With the men’s cricket team season just around the corner and fresh off of a spring break trip, the Brits don’t have much hope for a winning season. According to rookie coach Rob Handler, hard work in practice and a competitive drive would help, but a general apathy dominates the team’s spirit.
“It’s frustrating because no one will get motivated,” Handler said. “Players keep making excuses like, ‘I have chemistry homework,’ and ‘it’s only a Division III school; I didn’t come here only to play cricket.’”
According to Frank Cliffton, Grosse Point senior and captain, the team’s spring break trip to Cancun really brought the team together.
“I mean, it was great laying out in the sun all day and going to the spring break bars and clubs,” Cliffton said. “But it sucked that the whole team was always forced to hang out. I’m really sick of being around everyone, and half of the team is mad at the first-years who kept asking when we were going to practice cricket.”
It is the 16 first-years, though, that Handler believes could be the downfall in the rest of their season.
“We have a really young and a really naïve team,” Handler said. “They haven’t really figured out that they’re not in high school anymore, and their skills aren’t where they should be. But we really don’t have any other options as far as players.”
Not all have such a dire outlook about their team. Kevin Johns, Ida first-year, believes that their focus on both offense and defense should help the team pull together for a few Ws.
“You have to want to score, but you also can’t let anybody else score,” Johns said. “I mean, obviously the Brits can’t score too much, but we have to stay on our toes if we’re going to keep the other teams from bringing in points”
The Brits have one player who was named All-MIAA last year: Max Brosef, Kalamazoo senior. Despite his ability to score, the team doesn’t plan on relying on his ability alone.
“Yeah, he’s good, but it’s not worth how obnoxious he is about it,” said Allen Link, Grand Rapids sophomore. “Whenever he makes a good play either during a game or practice, he runs around screaming ‘muscle milk’ and pounding his chest. He also keeps asking when Danni Wysocki is going to either feature a story about him or make a hilarious pun out of his last name in a headline.”
The men’s cricket team will have their first face-off against Paul Revere on April 19, around midnight at home. Because they are not a varsity sport, however, the game will take place at Victory Park, regardless of whether the field is flooded or has enough holes to become dangerous.
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