Ice Hockey and Lacrosse Experience Judgment Day

NORTH ANDOVER, MA – Over the past weekend, the men’s ice hockey and men’s lacrosse teams at Merrimack College took part in ‘Judgment Day’; a two-day, team-building camp that required teams to complete physical tasks while coping with mental exhaustion.

Erik Kapitulik of The Program Athletics conducted the mini camps with both men’s ice hockey and men’s lacrosse teams in separate sessions on Volpe Field at Merrimack College (Saturday) and in the Boys and Girls Club of Lawrence swimming pool (Sunday).

The Program’s Judgment Day is a “mentally and physically challenging, team-building and leadership development training,” Kapitulik said of Judgment Day. “Integrity, discipline and confidence is what we hope to instill in each of our student athletes.”

The Judgment Day initiative, spear-headed by Strength and Conditioning Coach Mike Kamal, has been embraced by the Athletics Department at Merrimack College and will continue to enable varsity clubs to partake in the team-building sessions throughout the academic year.

“It’s amazing after just one weekend how different these teams are,” Kamal said of the first of four Judgment Day’s that will be coming to campus. “Erik provides one of the most unique and effective methods for promoting accountability and team-building.”

Coaches and players alike have quickly become firm believers in the process and appreciate what Judgment Day has already done for their teams in terms of camaraderie and leadership.

“We definitely saw a different side of some of our guys,” Men’s Lacrosse Head Coach Mike Morgan said following the weekend. “It was powerful to see some of the younger guys emerge as leaders when their backs were up against the wall. I believe that confidence will undoubtedly carry over to the lacrosse field when they’re up against adversity in practice or in a game.”

Morgan went on to say, “This weekend gave our team a great perspective of how successful we can be if we are more concerned with our teammate’s well-being than our own.”

Senior captain of the men’s ice hockey team, Pat Bowen (Marshfield, MA), felt the experience gave unsuspecting leaders the opportunity to step up and make their voices heard.

“Some guys that have been here for a few years and haven’t been the most vocal were taking a leadership role and I think it brought our team even closer together,” Bowen said. “The concept of doing “one more” than everybody else really hit home with me. It is our goal to be the hardest working team in the Hockey East and I think this weekend prepared us for what is necessary to compete in such a tough conference.”

Next in line, Bert Hammel’s men’s basketball team commences Judgment Day on Saturday, October 3 at 9:00 AM on Volpe Field at Merrimack College. Elaine Schwager’s softball team will also partake in Judgment Day in January of 2010.