Simon Grueber, a German exchange student, spent some time in Duluth working towards his PhD. He also spent some time working with the Bulldogs on his Lacrosse game. Below are some words from Simon on his background and experience with the UMD Bulldogs.
Q: So Simon how did you end up with the Bulldogs?
A: I spent the summer in Duluth for an internship at the Duluth Family Practice Center and had the great chance to be a part of the Bulldogs Lacrosse team for a month!
Q: What was your playing experience before you came to Duluth?
A: I have played Lacrosse in Heidelberg, Germany for three years now. My German team plays in the 'Bundesliga Sued', which is the southern conference. With 8 teams it is the biggest of 4 conferences. So right now there are 22 men's lacrosse clubs in Germany. The last season we missed the play-offs but in 2006 we got 6th in the country and I hope we will have the chance to go to the nationals again this year!
Q: What did you think about practicing with the Bulldogs?
A: Going to the States I saw the opportunity to improve my skills on the continent of Lacrosse. I contacted Coach Graff and was told that I could participate in try outs for the team. So I went to the try-outs and was just impressed. Even in a State where Lacrosse is not really popular as people told me, there were over 70 students who wanted to get on the team. Considering that I am from Heidelberg, which is a city of 145.000 people, and on our Lacrosse team are only 18 guys, I was just stunned.
Q: How was it practicing with a team like UMD?
A: I was really happy to attend a practice with 44 people and a coaching staff, because at home we are happy when about 10 guys show up at practice. And we don't have a coach, so one of our more experienced players does this job. It was just a blast to play with over 40 people at every practice. But not only that there were 44 players at practice, but everyone wore team gear and it has a very professional look, when you are used to see at least 5 different helmet colors and even different practice jerseys. We do not have any sponsor for our team, so it is hard for us to get team gear or even jerseys.
Q: What did you learn during your time in Duluth?
A: During my time in Duluth I learned so many new drills and I wish I could bring them back to Germany, but most of them will probably not work with 6 to 10 players. Especially the drill "Genny" is the best and I wish, some day we will be able to do this in Heidelberg. But it was not only the excellent drills which really improved my Lacrosse skills but the way every drill was executed. Every pass was a quick pass right on the spot. Because of this and because of the great stringing abilities of Casey [Mithun, UMD Captain] I improved my stick skills a lot.
Another thing I really enjoyed was the high intensity of every practice. Even when the coaches could not attend practice the captains did a great job of keeping the intensity up. Because of this I will start the German Lacrosse season in probably the best shape I have ever been.
Q: How would you sum up the experience?
A: It was really an awesome experience to be a part of this, because UMD Bulldogs Lacrosse is a great team on and off the field.
I hope some day Lacrosse will get to the same level in Heidelberg!
Till then,
Tips up!
#42, Simon