m pretty happy that the event could take place and I could attend,” he said. “My goal was to play lacrosse with some other great players and receive some great advice from the coaches attending and leave my impression on them.
“I didn’t really know what to expect, but I knew I was going to go out on the field, work hard and play my brand of lacrosse.”
What went well during the showcase and how did your team mesh? “I found soft spots on the field where I was able to take good shots,” Minder said. “Some of these soft spots were found when I would cut to the ball which I did a lot of and found success.
“I also did well on my short stick matchups, dodging from the wings and the top of the box which either gave me a quality shot at the goal or a place to further move the ball.
“My team meshed really well, we ran some great offense, clearing through for each other, setting picks, cutting to the ball and always looking for the next pass. My teammates were instrumental in my success and we all helped each other out. It was a great time and quality lacrosse.
How does a showing like this help as you look for the right college.
“With COVID everything has changed, but this must be a big boost,” he said. “It is absolutely a big boost and I am definitely excited about the chances to continue playing lacrosse in college.
“This was a great event with many good players and I think my performance will help me showcase my skill set to potential colleges. It’s been hard to get out there with the pandemic so this definitely helped me get a lot of exposure to schools and coaches.”
Minder said he was late entering the recruiting scene due to his injury and the lost time, but is confident he can find the right fit.
“After that (the injury) I ended up getting a good workout for my upper body by using a wheelchair and crutches for quite awhile,” he said, “I had some great rehab and was ready to go for the spring season and then the shutdown happened.
“I’ve recently been able to pursue talking to coaches and visiting some schools. At this point I am still considering options and excited to see what new opportunities participating in this event might bring me. Finding a good fit school is important to me.”
What did he do this summer and start of fall to catch up in training? “My
My coach had regular zoom meetings during the shutdown over the spring to help keep us motivated and training for when we could play again,” he said, “That really helped me continue to focus and work hard on my own so I was ready when the summer came.
“The travel restrictions changed our schedule up for where we could attend summer tournaments and (St. Augustine and SouthShore) Coach (JC) Valore rearranged things and really worked to get us the best opportunities available to us over the summer.
“Continuing into the fall I’ve been working out regularly, eating healthy and spending a lot of time with a stick in my hand. I’ve been seeking out showcase opportunities to play wherever I can and work on improving my skills.”
