   ON | THE ROAD WITH TOM RYAN  | ||||
| ON | THE ROAD WITH TOM RYAN | ||||
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TR ON THE SIDELINE April 9, 2003 Lacrosse season is here. The Philadelphia Wings have been on a tear of late going from 2 - 5 to 8 - 7 and first place in the Eastern Division. Unfortunately I have been on the injured reserve and forced to watch for the past month with Post Concussion Syndrome. I sustained a concussion in our February 8 game against Rochester, but was able to play the following week in Ottawa. After our win against New Jersey on February 22, I was driving home and my vision started acting up. I got home and realized that one of my pupils was huge while the other remained normal. My vision has been skewed for several weeks and my eyes are hyper sensitive to light. Now I know why they call it getting your bell rung, because my ears were ringing for weeks. My brain has felt generally sluggish, my mood has been adversely affected and I get tired easily. Last week I passed my neuropsych tests on recall and reasoning, but the doctor recommended I take a couple months off from playing.  With concussions, if you get a second hit before you have completely recovered, you can get serious side effects like the ones I am experiencing. The good news is that as long as I give my brain time to rest and recover, I should be back to normal and able to play like before. I thought I was fine after the Rochester game, but in retrospect I wasn't 100%. In sports we are taught to suck it up, but in this instance that is not an option.  "How many fingers am I holding up?" I have been reminded how tough it is to watch while your team plays. Especially at home, I get asked alot about my condition. It has been nice to realize many fans are truly concerned about my well being, but it is hard to repeat over and over that I am not feeling well. I was getting use to the symptoms and could ignore them, but telling thirty people that I wasn't doing very good made me feel worse. Luckily our team has really turned things around and for the most part has played like a championship team. Much like other wingnuts, I have had to live vicariously through my teammates. It is a rush when someone makes a good play and we win, but it is torture to watch close games and not be able to do anything about it. I still bring my boom box to games for pregame tunage though. Team chemistry can have a delicate formula, and I am trying to contribute where I can.  Ok enough droning… because I actually have a lot to be fortunate about. First of all I just bought a house in Baltimore. It's in the part of town called Canton, and It's tight. It has two bedrooms plus a music/ work out room where I can practice the drums and then pump some dumbbells and get all buff and stuff (just kidding). It's got a dual level roof deck and a garage. Right now the garage isn't being used. I might store my car in there, but then again I have been thinking about setting up my box goal. It's a little tight but I have played in smaller spaces. I got a new sectional couch that has taken over for the Green Monster, and my friend let me borrow a projector so my tevo is playing at no less than 92" on my wall. It's awesome. I am just afraid that when she takes it back I may not be able to recover.  Stroh likes the home theater so much he dressed up In case you haven't been following Division I women's lacrosse, Loyola is at the top. This is my fifth season as volunteer assistant and our squad is legit. I think our record is like 9 - 0 just off our first televised game ever in which we beat Penn State by a goal. It was a nail biter, but we found a way to win. Most people are aware that our long-time head coach Diane Aikens is battling brain cancer. She has been able to make it to all of our games so far which is a remarkable feat in itself. Her warrior spirit is a tremendous example and seeing her fight against the tumor really puts things into perspective. Our team has stepped it up, and although it is not really talked about you can't help but play for Di. Kerri Johnson the Associate Head Coach and Kristen "Porch" Porcella have done a commendable job leading our team in Diane's absense. The end of our season is tough with perennial powerhouse Maryland and Virginia on the schedule.  Erin Cyphers and Christine Puccinelli Since I haven't been playing, I decided to do some photojournalism. I have been taking candid pictures of Loyola and the Wings. I go through phases like that where I crank out a bunch of photos.  Kristin Porcella in a sticky situation In case you were wondering about the continuing saga of the Delivery Boy, we have had some unforeseen contract disputes with the star….Wally. Apparently all of the exposure he has received from the first three episodes has gone to his head and he is holding out for a better contract…well not really, but it may be a while anyway.  Also on the production schedule for this summer is the filming of RAT BOY. Although there is a similarity in the name, and, negotiations withstanding, Wally is the lead character in this one as well, it is not a sequel. In fact Rat Boy is supposed to be a romantic drama. It is based on the true story of a kid who is obsessed by rats and must choose between true love (with a girl) and his rat obsession. I can't really go into any more detail at this time, but this one will have sound!  photo by team member Marianne Gioffre Keep an eye out for TR and the deBeermobile coming to a lacrosse event near you. DeBeer in conjunction with the Crease Monkeys will be having a Tailgaiting extravaganza Memorial Day weekend at the NCAA Final Four in Baltimore…you won't want to miss it.  This summer, TR's All Star Lacrosse Academy is an overnight camp for boys being held at Ursinus College in Collegeville, PA July 13 - 17. Check out www.tomryanlacrosse.com for more info.  PR and TR Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that my brother PR exploded for 7 goals in Clarkson's win over my alma mater Bowdoin down in Florida. Nice going Pat, keep taking it to the hoop. Lax on.  ACTION PHOTOS BY JOHN STROHSACKER |       Talia Shacklock  Jen Schuerholz  Kristin McKay  Christy McNew  Kourtney Porcella  Stephanie Walker  Marianne Gioffre  PR in action! The TR movie "The Delivery Boy" can be seen in short episodes right here on E-Lacrosse! Episode 1 Episode 2 Episode 3 
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