Hello NEWMAC Posters,
My name is Mike Carr, father of WPI's Matt Carr. I promised my son & my wife that I would not post out here until Matt was done playing. I should have written this a few months back, but just never got around to it, so please indulge a proud parent for a few moments.
First, I wanted to thank everyone here for their comments about my son over the past few years and a special thanks to WPI89, Mass_D3fan and HugeNerd. I was an avid reader of this site and obviously of this forum. I found your comments very fair, both those of a congratulatory manner and those that were critical. My wife and I are very proud of the man our son has become. Athletics has been a large part of his life and given him some very hard times and some very rewarding ones. It has prepared him for the fact that life can throw you a curve at any time and things are constantly changing. Basketball was not his primary sport until he was a junior in high school. He went from a reserve on the bench as a sophomore to starting every game and being selected as an All-State player. He had a great summer of development and then just minutes into the first practice of his senior year, he tore his ACL. For those of you here who are old enough to have a child play athletics, you understand how devastating that kind of injury is not just to your child but to the entire family. There is nothing you can do or say that will help. All you can do is be there. Matt got through it a bit easier because he still had college ball in front of him. Losing that senior year was important though as he lost a vital year of experience. In first season at WPI he did not play much at all.
He played a big role off the bench as a sophomore and finally got to start in the NEWMAC tournament that year. We are so very proud of what Matt accomplished on the court in his final two years at WPI, especially last year. It was just two days before the opening game and my father passed away from a very aggressive form of ALS. Matt played in opener against Husson knowing he would be leaving right after the game to return to Maine and attend the funeral. Two days later he played in VT against Castleton St. He dedicated his season to his grandfather and there were some great games and some that were more difficult. Matt had two goals for his final season, becoming a 1st team Academic All-American and winning a team championship. Ideally, the championship would have been the NEWMAC title, but winning the ECAC tournament was very special. He got to do what so very few ever get to do - walk off the court in the final game of your career as a champion. That was very special for us. Matt came to WPI just wanting to help continue the winning tradition that Coach Bartley had built there. After 4 years, he had become a 2-time First Team All-Conference player, 2-time Academic All-American, a Josten's Finalist, D3Hoops All-Region team selection and chosen to the D3Hoops All-Star team that went to Europe. It was quite a career for a kid that was striving to play college baseball just 6 years ago.
I do wish to thank Coach Bartley, Coach Southall , Ryan Cain all his teammates for all they did for Matt over these past 4 years. Chris stood by him and was very supportive after the knee injury and that was greatly appreciated. I won't say I always agreed with Chris when it came to the games, but what parent ever does? I just appreciate that he saw something in Matt and did give him the opportunity to have the success that he achieved. Also, I want to thank Dr Philip Lahey Jr. who performed Matt's ACL reconstruction. He did a great job from the first time we met him until the final checkup and Matt never had any issues at all with the knee after the surgery.
Matt is now living in Virginia and has a great job there.
We will continue to follow WPI more from afar now, but we hope to get to a game or two each year. We wish a successful season for all the players and their families. All I can say to them now is enjoy every second of it, the end comes so fast and I will for one admit I miss the I will not see Matt running out there wearing #31. I saw the roster a couple of days ago and it looks like Coach Bartley brought in a couple of new big guys, one of them being 7'3". Unfortunately, I can't help you people out here as I have no insight into their ability or how Chris sees them fitting into the program. The team looks awfully young though as only two seniors and 2 juniors are on the roster of 15 players.
Before I forget I also want to thank Pat Coleman & his staff here D3 sports. The coverage you give to these dedicated young men & women is fantastic and is appreciated by all parents of D3 athletes. We also appreciate your honoring Matt with an All-Region nod and selecting him to the D3Hoops.com team that went to Europe in May. He had a great time and enjoyed playing with that elite group.
Lastly, if the rumors here are correct, I want to express our get well wishes to Noel Hollingsworth & Jamie Karraker and their families. We know all too well the pain that goes with an injury that causes you to lose a senior season. "Ënemies" or not, we hate it when we see any young athlete lose time to an injury. I had the opportunity to talk a few times with both Noel & Wil Tashman after games over the past couple of years. They are both fine young men. We will miss not seeing Matt banging around with you two.
Thank you all and enjoy the upcoming season to its fullest.
Mike Carr
My name is Mike Carr, father of WPI's Matt Carr. I promised my son & my wife that I would not post out here until Matt was done playing. I should have written this a few months back, but just never got around to it, so please indulge a proud parent for a few moments.
First, I wanted to thank everyone here for their comments about my son over the past few years and a special thanks to WPI89, Mass_D3fan and HugeNerd. I was an avid reader of this site and obviously of this forum. I found your comments very fair, both those of a congratulatory manner and those that were critical. My wife and I are very proud of the man our son has become. Athletics has been a large part of his life and given him some very hard times and some very rewarding ones. It has prepared him for the fact that life can throw you a curve at any time and things are constantly changing. Basketball was not his primary sport until he was a junior in high school. He went from a reserve on the bench as a sophomore to starting every game and being selected as an All-State player. He had a great summer of development and then just minutes into the first practice of his senior year, he tore his ACL. For those of you here who are old enough to have a child play athletics, you understand how devastating that kind of injury is not just to your child but to the entire family. There is nothing you can do or say that will help. All you can do is be there. Matt got through it a bit easier because he still had college ball in front of him. Losing that senior year was important though as he lost a vital year of experience. In first season at WPI he did not play much at all.
He played a big role off the bench as a sophomore and finally got to start in the NEWMAC tournament that year. We are so very proud of what Matt accomplished on the court in his final two years at WPI, especially last year. It was just two days before the opening game and my father passed away from a very aggressive form of ALS. Matt played in opener against Husson knowing he would be leaving right after the game to return to Maine and attend the funeral. Two days later he played in VT against Castleton St. He dedicated his season to his grandfather and there were some great games and some that were more difficult. Matt had two goals for his final season, becoming a 1st team Academic All-American and winning a team championship. Ideally, the championship would have been the NEWMAC title, but winning the ECAC tournament was very special. He got to do what so very few ever get to do - walk off the court in the final game of your career as a champion. That was very special for us. Matt came to WPI just wanting to help continue the winning tradition that Coach Bartley had built there. After 4 years, he had become a 2-time First Team All-Conference player, 2-time Academic All-American, a Josten's Finalist, D3Hoops All-Region team selection and chosen to the D3Hoops All-Star team that went to Europe. It was quite a career for a kid that was striving to play college baseball just 6 years ago.
I do wish to thank Coach Bartley, Coach Southall , Ryan Cain all his teammates for all they did for Matt over these past 4 years. Chris stood by him and was very supportive after the knee injury and that was greatly appreciated. I won't say I always agreed with Chris when it came to the games, but what parent ever does? I just appreciate that he saw something in Matt and did give him the opportunity to have the success that he achieved. Also, I want to thank Dr Philip Lahey Jr. who performed Matt's ACL reconstruction. He did a great job from the first time we met him until the final checkup and Matt never had any issues at all with the knee after the surgery.
Matt is now living in Virginia and has a great job there.
We will continue to follow WPI more from afar now, but we hope to get to a game or two each year. We wish a successful season for all the players and their families. All I can say to them now is enjoy every second of it, the end comes so fast and I will for one admit I miss the I will not see Matt running out there wearing #31. I saw the roster a couple of days ago and it looks like Coach Bartley brought in a couple of new big guys, one of them being 7'3". Unfortunately, I can't help you people out here as I have no insight into their ability or how Chris sees them fitting into the program. The team looks awfully young though as only two seniors and 2 juniors are on the roster of 15 players.
Before I forget I also want to thank Pat Coleman & his staff here D3 sports. The coverage you give to these dedicated young men & women is fantastic and is appreciated by all parents of D3 athletes. We also appreciate your honoring Matt with an All-Region nod and selecting him to the D3Hoops.com team that went to Europe in May. He had a great time and enjoyed playing with that elite group.
Lastly, if the rumors here are correct, I want to express our get well wishes to Noel Hollingsworth & Jamie Karraker and their families. We know all too well the pain that goes with an injury that causes you to lose a senior season. "Ënemies" or not, we hate it when we see any young athlete lose time to an injury. I had the opportunity to talk a few times with both Noel & Wil Tashman after games over the past couple of years. They are both fine young men. We will miss not seeing Matt banging around with you two.
Thank you all and enjoy the upcoming season to its fullest.
Mike Carr