Grayslake North Lacrosse Team Tours Duke University

Today our team was given the unique opportunity to tour Duke’s campus and spend some time on their lacrosse fields both playing and observing.

Making our way to breakfast in the morning, our team feasted on the French toast that our coach somehow convinced the hotel to serve us. After that we quickly gathered our equipment and hustled onto the bus so that we could get to our 10 o’clock practice on the notorious lacrosse team’s own practice field.

During practice, we worked a lot on our fundamentals and new Carolina offense, while enjoying the warmer weather and the ambiance of the university.

After practice, we met with Greg Dale, who is in charge of the psychological part of sports and makes sure that Duke’s athletes not only separate themselves physically but as well as mentally. He was kind enough to start our tour off in Duke’s own pride and joy, the Cameron Stadium. Everyone got their pictures, and the few that were actually tall enough touched the net and rim on the court. We were then led through where the Duke basketball team goes through every home game, and then through a hall of fame area of all of their achievements.

After that, we were shown the practice courts and the basketball weight room. We were then brought into the men’s and women’s lacrosse and soccer meeting room. The lacrosse assistant coach then introduced himself and showed us a Duke highlight film that he shows to all his recruits. He then gave us a tour of the building where most of the lacrosse and soccer accolades are held and we were showed the lacrosse locker room.

After that, we then got lunch and shopped in the school bookstore. Once we got all the goodies we could fit in our bags, we headed out to watch the Duke lacrosse practice. We got a lot of tips from the team and their coach, and then we headed back to the hotel and had dinner at the restaurant where it all started on the first day. After dinner, everyone headed back to go pack for the travel back home.

—Ben Smith submitted this report.

Read more about the team's trip:

• Grayslake North Lacrosse: Day One of Spring Break
• Grayslake North Lacrosse: Day Two of Spring Break
• Grayslake North Lacrosse: Day Three of Spring Break
• Grayslake North Lacrosse: Day Four of Spring Break