To add to the idea of being creative and following the Steve Jobs video. Meet the creator of Cranium Games and Golazo.

Here is a great article from FastCompany about a serial entrepreneur Richard Tait. The creator of Cranium games which are terrific fun to play and a new "natural" sports drink -- think a mix of Red Bull and Gatorade. He uses Steve Jobs as a model and asks the question "Why be in the Navy when you can be a pirate?" Focusing here on adventure and living by one's wits not theft.

This applies to how you practice you lacrosse skills -- are you going to practice in a plodding sort of way or will you be creative in your practice such that when a sudden opportunity arises in a game you are ready to seize the chance?

http://www.fastcompany.com/1803092/five-lessons-to-do-what-you-loveand-succeed FC Expert Blog

Five Lessons To Do What You Love...And Succeed

BY FC Expert Blogger Shawn ParrTue Dec 27, 2011 This blog is written by a member of our expert blogging community and expresses that expert's views alone.

Entrepreneurs come from all over the world, but most share an innate passion for questioning the constraints of ideology and discipline, and identifying practical solutions to problems by combining ingenuity, resourcefulness, and dogged determination.

You Never Know Where a Good Idea Is Going to Come From.

I'm fascinated by the different types of people I meet in the world and the way their personalities show in what they do. People with passion, energy, ideas, and an unquenchable thirst for life inspire me the most. I’m fueled by their energy, fascinated by their ideas, and inspired by the way they live life to its fullest.

While working with Starbucks, I had the lifelong pleasure of meeting a man with more energy and verve for life than an army of optimists. Richard Tait is filled with passion to constantly push boundaries, explore new frontiers, and voraciously bring new ideas to life. Richard Tait, creator/founder of Cranium, and more recently the sports hydration drink Golazo, is an amazing example of an entrepreneur at heart. I recently spent time kicking a ball around in Seattle with Richard where he shared his entrepreneurial story of chasing the American dream and pursuing what makes him tick.

Start Young and Dream Big.

Richard has been a self-described entrepreneur since he was 4, selling fish door-to-door in his native Scotland. Richard's humor and industrious attitude gave him the perfect entrepreneurial foundation. After coming to the U.S. and studying Business at Dartmouth University, the lights on his American dream began to look a bit dim. He had dreamt of working with Apple, but after being denied several positions on multiple occasions, he settled for working for Microsoft as a Project Manager--this was in 1988, long before the PC or takeover of the Internet. Being at Microsoft for the next 10 years led Tait on an amazing adventure one could never have anticipated. And after an astounding 10-year journey, Tait knew he was ready for his next big thing, he just wasn't sure what that was.

Rainy Days and Passionate Serendipity Lead to Big Ideas.

It was a rainy Seattle day, the perfect reason for a few buddies to challenge their board game skills. After being thrashed in a game of Scrabble, followed by a glorious comeback in Pictionary, Tait sat back and contemplated the whole experience. He was amazed that both games were overwhelmingly dictated by the players whose skills aligned with the game. After realizing that very few board games offered a challenge for a variety of skill sets, he saw an opportunity. He knew that there must be adults and children alike wanting to partake in friendly competition with a variety of skills, where everyone has a chance to shine. From that simple insight, Richard began to sketch out the blueprint for the revolutionary board game Cranium.

At that time the game market was full of negativity, and Tait wanted to create something radically different, an entertainment company full of pizzazz and positivity. He and his partner began building prototypes at night at their local Kinko's, conducting focus groups in peoples' living rooms, and in short order, Cranium was created.

After manufacturing 2,700 games and creating an out-of-the-box distribution relationship, the board games were sold in unusual places such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Starbucks, and it worked. If you ask Tait how he got there, he’ll tell you it was by constant ducking, diving, determination, and the power of word-of-mouth. The key to his success is that he never forgot his customers were his sales force, and he approached every aspect of his business with them in mind.

Boredom Can Be a Great Motivator.

Entrepreneurs often find themselves unsatisfied, bored, or wanting more. Fast-forward to 2008 after Cranium’s monumental success and sale, Tait found himself asking what next. As he sat in his office watching Mexico and China battling around the soccer ball at Quest Field, his next big aha moment struck. Inspired by the 60,000 people and the roar of the crowd and drums, he decided to create a passion brand for soccer. Tait started to think about a brand that was all about engaging with the people who embraced soccer the most.

By talking with soccer players and coaches and watching them during and after games, Tait found that players want a product that energizes them while offering hydration benefits. He also found that they don't like putting unnatural products in their bodies. After watching players at a soccer game mix Red Bull and Gatorade to get their hydration and energy fix, he saw an opportunity--and that's the genesis for Golazo, an all-natural sports energy drink. Golazo, which means "big goal" in Spanish, contains 10 natural ingredients and gives athletes the hydration they need while offering an extra boost of energy they often crave. Tait has big aspirations for Golazo and is on a mission to win the hearts and minds of soccer players everywhere.

Passion and Risk are a Powerful Combination for Success.

Tait has a profound passion to share his entrepreneurial spirit, hoping others will adopt the courage and determination needed that pushes them to take risks others aren't willing to. Tait encourages anyone with the unique opportunity to intersect their personal passion with a professional pursuit, to go for it. Not surprisingly, Tait derives a great deal of inspiration from Steve Jobs. "Why would you be in the Navy when you can be a pirate?" is a philosophy Tait adopted from Jobs and lives throughout every bone in his body. He has been a pirate his whole life; he would rather rebel, pioneer, and try something new. He lives in a community of breaking rules, rather than conforming to them as most entrepreneurs do.

It is with this spirit, a healthy impatience, and a dogged determination that pushes Tait, and other entrepreneurs alike, to take risks that others cannot fathom. Like Tait, we encourage you to take a risk, push boundaries, and make your dreams come true. Pursue your passion with your professional path, and if you get knocked down, get right back up. Be a pirate, not a sailor.

Shawn Parr is the The Guvner & CEO of Bulldog Drummond, an innovation and design consultancy headquartered in San Diego whose clients and partners have included Starbucks, Diageo, Jack in the Box, Adidas, MTV, Nestle, Pinkberry, American Eagle Outfitters, IDEO, Virgin, Disney, Nike, Mattel, Heineken, Annie's Homegrown, The Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, CleanWell, The Honest Kitchen and World Vision.

A great way to look at life!

Generally we like to focus on lacrosse, but sometimes something that is not in the normal focus is very worth while to mention. The video below shows Steve Jobs talking about learning to think for yourself -- setting yourself up to expand your vision. To us this greatly applies to much of life but there is also a direct application to lacrosse. When you practice by yourself or a buddy, be very creative. For example make yourself some challenge when you play wall-ball try to hit one spot and increase the number of times in a row you hit it. Or see how many times you can alternate hands. Make it fun -- not just bouncing the ball off the wall. Steve Jobs:

A great way to have fun and work on your lax shooting.

Kyle Harrison and Joe Walters play the lacrosse version of Horse --> LAX The best point here is that making practice into a game is a great way to have fun and to improve:

Notice how Paul Rabil (as in 111 mph shot) turns his whole body when shooting.

Paul Rabil really making the point -- use your whole body not just your arms when you shoot on goal.

Two videos that show the very basics how to shoot on a lacrosse goal.

These two videos start at the very basics on how to shoot -- note that both players stress having the arms extended. In the second video the player uses the phrase keep the arms in tight -- which I don't like his choice of words. His meaning is not stiff, but instead to keep the arms extended by staying in close to the body during the follow through so the shot is an overhand shot and does not become more of a side arm shot. He does a nice job explaining the disadvantage of a sidearm shot being easier for a goalie to track. The side arm shot can generate a lot of speed, but is less accurate and the goalie knows it will not be bounce shot. There is one point I want to stress for more experienced players. These videos are good to make one think about one's shooting form: hiding the stick head behind your head, weight transfer, power starting at the feet-twisting of the trunk, wrist snap etc. The way for experienced players to really improve is to use standing in front of the goal only for a short warm-up or when really concentrating on form. In a game you will not be standing still and shooting so when you practice you need to be running and shooting.

Great video featuring Casey Powell and a second with Kyle Harrison. -- How to shoot at a lacrosse goal.

Great video explaining the fundamentals of shooting on goal by lacrosse great Casey Powell. CP does a terrific job breaking down the process of shooting. Standing in front of a goal and really thinking about what you are doing at each step of the shot is important. The next step is to start to add movement -- full speed movement as you are shooting. Casey Powell Kyle Harrison

Paul Rabil in some great videos demonstrating how to improve your lax skills.

Paul Rabil -- explains why the Behind the Back Pass is not just flashy -- it can save time. Additionally, he shows two ways to make the pass: Additionally, here is a video showing Paul Rabil in action -- This is not a tutorial but a highlights reel -- the point I want to make is that for kids standing still and ripping balls into a goal is only a good idea for the very youngest players. Older players need to practice shooting on goal while they are running. It is very clear from watching the video that running and shooting is what is needed in a game which means that is what players need to practice.

Lacrosse players get ready for spring this winter.

Vitality Lacrosse has a winter programs (in fact in CA WA and NV) checkout http://www.vitalitylacrosse.com/ All West Lacrosse has a wide variety of programs — they have spring programs and are posting their summer camps for girls and boys. http://www.allwestlacrossecamps.com/Programs/spring_programs.htm Aspire Lacrosse has a series of really good programs — a version of box lacrosse played outdoors and some stick skills classes that focus on the most important lacrosse fundamentals. http://www.aspirelacrosse.com/ For Canadian style Boxla http://calilax.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/calilax2012parent.pdf Tim Booth has a variety of Boxla, Clinics and Travel Team opportunities. For strenght and conditioning Paye’s Place has a variety of year around sports clinics including lacrosse. http://www.payesplace.com/lacrosse_clinics.php The Performance Science Training Institute has a winter training program. http://www.thepsti.com/winter-break-speed-and-agility-camp/ Another great option is the Riekes Center http://www.riekes.org/ As spring starts check our website for summer camps in 2012 www.lacrossecampfinder.com (the site will be over the next few months).

A great blog with some supper photos showing proper form.

Check out this link for a great series of pictures with some solid commentary explaining shooting on a lacrosse goal: href="http://24seven.laxallstars.com/pros-vs-joes-lax-shooting-edition" Videos are very helpful but some times it is better to look at a photo and have time to digest the body position. Note for some reason the link is not acting proper -- sorry but cut and paste the URL time -- darn it but worth looking at the photos.

Silly Fun -- A great way to improve your lax skills

Just experimenting with your crosse is a great way to get better. Make a video at the same time as you are doing some crazy wall ball -- even better. Check these guys creativity:

Great drill for d-pole laxers.

This is a great looking defense drill from Notre Dame Lacrosse. This is great for teams, but easily a couple of buddies can do this on their own time. Note the athletic stance -- this is really key for solid defense and this drill helps you focus on that skill. Also note the players are working on communication -- this skill is really hard to get youth players to do -- making it part of your practice is really smart.

Get pumped for April 2012 and the new lacrosse movie Crooked Arrows