Uniform Fundraising Effort reaches milestone!

Old Bears,

CONGRATS - through your efforts, we have helped the Alumni Association reach a significant milestone. Loring Sittler, '01, made the 3,000th system transaction through the Alumni Association's on-line donation portal when he made a donation in support of the Uniform Fundraising drive. Thanks, Loring!

With respect to the uniform fundraising, we are getting very close to our target. If you haven't contributed, please consider a donation as we enable the team to maintain a level of excellence befiting the Academy.

And don't forget - if interested, new game shorts are available to purchase. See our previous post for details. The deadline is approaching fast.

GO BEARS!!!

Spring Old Bears Social Events - Tailgates, etc.

Old Bears,

Info only at this point. Once we have the team uniforms and shorts taken care of, we will gauge interest in a group social event. In the interim - mark your calendars for what will be two great lacrosse events...

Day of Rivals/Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic Tickets On Sale Nov.

Starting this weekend (November 1), lacrosse fans can purchase packages that include tickets for both events.
Single event tickets go on sale November 28. Buy early to get the best seats.

The Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic will be played on Saturday, February 28, 2009 at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. In just its third year, the Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic has become the traditional start of the lacrosse season for the game's growing fan base. And this year, it does so with a new matchup - Duke vs Maryland, to combine with Johns Hopkins vs Princeton.

The Day of Rivals features Army vs Navy and Johns Hopkins vs Maryland on Saturday, April 11, 2009 also at M&T Bank Stadium. This mid-season event brings together the tradition of these compelling rivalries with the cutting-edge image of the nation's fastest growing sport.

USCGA GAME SHORTS Available!

"OLD BEARS" - here's a chance for you to get ahold of a pair of the new Coast Guard Academy Lacrosse game shorts. They are available in NAVY or WHITE and include your desired custom number and the "Fear the Bear in the Sailor Hat" logo. These are sublimated mesh shorts meaning the colors and logos are dyed directly into the fabric...similar in look to a cycling shirt.... We are offering the shorts at $30 per pair plus shipping...Doug and I "took it in the shorts" on the POLO mailing...we like you guys, but not that much! If you'd like to purchase a pair (or two) please send an email to Sean Cross (sean.m.cross@uscg.mil).

Please include desired:
Name

Color (NAVY or WHITE)

Desired Uniform Number

Size

The artist rendering is not the best depiction of the actual shorts (NOTE: the WHITE short "Bear logo" will have a NAVY ring around it). Check out this website to see an actual pair of our shorts...UCF is wearing the same basic uniform we are getting:
http://rundlephotography.smugmug.com/gallery/4437341_EN8aK#260743401_QYZhK
As always, contact me with questions or concers. Orders are due by COB, Monday, 10NOV08! It will take 8-10 weeks to get the shorts in from when the order is placed...standby for the payment plan and shipping cost details - we're looking into a PAYPAL account - that way we can also sell CGA LACROSSE stuff via the website.

GO BEARS!!!

"Old Bear" Lost in Action

We are sure most of you are aware of the tragic loss of the crew of 6505. What we have just recently learned was that among those lost was an "Old Bear." More below...

The “OLD BEARS” regret to report that we recently lost one of our own. U.S. Coast Guard search and rescue crews suspended the search for CDR Thomas Nelson, 42, of Staten Island, NY. CDR Nelson went missing on 4 September 2008, after his HH-65C helicopter crashed with three other crewmembers aboard during a training flight off the south shore of Oahu. The three crewmembers were recovered Thursday evening and pronounced dead at The Queen’s Medical Center. CDR Nelson remains missing.

CDR Nelson reported to Air Station Barbers Point in July 2007 as the Executive Officer. He was a member of the Coast Guard Academy Class of 1988 and played close defense for the Coast Guard Academy Lacrosse Team. Teammate and classmate CDR Nick Bartolotta remarked “he loved to poke at people with the long stick, and damn, could he clear the crease.”

CDR Tom Nelson most recently served as the Deputy Office Chief, Office of Security and Defense Operations, at Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington DC, from July 2004 to June 2007. There he helped lead a 29 member staff and 15 liaison officers coordinating national homeland security policy, budget, and programming. During this assignment CDR Nelson was directly involved with improving the Nation’s abilities to prevent and respond to the use of Weapons of Mass Destruction by terrorists.

Prior to his assignment to headquarters, CDR Nelson attended the U.S. Army’s Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, where he earned a Master of Arts and Science in Military History in 2004. His previous assignments include Air Stations Brooklyn, New York; Port Angeles, Washington; and New Orleans, Louisiana; where he served in various department head and division officer positions while fulfilling his primary role as a duty standing, deploying aviator in the HH-65 helicopter. CDR Nelson also served as a Deck Watch Officer aboard USCGC BASSWOOD (WLB-388) home ported in Guam.

CDR Nelson’s awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal, Coast Guard Commendation Medal, three Coast Guard Achievement Medals, and various other team and unit awards.

Uniform Fundraising Update

Happy Homecoming Weekend!

We are long overdue for an update. To all who have donated to the uniform fund, from Old Bears to parents to the Class of '83 - thank you! If you have yet to donate, please seriously consider donating. We are getting close and need to maintain our momentum.

Discussions regarding uniform design continue. Since the last update, there have been some refinements - the latest iteration of the uniform is posted here. Please note that this is still a notional design that is subject to more refinement. Our timeline is to finalize the design and negotiate the entire package with the uniform distributor prior to Thanksgiving. And for those Old Bears who may be interested in getting a pair of shorts (or even jersey) for themselves, we will be working to include that in the order. Details will follow.

Don't forget to keep an eye out for potential recruits!

GO BEARS!!!

LT John Senyard, CGA '83 Tribute Graphic

Old Bears,

As mentioned in the Alumni Bulletin article (we will try to link to the article shortly), as part of the 25th anniversary of Coast Guard lacrosse, we are honoring our past. Of particular note, is the tribute we are paying to LT John Senyard, CGA '83, who could be considered the "Father of Coast Guard Lacrosse." Below is the notional graphic that will be incorporated into the new uniforms, most likely on one of the shoulders. While what is displayed below is black and white, our vision is for a color version of the graphic, likely gold for the class crest with black lettering. If you have any questions about the new uniforms, the tribute to LT Senyard or our fund raising efforts, please don't hesitate to contact Doug or Sean (or leave a comment here on the blog).

GO BEARS!!!

Send Us Your Pics

Old Bears,

First - the polo shirts are in. We are working hard on getting them distributed.

We are looking for pictures! Send us your pictures from your playing days, reunions, etc., and we can add them to the historical slide show you see above.

In an effort to not overload our CG email inboxes, please send your pics to: cgalaxoldbears@gmail.com

As always - thanks for your support.

GO BEARS!!!

General Update - Polo Shirts and Other Things

Hey Old Bears,

Time for another update.

First, thanks to all who have donated to the uniform fund raising efforts. We are making progress towards our goal. For your awareness, we are reaching out to other organizations, such as the CG Foundation and Parent's Associations for help. That said, this is OUR team - we can't expect others to step up if we haven't done so ourselves. So if you have donated, THANK YOU. If you have yet to donate, please consider doing so - it couldn't be easier - just follow the link to the Alumni Association here on the blog. From there, go to online giving. Please make sure you select the MEN'S LACROSSE TEAM FUND as the intended recipient for your donation.

Beyond fundraising:

Polo Shirts - thanks to all who responded and ordered polo shirts. Our goal is to have them in hand around 18 August for further distribution. You will either get your shirts hand delivered or in the mail, depending on your location. Doug will be handling distribution for the East Coast Old Bears. Sean will handle West Coast distribution. There are a LIMITED number of extra shirts available, so if you run into other Old Bears that see your shirt and are interested, have them contact us.

Recruiting - Sean has put together an excellent letter that can be sent to high school lacrosse coaches in your area. If you are interested in helping with this critical effort, contact him for a copy of the letter. Additionally, we have an Old Bear web-guru who will be helping the current team to develop a recruiting page on their web-site.

Social - We can't forget about the social aspect of the Old Bears. Most activities are in the early planning stages and include events such as attendance at the Face-Off Classic and Day of Rivals during the upcoming spring 2009 season. Of course we will support the CGA team should they return to DC for spring break again. In fact, the idea of an alumni game in the DC area, to coincide with CGA's spring break trip, are being thrown around. Conceptually, it would be an odd year vs even year game held either before or after one of CGA's games. All of these projects are in the "idea development" stage - so stay tuned for details (however, if anyone thinks they might be interested is helping, let us know).

That's all for now - look for the article about 25 years of CGA Lacrosse in the upcoming issue of the Alumni Bulletin!

GO BEARS!!!

ACTION: Polo Shirt Deadline Is Here

Hey Old Bears,

The deadline for ordering the Old Bears Lacrosse Polo shirts is here! I've posted the list of orders so far - if you are on the list, please verify quantity and size. No action required if everything is correct. If there is a mistake, let Sean and Doug know ASAP (NLT COB Monday, 7/14).
If you still want one of these limited edition, high quality embroidered shirts, email Sean and Doug NLT COB Monday, 7/14). Show your pride in the team! Don't miss out on this opportunity.


GO BEARS!!!

Polo Shirts: Part 2

Hey Old Bears,

As promised, more details on the Old Bears polo shirts. Hopefully you have received an email outlining ordering details and prices. If you aren't receiving emails, let us know so we can add you to the list.

A couple of key points - the shirts are embroidered. That's right, we are talking about a high quality shirt here - one that you will be proud to wear! A minor change to the design - the "Old Bears" wording above the bear will not have a white outline.

Here is more information taken from Sean's email:
"What I need are commitments and I will coordinate purchasing these and dispersing them."

If you replied to Sean's initial inquiry of about a month ago, you need to reply again - Sean didn't keep the original emails.

Price - If we get an order of 24 shirts, they are $29.95. If we get to 30, the price goes down a dollar. From there on, every additional 10 shirts results in a price decrease of $1.

A couple of other points - we have not increased the price as a fund raiser - we are selling the shirts straight up...but it would be great to get some donation money for the team uniform effort. If you have yet to contribute, please consider tacking on some extra funding to your shirt order.

When you email Sean with your order, specify number of shirts, size and address.

Show off your Coast Guard pride on the sideline and out in town!

Contact Sean with any other specific questions regarding the shirts.

Thanks!

GO BEARS!!!

Polo Shirts

Hey Old Bears,

It's been a while since the last post, but that is not for lack of action. Fund raising for the new uniforms continues. If you haven't contributed, we encourage you to consider a donation to the Men's Lacrosse team, via the Alumni Association. We are also attempting to collect team rosters from the last 25 years. And keep an eye on future editions of the Alumni Bulletin for an article highlighting the history of the Lacrosse Team.

One of the initiatives Sean has been working on is the design of an Old Bears polo shirt. The design is below. Final price has yet to be determined, and an email will follow shortly with details. If you are interested, email Sean. Further details will also be posted here. Show your pride and support for CGA Lacrosse with one of these limited edition shirts!

Feel free to contact either one of us with questions or concerns.

GO BEARS!!!

New Uniforms

Of particular importance right now is the need to purchase new uniforms for the team. The current uniforms being worn are five years old and are in dire need of replacement. You have already likely recieved emails asking to help with the funding of the new uniforms. If you have donated already - thank you. If not, we ask that you consider a donation. Donations can be sent to the Alumni Association. Please mark them for "Mens Lacrosse - Uniforms."

To help visualize what we are working towards, below is a conceptual design for the new uniforms. Please note - this may or may not be the final design.

Why a CGA LAX Old Bears Blog

A blog is the next logical step as we evolve the Old Bears network. Our hope is this site can serve as a ready source of information for CGA Lacrosse alumni. It is NOT intended to replace the team's site, rather we hope to augment the site. The site will likely evolve through time. Please feel free to post comments and suggestions on how the Old Bears can improve communication between alumni and better support the team.

GO BEARS!

Sean Cross - CGA '94
Doug Goodwin - CGA '94