Q&A with Dave Bennett & Ben Dlugosh, '09 MC Graduates

Q: How did this opportunity come about?

Dave: Our assistant lacrosse coach at Medaille, Jon Kenney, participated in the program and he gave me a lot of information and advice throughout the process as well. To apply I sent in an application the fall of my senior year and then went to Baltimore for an interview.

Q: What was the biggest culture shock?

Ben: While over here, I have to drive from school to school, and driving over here has proven to be quite difficult. It only took me a few times out to get used to the opposite side of the road, but the two hardest parts of driving here is the fact that every intersection is a Roundabout. The roads are very skinny compared to home. I am always nervous I am going to hit the curb, a parked car, or a car coming my way.

Q: What are the people like?

Dave: The people have been great. Everybody in the lacrosse community is extremely friendly and welcoming. They immediately make you feel at home. After just two weeks of being here, I was already attending one of my teammate's weddings.

Ben: So far, everyone has been so welcoming. They find my accent fascinating. I always have a laugh at that because it's a dirty Buffalo accent.

Q: Do you work there?

Ben: I was hired here by the English Lacrosse Association as a Lacrosse Development Officer (LDO). My job is to go into local schools teaching lacrosse in gym class. When I go into these schools, I represent Boardman and Eccles club, the team I play for. I also am the head coach for the Boardman and Eccles under 16 team.My other main job is to start and recruit an under 12 team.

Q: What do you do for fun?

Dave: I'm lucky in that I live really close to a bunch of other American coaches so we are able to hang out and sightsee almost every day. So when I can't hang out with my team I always have someone around. My favorite attraction so far has been the Nottinghill Carnival in London. I hadn't been off the plane more than ten hours when a few of my teammates took me to it. It's the second biggest street carnival in the world and the biggest in Europe. I think there were around 500,000 people there so it was a very surreal welcome to England.

Q: What is your favorite meal there?

Ben: So far my favorite food dish would have to be a Donner Kebab with chili sauce and plenty of onions. Indian food is very popular over here so things like Kebabs or Curry are quite normal. Donner is probably the grossest/best thing ever. It is essentially a mix of meats Lamb, beef, some chicken all packed together and slow cooked on a spinning cooker. Then they put it on naan bread. It is great late night food. Just dont think about what you're eating.

Q: What was a big cultural shock that you noticed/experienced?

Dave: Another adjustment was just some of the sayings they have. For example instead of saying ‘how are you' or ‘what's up' they say ‘are you alright?' Which is annoying at first because it makes you feel like you must look like something is wrong with you. There are a lot of other little sayings in sports as well that take time to get used to. A field is called a pitch, gear is called kit, cleats are called boots, and goals are woodwork.

Q: What kind of car do you drive?

Ben: I drive a Citreon C2

Q: Is playing lax there different from America. Are the rules the same?

Dave: Yes, lacrosse is drastically different. Most of my players on the university teams have never played before. There are some very talented players over here, but as a team it's hard to perform at a high level because we only practice together once a week. It is also a more physical game since most penalties go uncalled. There are a few rule differences but they don't affect the game that much. Most teams don't really draw a crowd because it just isn't that popular of a sport here yet.