5/20/08 At right is a list of returning players for 2009 (based on who signed up in 2008). This is the list we will work from to set up tryouts for next year's varsity & JV. The tryouts will begin in August & end before Thanksgiving & we will set the rosters at that point. More details will be available at the end of the summer, but the first day of tryouts will be a physical fitness test, consisting of the following:
-How many pushups you can do in 2 minutes -how many crunches you can do in 2 minutes -how fast you can complete a one-mile run -how fast you run the 5-10-5 shuttle run -how fast you complete the three-cone shuttle run
We will follow that with some opportunities to show how you're improved from the 2008 season.
As you read what's below, keep in mind the list to the right, where you think you fit in, and where you want to be as you set your goals for next year. = = =
4/30/08 “Coach, what can I do to play more?” This question comes up quite a bit, it’s a fair question.I’ll give you my best suggestions.Stop here if you are looking for an easy way to the top of our food chain.There isn’t one, there is a lot of interest & earning playing time is competitive. Plus, our league is only getting better. These suggestions all assume sacrifice, which is a lot to ask from teenagers.But the sacrifices are not optional.The more sacrifice you forgo, the further you will be from achieving your goals.Make lacrosse a priority, not an afterthought.
#1.PLAY & WATCH LACROSSE
Sounds simple but don’t lose sight of this.Camps in town, camps out of town, summer league at Sawyer Park (registration now open 05/05/08 atwww.stickheadusa.com), summer league in Lexington, pickup games, indoor…the more you play, against the best competition, the more you broaden your lacrosse experience, the better you get & the more confidence you gain.If you do nothing but wall ball from the end of this season until the beginning of next season, then you will have fallen behind.
Watch the rest of the college season on ESPNU & CSTV. Watch the NCAA D1 semifinals & finals over Memorial Day weekend. Tape/DVR it & watch it again. The Major League Lacrosse games that are televised over the summer on ESPN2 feature some wildly talented players, try to emulate what they do well (within reason).During the season, watch Bellarmine play if possible.Watch them practice & the tempo & intensity they practice at.
#2.PLAY OTHER SPORTS
Surprising answer?Many other sports increase your level of fitness, they help you keep a competitive edge, and they reinforce working as a teammate towards a greater goal & can keep you from getting burned out on lacrosse.School sports help build pride in your school & also help you interact on different levels with different classmates. Chances are good that you’re going to grow up & work for a living, have fun & play NOW while you can.Just make sure you do some consistent work to maintain your stick skills, which will take some good time management skills considering your in-season sport & schoolwork.But don’t put the stick down for extended periods of time, no matter what. Playing other sports is fine as long as you are working as hard as you can & are taking it seriously.If you are just fooling around, then you are wasting time, refer back to suggestion #1. #3.TRAIN LIKE AN ATHLETE We’ve yet to turn anyone away for being too athletic.When you run, make sure you are running sprints.It’s difficult, it takes a lot of discipline, but it will pay off more than running long distances. You need to lift weights, properly.If you go to a gym, then put your ipod on, stop talking & lift.Socialize some other time.Work on your core & posterior chain muscles before your beach muscles.More multiple-joint exercises (deadlift, cleans, snatches, squats, lunges, bench, pull-ups, dips), fewer bicep curls & leg extensions.Use an appropriate weight, especially when learning these exercises. There are other ways to train without joining a gym.Push-ups, pull-ups, dips, lunges & other bodyweight exercises will take most teenage kids a long way.You can get a jump rope for $10, tough to learn, it will take practice, but it will make you better.Agility ladder work & dot drills can also help improve your change of direction, which every ballcarrier could use. Eating right won’t hurt you either.Fast food once in a while is OK, but if you put shoddy gas in your engine, it sputters.Put things in your body that burn clean, consistently eat things with whole grains & complex carbs.Organic food before processed food.Water before cokes & even sports drinks.Don’t marginalize all of that hard work with poor eating habits. #4.EVALUATE YOUR GAME HONESTLY & SET GOALS What do you do well?What parts of your game need work?What will it take for you to…make the varsity?Become a starter?Be one of the best players in the state?Play DIII or DI lacrosse?And then build an action plan around your goals & what stands in your way. If your left hand needs the most work, move it to the beginning of your wall ball routine.If your lefthanded shot is not very good, start your shooting routine with 50 lefty shots.If you can only shoot sidearm, high-to-high, then work on an overhand shot where you change planes of the ball.Do not become one-dimensional by only working on your dominant hand.Michael Jordan shredded NBA defenders with a multitude of shots.Catch & shoot at the three-point line, off the dribble lefty or righty, mid-range jumper, turnaround jumper, off the glass, in the lane…he made it happen with hard work. Seek out lacrosse resources, they are all over the internet.Fitness & weightlifting resources are even more abundant.Find your teammates or older players, they can be a terrific resource to ask for advice on how to work on your game.Or feel free to ask me.I will give you an honest assessment of what I think you need to do. To play more than you currently do, refine your game & your athleticism to the point where you can’t possibly be kept off of the field.Find your limits & test them.Set your goals high & go after them with great enthusiasm & passion.Genuinely push yourself. “Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved."William Jennings Bryan "Leaders aren't born, they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work. And that's the price we'll have to pay to achieve that goal, or any goal."Vince Lombardi Thanks & Go Rocks! Coach Pete
