Lacrosse preseason training options for SF bay area players

The Menlo Atherton Youth Lacrosse program has an exciting new club that is starting it's second year and has a great list of resources for the local community. Here is a link to some of their information: http://menloathertonlacrosse.com/Page.asp?n=46084&snid=jNHB%5D1M%3EX&org=menloathertonlacrosse.com Aspire Lacrosse has some very good programs offered year around -- well worth checking out. http://www.aspirelacrosse.com/Home_Page.html Register by Thursday Dec 1 for early bird discounts! Sebastian Turner a local high school coach is a really nice fellow and coach is available for private lessons. Other really good options are: Golden State Lacrosse Academy http://www.gs-lacrosse.com/ Two really nice former pros that run travel teams, clinics and private lessons. Booth Lacrosse http://boothlacrosse.com/ -- really nice and demanding former pro that runs travel teams, clinics and private lessons. Played and teaches both the indoor and outdoor game. All West Lacrosse is a larger organization that has many coaches, travel teams, clinics and private lessons. Another option is Team 24/7 http://www.team247lax.com/Clinics/SanFrancisco.aspx Feel free to email lacrossecampfinder@gmail.com) with questions about options for girl lacrosse players -- very solid options locally. This weekend on Dec 3 Stanford will have a girls clinic. Our website www.lacrossecampfinder.com is taking a break from being updated but will be ready in the spring for next summer's lacrosse camps! Another very wonderful option is Boxla -- indoor lacrosse -- checkout options in San Jose and Oakland. This summer there will be an option in Redwood City. http://usboxla.pointstreaksites.com/view/usboxla/recreation-leagues-5983/box-lacrosse-academy-san-jose/beginner-intermediate-program http://usboxla.pointstreaksites.com/view/usboxla/recreation-leagues-5983/oakland-dry-ice

Tony Seaman Interview | Denver Outlaws Lacrosse

Tony Seaman Interview | Denver Outlaws Lacrosse

Womens' college lacrosse action -- fast action and they don't use pads!

Easton Lacrosse has put a lot of thought into their new helmet.

Read a really positive review about the new Easton Lacrosse Raptor helmet. Note how well this helmet scores in important areas of weight, fit, safety -- the main area this helmet scores a bit lower is looks -- I like the look of the helmet -- many people seem "used" to other styles. I suggest trying the helmet and thinking about comfort and safety. Read the Lacrosse Playground review: http://www.lacrosseplayground.com/easton-raptor-helmet-review/ Easton Raptor Helmet Review Posted on November 28, 2011 by Britt Categories: Easton, Equipment Reviews, Helmets Share 0 inShare Digg Digg Per many requests from readers we will begin writing reviews on the latest equipment in the game. Kicking off the first review is resident author, Michael Britt. Easton supplied him with their new Raptor helmet. Below is his honest analysis. First Impressions First thing you notice is the incredible weight. Closest thing to it would be my old UVA Gait helmet from ’06 (the hybrid box/field helmet with an affinity for concussions). The Raptor is so lightweight that the next reaction is to figure out how sturdy it is by grabbing the sides and pushing and pulling at it… it’s a rock. Right off the bat, the Raptor was able to address one of the biggest concerns I had heard from friends – that it was not as durable or established as the Pro7s, TI, II’s, etc. Once you put on the helmet, you notice right away that the fit is top of the line. The helmet comes in three shell sizes and is further customized by a click wheel (like the CPX-R). The shell size, click wheel, and the most comfortable chinstrap I have ever worn made for a helmet that sits firmly in place with the perfect amount of tilt (top bar, por favor). The Raptor facemask was the only initial concern I had. The placement of the bars, especially in tilt mode was perfect and vision was unaffected. However, the mask is noticeably further from your face than other lacrosse helmets (it failed the “lick test” which is a good or bad thing depending on your individual preference). I am not sure if it is a structural requirement for the mask to be constructed the way it is, but ideally, I would like to see the mask maybe .5” closer for a more streamlined appearance and a cleaner side vertical bars. Outside of that, I loved the chin piece and loved the fact that it offered complete coverage to the concussion hot spot that is the jaw line. The scalloped visor was also noticeable while strapped up and definitely increased vision. Performance I absolutely loved playing in this helmet. The weight and fit of the helmet is fantastic. Gone are the days of helmet jitter that you get from ill-fitting helmets. The Raptor was able to handle the physicality of an indoor lacrosse game with ease (multiple slashes, helmet to helmet ‘bumps’, and some board action). It is my opinion that–right now–the Raptor is the best combination of safety, weight, and technology of the helmets available. I would also like to see tests between the Pro7 and Raptor for side impact/jaw lines (the concussion hotspots) to see which is safer. However, because of the Easton-Bell heritage (and because they manufacture Riddell football and lax helmets) I would assume that the Raptor is safer. Comparison to CPX-R and Pro7 Subjective and on a scale of 1-5, 1 being awful and 5 being laxtastic. Last Word A big reason I think High Schools, Youth Clubs, etc. will consider the Raptor is the product supportability factor. The majority of schools send their helmets out after each season to be reconditioned and repaired to meet safety standards. Currently, programs are shipping their Cascades, Warriors, etc. with their schools football Riddell’s to a Riddell-certified reconditioner for repairs for logistical and cost-effectiveness reasons. The problem with that is that you get lacrosse helmets back that have been reassembled wrong (e.g. CPX-R parts in a Pro7). My assumption here would be that since both Riddell and Easton have the same parent company, the reconditioners will leverage product familiarity and the result will be helmets that remain safer longer and limit the amount of “Franken-helmets” on team storage shelves. Lastly, I recommend any lacrosse player in the market for new gear this year to go down to Dick’s, LaxWorld, etc. to check out the Easton line. Try on their products side by side with other manufacturers. The great thing about Easton is their guys are incredibly accessible, if you do not like an aspect of their product, go on their Facebook Page and tell them. Thanks again for the guys over at Easton Lacrosse for giving me the opportunity to review the Raptor. I appreciate what they are trying to achieve and look forward to the technology they will bring to the lacrosse community. Head to Eastonlacrosse.com for more info. I’m Brick Tamland. People seem to like me because I am polite and I am rarely late. I like to eat ice cream and I really enjoy a nice pair of slacks. Years later, a doctor will tell me that I have an I.Q. of 48. I spend my free time playing for Los Banditos in the Metro Area Box Lacrosse League.

Super break down on shooting by one of the best -- Casey Powell

Good article about why boxla would be a great idea for college lax

A thoughtful article from Lacrosse Allstarts: http://snip.it/s/orp I’m loving box lacrosse. I don’t think it’s better or worse than field, I just think it’s awesome. And I’d love to see some real deal college teams start to pop up. I actually can’t believe it doesn’t happen more often! Sure, there are a lot of barriers to entry, and reasons that college box lax isn’t going to happen in a major way anytime soon, but the idea definitely has potential. And for teams looking to gain an edge on the field, it just might be that Scott Bakula-esque Quantum Leap so many are looking for. Looking down the list of top scorers and offensive players in the NCAA, and MLL, you can see the box influence. Travis Moore, Kevin Crowley, Mark Matthews, Bryan Neufeld, Robert Church and a number of others are all in the top 20 and the skills they developed in box lacrosse are definitely paying dividends on the field. In the MLL, there are less “pure” box players, but many of the guys in the top 20 also play pro box, and they all say that playing box has greatly helped their field game. Paul Rabil, Brendan Mundorf, Casey Powell, Joe Walters, Ryan Powell, Stephen Peyser, Ryan Boyle, Kevin Buchanan and a host of others play a lot of boxla, and it’s clear that they have improved as players because of it. Even defensive guys like Mitch Belisle of Trilogy Lacrosse tout the benefits of box. It’s the real deal. So why aren’t college lacrosse coaches and programs pushing for more box lacrosse right on campus? After all, where there is a will, there is a way. So when opportunity knocks, you’d better be ready to answer the door. And it’s knocking. Ok, enough of the cliches. Let’s talk college boxla. First things first, before we get to addressing the constraints, and how we can find solutions, I’m going to talk about why this is a good idea just a little but more. Box lacrosse is tough, it’s fast-paced, and it requires huge amounts of skill to truly play well. The skill sets from box lacrosse translate well to field lacrosse, especially on the offensive end, and provide new ways of attacking the cage, running offenses, and even defenses. We all know that Zones are en vogue right now, and the backside of a boxla defense, aka “the wall”, uses and teaches many of these pass and recover principles and techniques. The tight spaces mean stick skills must be sharp, and the limited number of players on the floor means that every player out there has to be pretty well-rounded and able. There is no hiding in box lacrosse. Defenders are forced to use a short stick, which makes them play better defense with their feet, and it forces them to be more comfortable and skilled with a ball in their stick. Goalies may present something of an issue, as the debate is still raging as to whether or not field goalies can make the transition, or if it will even help them. All I know is that Ginny Capichionni may be the best active US box goalie and she played women’s field lacrosse in college, and all the goalies in our box league last winter said it made them better field keepers. But like I said, the jury is still out there. Even if the goalie situation is a loss, it’s still safe to say that the majority of players on field teams would benefit from playing box lacrosse, so since it SHOULD happen, let’s look at why it’s not happening, at least not in a major way. Title IX is the first thing people will bring up. Colleges and Universities simply can’t add additional sports teams for men without adding women’s teams, and box doesn’t have a counterpart on the female side. The other issue is that many schools already offer a disproportionate number of athletic roster spots to men, so creating a new men’s sport becomes even less likely. Add on to all that the current economic situation isn’t exactly rosy, and the outlook becomes even more dire. But lacrosse has proven time and time again that it doesn’t always follow the standard path, and many of the solutions are already out there. Other issues surround costs, places to play, coaching, rules, expectations and eligibility issues. So I’ll try to address each with possible solutions, and get around Title IX budget issues at the same time. The MCLA, and a number of other smaller college leagues provide the perfect example to follow. The schools that now have MCLA teams didn’t want to add programs for one reason or another, and yet here they are. Lacrosse people simply made it happen. Of course, MCLA teams couldn’t exist at schools where NCAA teams existed, but that didn’t stop the NCLL from getting more popular either. When Boston high schools couldn’t add programs, MetroLacrosse created a league of its own. There are a number of leagues like this all over the country at many levels. When lacrosse people want to play, we make it happen. If there isn’t an option where we fit in, we create one. This may seem like a simple answer, and that’s because it is. But it’s also been proven true time and time again. So if a group of college players out there decided to create a box team at their school, you can bet they’ll find a way to make it happen. The costs will be considerable depending on how a team approaches it, but it’s definitely doable, especially if they start small. In fact, the first go-round could be accomplished by having the regular team form a “box lacrosse club” through the student assembly or recreational sports office. Play in the gym at first, and keep it open to any student that wants to play. Your school now has an intramural box lacrosse league. Costs are relatively low, the school is involved, and there is no travel budget. Plus people already have equipment. All you’d really need are goals and goalie equipment. Do it to it. Now I understand that playing in a gym or on a tennis court might not be ideal, but don’t let that get you down. Everything has to start somewhere. Once there is enough interest, you’d probably want to find an indoor soccer location nearby, or hope that your school takes the ice off its hockey rink for the fall. Maybe your school has an old hockey rink they don’t use anymore? Or this is one nearby? Raise some money to convert it to a box lacrosse facility! This may seem like a crazy expectation or potentiality, but like I said, when lacrosse players decide to get something done, they can often find a way. Schools in warmer climes could conceivably build an outdoor box or multi-use facility, and that could drastically cut costs. I’ve played box outdoors before and it’s awesome. Maybe a local rink is getting new boards… buy their old ones! Find a way to make it happen. Be creative! In NYC we use an outdoor roller hockey rink and it’s great, so don’t doubt it! Ulax NYC box lacrosse Boniello lax Get creative, people! As far as coaching goes, this is one of the tougher areas. There aren’t a ton of Yanks with box experience, but again, one only has to look at some pretty successful field lacrosse coaches to see that this shouldn’t matter. Mike Daly of Tufts was a college BASEBALL player at Tufts. In 2010, he led the Tufts Jumbos LACROSSE team to an NCAA DIII national championship. Want another example? Ok. Erin Quinn, the legendary coach at Middlebury (now their AD) never played lax in his life. He learned the game as a coach, and he learned it well. Well enough to win a bunch of rings! So all you need is a good coach with enough drive to learn and improve and you should be set. It’s not like they grow on trees, but if we broaden our search criteria (e.g. ex-baseball/football/hockey players, coaches, refs, etc), you might just find a not-so-hidden gem. And that brings new people in to the game. BONUS! The last major obstacle in my eyes probably surrounds eligibility. I’m sure there would be some concern that a lax coach couldn’t also coach a box lacrosse team, or that the two sports would be viewed as the same, since they are both lacrosse. But indoor track is different from outdoor track, and many of those coaches coach BOTH teams. Athletes in those sports win two varsity letters (and some of the cross country guys win 3) every year, so it’s pretty clear that precedent is set here in lacrosse’s favor. This can happen. There are certain teams and schools out there that should be doing this already, and off the top of my head they are: Manhattan College in NYC, ASA Junior College in NYC, Adelphi, CW Post, NY Tech, and Dowling, on Long Island as well as MCLA Briarcliffe. WHY do I single these teams out? Because I know that there is a box league nearby that runs before their seasons start! All they’d have to do is enter a team! I can’t imagine any of the school coaches would frown on their players organizing their own winter lacrosse team. And I can even see the schools supporting their students initiative. Everyone would get to play more lax, and it would be a great way to stay tough before the field season truly began. In the end, most people will dismiss this as a waste of time or money, but if done right, collegiate box lacrosse could do a lot for any program. People probably just won’t believe it until some team pulls it off and wins a national championship. And when that happens, you can come back here and tell me how right I was.

D-pole #81 Kyle Hartzell Nice guy and some solid lax video here.

Easton Lacrosse talking about helmet fit.

Easton Lacrosse is working hard on making products that will really fit players. Checkout this video explaining helmet TILT. I like how light the helmet is and that there are three different sizes.

How the pros warm-up

Livin Lax: Cannons 2011 Shooting Warm Up 103 Lax Badger Remix from Lax-School.com on Vimeo.

Laxers checkout this workout.

Lacrosse Conditioning: Northwestern Women’s Lacrosse Middie Erin Fitzgerald Demonstrates Workout That Helped Wildcats Win 2011 National Lacrosse Championship Posted on November 17, 2011 | Leave a comment While many still wonder how a lacrosse program in the Midwest can be as dominant as the one Kelly Amonte Hiller has established at Northwestern, those who have watched an Amonte Hiller-coached team know the Wildcats’ success starts in the gym. For proof, look no further than junior Erin Fitzgerald. A high school attacker, Fitzgerald transformed into an attack/midfield hybrid in Northwestern’s fast-paced offense. Knowing the position switch necessitated a conditioning boost, Fitzgerald as a freshman started working out twice a day while switching to a protein-based diet. It paid off. Rather than tiring as the season progressed, Fitzgerald played her best at the end of the year. The Mt. Sinai, N.Y., native worked her way into the starting lineup by playoffs, and in four postseason starts she tied for the team lead with 12 goals. But the Wildcats that season would up blowing a six-goal lead in a loss to Maryland in the 2010 NCAA championship game. With the collapse fresh in their memories, Fitzgerald and her teammates took their conditioning to a new level in the ensuing offseason. The workouts stayed the same — hard sprints mixed with strength and conditioning — while the intensity increased. “Our workouts got 10 times harder,” Fitzgerald said. “Everyone was pushing each other because we had something to prove, and we were all kind of pissed off.” The Wildcats responded, outscoring their opponents by a whopping 121 goals and avenging their loss to Maryland in the 2011 NCAA championship game for their sixth title in seven years. Staying in shape is nothing new in the Fitzgerald family. Erin’s parents, sister and brother all played sports at the Division I level. She mixes up her workouts with spinning, running, kickboxing and even boot camp as her schedule permits. “The feeling I get after a hard workout is probably what I look forward to most and what gets me through my workout,” said Fitzgerald, who works under the guidance of Northwestern Director of Sports Performance Jason Pullara. “Just knowing that I’m going to be in top shape and able to compete at my best on the field.” Q&A with Erin What’s your favorite workout? My favorite workout would probably be sprints into some plyometric things — whether it’s squat jumps or mountain climbers — just to keep my heart rate going. What music do you like to listen to in the gym? I just like to mix it up a lot, whether it’s rap or rock, I just like to change it up. I’m a big Nicki Minaj fan. What is your diet like? I try to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, and I also make sure I always have protein, whether that’s chicken or salmon or peanut butter. I try to stay away from deserts, but I’m a big candy person. Suggested Workouts Dumbbell Snatch This exercise builds lower body power and explosiveness. Use one dumbbell. (Fitzgerald uses a 25-pounder.) Start by getting in a Romanian dead lift (RDL) position, with your hips back, shoulders over the dumbbell, back flat and slight bend in your knees. Grip the dumbbell at about knee height. Extend through your ankles, knees and hips quickly, simultaneously keeping the dumbbell as close to your body as possible. Raise it until your arm is extended over your head, with the dumbbell in alignment with your ears. Finish in a quarter-squat position. Repeat four times with each arm for 3-5 sets. Front Squat This exercise builds lower body strength, specifically in your glutes, hamstrings and quads. Hold a barbell in front of your body on top of your shoulders. Begin in a standing position and squat (pushing your hips backwards) until your thighs are parallel with the ground. Explode back up to a standing position, keeping the bar on top of your shoulders. Reverse V-Ups This exercise strengthens your core muscles. Use one exercise ball. Assume push-up position with your hands on the floor and feet resting on the ball. Slowly roll the ball forward until your body is fully extended. When executed properly, your body should form the shape of a triangle. After your rear has reached its highest point, roll the ball back to its original position. Fitzgerald recommends three sets of 10. A version of this article appears in the November issue of Lacrosse Magazine. Previous Gym Rats features have included UMBC coaches Kelly Berger and Amy Appelt, and Team USA goalie and Marquette assistant coach Scott Rodgers. Check back to LaxMagazine.com for tips from Mercyhurst’s Ian Wild. Don’t get the mag? Join US Lacrosse and its 350,000-plus members today to start your monthly subscription. Here is the link which includes pictures to show the proper form for each workout: http://laxbuzz.com/2011/11/17/lacrosse-conditioning-northwestern-womens-lacrosse-middie-erin-fitzgerald-demonstrates-workout-that-helped-wildcats-win-2011-national-lacrosse-championship/

Classic 2001 Princeton Lax

Princeton University 2001 Lacrosse Highlights from Norbert Bielan on Vimeo.

More lax drills -- Goalie Pipe Drill

Great workout ideas from two top lacrosse pros.

Rabil & Hartzell Wallball Workout Ryan Rabidou November 10th, 2011 2 InsideLacrosse.com Rabil & Hartzell Wallball Workout The off-season is among us, which means it's time to hit both the wall and the gym. Johns Hopkins strength coach Jay Dyer and MLL all-stars Paul Rabil and Kyle Hartzell share how to kill two birds with one lax ball. NCAA "Incorporating technical skill into your workouts can really benefit you in areas when you're tired. Fourth quarter breathing can be heavy, when your stick needs to be air-tight. Doing these stickwork drills during rest periods helps work on focus, concentration and strength endurance. -Paul Rabil Phase 1 Incline Backpedal Runs (2-4 sets of 5 reps) Stay low with a slight bend forward; do not lean back into the hill. Maintain this athletic position as you sprint backward up the hill. Incline Backpedal Runs 2-4 sets of 5 reps Medicine Ball Toss (10 tosses) As soon as you complete your backpedal reps, perform 10 tosses with a medicine ball. Place your palms underneath the ball and squat down. Explode out of the squat position and throw the ball into the air as high as possible (use a medicine ball that will bounce). Let the ball bounce, catch and repeat. Medicine Ball Toss 10 tosses Wall Ball Exercise No. 1 Stand about 15 feet from the wall. Pick a spot on the wall and throw overhand hitting the spot 15 times righty then 15 times lefty. Focus on whipping the ball hard so it comes back on a straight line. Wall Ball Exercise No. 1 Phase 2 Incline Side Shuffle (2-4 sets of 5 reps) Stay in an athletic position and shuffle to the top of the hill — do not let your feet crossover or touch while shuffling. Incline Side Shuffle 2-4 sets of 5 reps Medicine Ball Slam (10 slams) Perform immediately following your shuffle using a medicine ball that does or doesn't bounce. Raise the ball over your head, swing the ball forward and as it moves toward the ground, be sure to squat down to incorporate your legs into the movement and create more force when releasing the ball. Medicine Ball Slam 10 slams Wall Ball Exercise No. 2 Stand 15 feet from the wall. Pick a spot on the wall and throw sidearm hitting the spot 15 times righty then 15 times lefty. Focus on whipping the ball hard so it comes back on a straight line. Wall Ball Exercise No. 2 Phase 3 Incline Sprints (2-4 sets of 5 reps) Face the hill and stay low in an athletic position. Sprint accelerating up the hill, pumping your arms. TRX Rows (2-4 sets of 10-15 reps) Anchor a TRX to a fence, football goal post or whatever you have access to that's close to a hill or wall. Keep your ankles, hips and shoulders in alignment when performing the exercise. TRX Rows 2-4 sets of 10-15 reps Wall Ball Exercise No. 3 From the same distance, pick a spot on the wall and hit it throwing underhand and catching the ball up high. Complete for 15 times righty, then 15 times lefty. Wall Ball Exercise No. 3 This was from Inside Lacrosse -- http://insidelacrosse.com/news/2011/11/10/rabil-hartzell-wallball-workout -- they have a lot of great articles.

A bit of lax history -- the Gait Brothers.

Nice interview -- learn how the pros get traded and some great video clips of lax action.

A great way to learn is to watch some really skilled action -- checkout both the great offense and defense action:

MLL 2011 All-Star Game Video

A very nice article on the slide.

Learn the Art of the Slide for Better Defense Thomas Alford Article by: Thomas Alford | November 8, 2011 In lacrosse, playing the position of defense is based on technique and foot positioning. Defensemen must adjust and react to the offensive player’s moves. The man with the ball always knows his next move. It’s up to the defenseman to catch on to it, but if he catches on too late, he may cost his team a goal. However, a seasoned defenseman can direct his opponent to an area of his choosing and get help from his teammates. Below, I describe sliding to an opponent who happens to be dodging from X (the area behind the goal). This can be explained in a three-step process. We’ve included pictures of Johns Hopkins defenseman Jack Reilly demonstrating the process to perfection against a Georgetown attackman in a scrimmage this fall. Step 1: Trail your attackman from X, as you’re one step behind him. Stay one step behind him with your stick fully extended up field. This will create a funnel, which gives you control as you direct him where to go. Trailing your attackman allows you to stay balanced, dictating your opponent’s motion. jack reilly 1 Learn the Art of the Slide for Better Defense Step 2: Without overstepping your attackman, get topside of him. This is critical. If your attackman gets topside at Goal Line Extended (GLE), then potential slides from the crease are foiled. Remember, you want to be in control and force him toward your help. jack reilly 3 Learn the Art of the Slide for Better Defense Step 3: Force him under. By now, you’ve forced him to roll back. As he rolls back, he’s going to think he has an open lane to the goal. He’s mistaken. As he approaches the goal, your slide is awaiting him on the crease. The slide will either be from the crease or it will be a COMA slide, which is a slide from across the crease. Depending on your defensive scheme, you may find yourself sliding from both angles during the course of a game. jack reilly 4 Learn the Art of the Slide for Better Defense This is perfect team defense. The goalie should be pointing out where the ball is at all times, while also signifying who is about to slide. As a defenseman, it’s difficult to know where your man is dodging. That is exactly why you need to approach your man as if you’re directing traffic. Create an illusion for him. Make him go one way. Once you’ve positioned your body and forced him one way, you’ve made it easier for your teammates to know who’s sliding and where they will rotate. Thomas Alford is the co-founder and social media manager of LacrossePlayground.com, a digital media magazine covering lacrosse equipment, apparel and lifestyle. A former midfielder at the University of Maryland, Alford is a Washington, D.C. native, a non-profit consultant and an assistant coach at Gonzaga College High School. He can be found on Twitter at @ThomasAlford33. The above article is from an interesting blog: http://blog.stack.com/2011/11/08/learn-the-art-of-the-slide-for-better-defense/ http://blog.stack.com/wp-content/uploads/jack-reilly-1.jpg http://blog.stack.com/wp-content/uploads/jack-reilly-3.jpg http://blog.stack.com/wp-content/uploads/jack-reilly-4.jpg

What a lacrosse family. Read this to get some insight into college recruiting

Recruiting Roundup: No. 1 Young Gun sophomore Shack Stanwick to Hopkins Ty Xanders November 9th, 2011 0 InsideLacrosse.com InsideLacrosse.com Text Size Email Print Inside Lacrosse's No. 1 sophomore Shack Stanwick, A, Boys' Latin (Md.) committed to Johns Hopkins on Tuesday afternoon, according to a close source. He also considered Virginia, Duke and North Carolina. Under Armour After putting up 28 goals and 30 assists for the Lakers in his freshman season, Stanwick had an excellent summer, turning in strong performances at the Under Armour underclass games, Jake Reed's Blue Chip, Brine Shootout in several events with both the BLC Crabs and Boys' Latin. Here is his writeup from October's Top 20 Sophomore Young Gun rankings: "There will be plenty of players who will attempt to fight their way into the top of the class of 2014. As of now, though, Stanwick is the established No. 1 prospect in this class. As a freshman, the 6-2, 160-pound attackman finished the 2011 season as Boys' Latin second-leading scorer (28G, 30A - second to his brother, Johns Hopkins frosh Wells Stanwick). He continued with a hot summer, participating in the Under Armour Underclass games, Nike Blue Chip Camp, the Maryland Free State Games and with the BLC Crabs. He has the established Stanwick skill level and lacrosse IQ, but his athleticism is the X-Factor. He moves like a basketball player around the net, using his size to attack the cage, create shots and post up his opponents." Shack is the youngest of eight siblings in a renowned Baltimore lacrosse family. The three oldest - Coco, Wick and Sheehan - were each standouts at Georgetown University (where Mr. and Mrs. Stanwick also attended) while Tad finished his career with Rutgers in 2010. Steele, a senior at Virginia, brought a national championship to Charlottesville this past May and won the Tewaaraton award. Covie is a freshman attacker at Boston College and was the No. 2 incoming women's recruit while Wells is a freshman attackman at Johns Hopkins and was the No. 4 incoming men's recruit. Also of note, Shack is the first Stanwick male to repeat a college choice of his older brothers.

More insight into the 2012 movie Crooked Arrows

Serious about lacrosse -- think about Boxla

Here is a really solid article about the benefits of playing Boxla -- a Canadian version of indoor lacrosse -- box lacrosse. Tier Lacrosse: Keeping Up With The Canadians Trevor Tierney | November 8, 2011 | 0 Comments Editor’s note: Please welcome Trevor Tierney back to the Lax All Stars! This week, we posed a few tough questions to Trevor about BOX lacrosse and how playing indoor can make all the difference in the world. For more information on recruiting and lacrosse in general, make sure you check out Trevor’s website, TierLacrosse.com! Got a question you want Trevor to answer in next week’s post? Drop it in the comments section below and we’ll make sure he sees it! _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Tier Lacrosse Have you played any box lacrosse? What do you think of the game in general? My personal experience with the game was that after I graduated from college, I made the NLL’s Colorado Mammoth as a forward because I did not feel like my field goalie skills would transfer over that well to box goalie. I was relegated to the practice squad and I only played in one game and I am quite proud to say that my stats on the NLL website read like this: 1 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 5 PIM. So, despite the fact that I spent more time in the penalty box than I did on the field, playing for the Mammoth up in Toronto in front of 16,000 screaming fans was one of the coolest athletic experiences of my life! I also absolutely loved practices with the Mammoth. The training camps and the Friday night practices were the most fun that I had ever had playing the game in my life. The more confined space, the boards keeping the ball in play, the physical nature, and the overall speed of the game, make it an absolute blast to play. Despite playing the game since I could barely even walk, I was seeing my stick skills improve dramatically and it was helping my game in the summers as a goalie in the MLL. I was in awe of the game and completely fell in love with it. It made me wish that I had been born in the Great White North! When one looks down the list of the Top 50 scorers in NCAA Division 1 lacrosse over the past 10 years, it’s hard not to notice that there are a lot of Canadians on the list. These guys grew up playing box lacrosse for the most part, so is the proof in the pudding? Does playing box simply make you a better offensive player? Jason Donville sends out an awesome email blast to all the NCAA coaches, which lists the leading Canadian players on all NCAA teams and the statistics which show how the Canadians are basically dominating the game, at least from an offensive standpoint. The simple explanation to this is due to the fact that these players grew up playing indoor lacrosse as youth players. The other factor, that is different from when I was in high school, is that Canadians are also learning the strategy and technique of playing field lacrosse as they get older. So, they start from a very young age playing youth box lacrosse and then as they grow, they continue to play box, but also play and learn the field game at a fairly high level. The combination of the two experiences develops the best offensive lacrosse players in the world. The reasons for this are pretty simple as the stick skill work that is learned in box lacrosse translates very well to being a great offensive player in field lacrosse. The indoor setting is the absolute best way for youth lacrosse players to get better with their sticks. The boards keep the ball in play in a tighter space with only five players on the field, so all the young players, regardless of skill, get way more touches and repetitions than in field lacrosse. The drills that you can run and just the overall style of the game allow players to develop their stick skills in a way that is impossible to achieve through just playing field lacrosse. Are there any drawbacks to a box-only lacrosse education? We don’t see the defensive ranks in college dominated by Canadian box players like we do for offense, so is that one of them? There are some bad habits that you can learn from box lacrosse. Although some Canadian players get away with having only one hand in college, I still think it is highly beneficial for a player to be able to use both hands in field lacrosse. There are also some skills in field lacrosse, like shooting on the run down the alley, dodging from behind the goal and wings and clearing through for space, that are not as well developed in box lacrosse. However, the positives from playing box far outweigh the negatives and playing box at the youth level clearly develops superior players. It is a bit of enigma in that you do not see as many great Canadian defensive players as offensive players. You would think that box lacrosse would develop great defensive skills in players because it is such a physical game and there is a lot of individual defense played… And actually, some of the Canadian midfielders that I have seen over the past few years also play fantastic defense in a short-stick role. The reason that you have not seen as many pure defensemen though, is that the Canadians have not started playing as much field lacrosse, up until the past five years or so. Now that they are stressing more field lacrosse play in the middle school and high school aged kids, you are starting to see some better defensemen come out of the woodwork as they are learning to play with a long stick. The combination of box lacrosse skills and field lacrosse skills is a scary combination. Just look at Brodie Merrill, who is definitely the best defenseman that I ever played with throughout my pro career. How can a prospective college recruit better themselves by playing box lacrosse? What kinds of skills should they focus on learning? Is playing box and field comparable to being a two-sport athlete? Frankly, I think that it is too late by then if a player is a prospective college recruit. If you simply study the two games at the youth level, there is really no comparison. Many youth lacrosse games last about an hour, tops. There are usually running-time halves, and for a majority of the time, the ball is on the ground. Many times, there will be a couple players out there who are better than the rest, and the ball will end up in their sticks for a lot of the time as well. That means that most of the kids on the field are touching the ball maybe one to three times a game if they are lucky! Sadly, youth lacrosse is starting to turn into baseball with a lot of our young athletes standing around watching from the midline, just as many young baseball players get stuck standing in deep, deep roving right-field. In the U.S. lacrosse world, we all need to start investing more time, energy and money into the box lacrosse game for our youth lacrosse players. Not only is it the best way for them to improve as lacrosse players, it is also way more fun for them to play! If parents want to hear one of the best kept secrets as to how their son can become a great enough lacrosse player to get recruited or receive a scholarship, then playing some box lacrosse is a great way to try and accomplish those goals. If we keep naysaying the indoor version of the game, the Canadian players will be more than happy to keep taking over the field game, getting those spots in college, taking those scholarships and dominating the leader boards in scoring! Excerpts from these answers were taken from my new blog up on TIER Lacrosse entitled, “Keeping Up With The Canadians” and can be found over on Tier Lacrosse’s blog! Kind regards, Trevor Tier Lacrosse Check out TierLacrosse.com for more great articles from Trevor Tierney.

For those in the SF Bay Area -- info on a solid program for BoxLa -- indoor lacrosse.

Denver University Elite vs Cali*Lax ALL-STARS – The Real Fall Classic Posted on November 3, 2011 by Lacrosse Playground Categories: Coverage, Indoor Share 0 inShare Digg Digg Santa Cruz, CA – The Denver University Elite Box Lacrosse team is taking their game to California this December to challenge the Cali*Lax ALL-STARS at the California Invitational on December 10/11, 2011. The age groups of the developmental series are as follows: Pee Wee (U12), Bantam (U14) and Midget (U16). Denver University Elite is coached by Denver University Assistant coach Matt Brown. Brown, a former DU star grew up playing Box Lacrosse in Canada and also enjoyed a lengthy 6 year career in the National Lacrosse League. Brown also has 2 Minto Cup Championships from his days with the Burnaby Lakers Jr ‘A’ program in British Columbia. Brown is also the coach, along with 7 x MLL Defensive player of the year Brodie Merrill, of Team Canada U19. The Cali*Lax ALL-STARS are directed by 12 year NLL pro, World Champion and former Stealth captain Shaydon Santos, a Canadian Box player who relocated to California when the Albany Attack moved west to become the San Jose Stealth. Santos’ Cali*Lax ALL-STARS, America’s first youth Box program, have been traveling to Canadian Box tourneys for the last 3 years and are comprised of 7 travel teams ranging in age groups from Novice (U10) to Midget (U16). The Cali*Lax ALL-STARS now compete in the Canadian ‘A’ level and have faced off against Box Lacrosse powerhouses Whitby Bantam 1 (Mark Matthews/Denver University, Zack Palmer/JHU, Zack Greer/Duke/Bryant), and New Westminster Pee Wee A (Kevin Crowley/Stoney Brook). Both Denver Elite and Cali*Lax ALL-STARS have been attending the same Box Tournament in Calgary over the past 2 years but have never faced off. The California Invitational is a four game Developmental Series over two days taking place in San Jose, CA. The Cali*Lax ALL-STARS Pee Wee, Bantam, Midget and HS Elite travel to Washington in both January and February to face off against the Junior Stealth. The Junior Stealth and the Stealth Academy are directed by NLL superstar, LMX Pro Lewis Ratcliff and coached by the world’s top Box players – the Washington Stealth. Denver University Elite, the Jr Stealth and the Cali*Lax ALL-STARS are bringing a combined 15 teams to Canada this summer to battle Canadians at youth Box Lacrosse tournaments. More information can be found at: www.calilax.com www.usboxla.com

College Halloween Lax Fun

Brown Lacrosse Halloween Practice 2011 from Brown Men's Lacrosse on Vimeo.

Great video to get you excited about going out to work on your lacrosse

Practice Being Great - MetroLacrosse from MetroLacrosse on Vimeo.

A great way to learn -- watch the best of college lax 2011