A wide shot and a closer cut view of an crazy goal.
Note it is well work clicking on the link to see the vimeo closer cut of the action:
http://vimeo.com/41208098
Monday, April 30, 2012
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Great training ideas.
Great ideas -- here is the link so you can see the original article:
/laxallstars.com/1000-ways-to-train-for-lacrosse-2
As lacrosse players, we love to stay in great shape and train ourselves in new ways that push our limits and help us stay competitive. In an effort to give you the upperhand, we’re working to supply you with a list of 1,000 training methods that will assist you in your quest to be the next Lacrosse All Star. Whether your goal is the Tewaaraton winner or Summer League MVP, add these workouts to your repertoire and prepare the best.
1000 Ways to Train 11-20
Training for lacrosse is a little different than training for most sports as you can’t rely SOLELY on your strength or ONLY on your speed. To be an elite lacrosse player, it’s vital that you train hard in several areas: strength, power, speed, agility, and endurance.
The best players in the game move constantly while on the field, running from one point to another as each play progresses. Lacrosse is a very peculiar sport in that way because it requires players to have extreme levels of endurance and the strength to muscle through a check or body up on an opponent.
Simply put, you need to be able to run fast, run all day AND be a beast.
And so 1000 Ways To Train For Lacrosse continues…
11. Burpees
A classic, I feel like any athlete over the age of 8 knows what a burpee is and most likely hates them when it comes to conditioning. Burpees combine four main movements to make a complete workout that helps you build strength and increase your endurance, which makes this workout perfect for lacrosse.
The best part about burpees though, is that there are many different variations of the original that you can do to help push yourself a little harder – jump up burpees, dumbbell burpees, one leg burpee, double burpees, the list goes on.
12. Step In/Step Out (Speed Ladder)
While facing one side, you simply move sideways down the speed ladder stepping in and then out of each square with both feet. Your lead foot never changes and the key is to move as quickly as possible while staying as close as you can to the either side of the edge. Speed Ladder - Step In/Step Out
13. Middie Runs
I was really disappointed to find out that Google didn’t know what a ‘Middie Run’ was. These have been a staple in conditioning through my entire lacrosse career. These are great for not only building up quickness but also a little endurance as well.
Depending on how much you want to punish yourself, set-up two cones 10-20 yards apart and start at one of them. The distance from one cone to the other is one sprint or leg of the sprint. From here it’s a piece of cake, sort of. You start out with one and just sprint to the other cone and rest. Then you do three and rest, then five and rest, then seven and rest… you get the picture? Normally you work your way up to 11 or 13 before coming back down.
The picture below shows how we run this as a team, but as you can see it isn’t hard to change it so you can do it alone. As a team you can split everyone up by position and have them just go one after the other. Attack would start out and sprint their one, then middies would go, then the defense, and then attack would sprint their three and so on.
Middie Runs
14. Ball Transfer Crunch
When I think of these, I think of my Fitness teacher from high school. Whenever we were in the weight room he would always be doing some sort of extreme ab workout to pass the time and this was always one of them. The guy was a beast and these were a big indicator of that.
Start flat on your back with a Swiss ball between your legs and your arms straight out over your head. Lift the ball up with your legs and raise your arms to meet it like your trying to touch your toes but grab the ball instead. Extend your arms back down to the starting position with the ball and your legs without. Now you just transfer it back and forth, restarting flat each time. Feel the burn!
15. Front Squats
Front squats are always great for changing up your leg days when you’re tired of doing normal back squats. They are really effective because they give your back a rest from all the strain of back squats and force you to keep a more upright torso. This allows your quads and upper-back to engage a lot more.
Here is a great article on proper front squatting form and technique.
Borrowed from games2010.crossfit.com
16. Calf Raises
They aren’t just for looks. While those of us with bird legs add these in hopes of a little more definition in our calves, these actually help quite a bit with lower leg strength. Make sure to add these as a supplement to your leg days, while calf raises are helpful, it is more important to look at the big picture of overall leg strength.
17. Wrist Curls
Wrist strength is very important in lacrosse, from simply holding onto your stick to snapping your wrists in your shot to give it that little extra oomph. That’s where lifts like wrist curls come in. There are several variations of wrist curls that you can use to help target your wrists and forearms but when you have a firm hold of your stick as you dodge through barraging checks from defenders you’ll be glad thought about your wrists. I wonder if Arnold Schwarzenegger would have been a good defenseman?
Borrowed from www.emusclor.com
18. Dips
Dips are a great body weight exercise that hit three major areas used in lacrosse – the chest, shoulders, and triceps. If just your body weight isn’t enough, than grab a weight vest or dipping belt to help add some weight to it. Don’t have access to a gym? No problem – use a chair or the edge of your desk to get your reps in.
Dipping at Home 19. YOGA!
Yoga was a Godsend for me in college. One semester I needed an extra credit so I figured “why not?”. I signed up for a Yogalates class with my roommate and teammate on the lacrosse team. While the pilates part of class sucked (it was tough!), the yoga part was amazing and became such a nice reprieve after two-game weekends and very little time to recover between practices and games. It gave me the chance to stretch out those tight hammies and give my shoulders some much needed recovery through working out any soreness.
The best part about yoga is that all you need is some floor space and a little time to yourself. There are so many different types of yoga too, from the individual poses to the actual type of yoga you are doing. One of my favorites for in-season is called ‘Power Yoga’. It is a little more fast-paced and gets your muscles nice and warm while still allowing for all the stretching of normal yoga.
Yoga
We even brought it with us on roadtrips!
20. Shoot 100 ball before/after Practice
One of my favorite quotes of all time is, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.”Aristotle dropping knowledge on you with that one. I couldn’t find the video, but Paul Rabil used to have a great shooting routine that consisted of something like the following:
- 10 shots right at the 5×5 - 10 shots left at the 5×5 - 10 shots right at the 10×5 - 10 shots left at the 10×5 - 10 shots right down the alley - 10 shots left down the alley
I took this and always did each group of shots twice before I moved on to the next set and then added in a couple different ones at the end. This was an exhausting shooting routine, but it helped my game so much.
The whole idea in my opinion is to develop muscle memory of hitting the exact same spot with the exact same motion each time you shoot. That way, when it comes to those in-game situations in which your adrenaline is pumping, your body already knows what to do and it is basically second nature.
Whew, only 980 to go. I hope you can take some of these and add them to your daily or weekly workouts. Until next time!
1,000 is a big number. Please share your favorite lifts and exercises in the comments section (or email us at info@lacrosseallstars.com) so we can add them to our list and reach the big 1-0-0-0!
An important note about training: You should always consider your own goals and decide what you want to accomplish during training. Most importantly though, always learn how to properly do an exercise before you start doing it. As very few of us are experts in Sports Science or Medicine, we always recommend doing your own research and finding credible trainers to teach you how to train. Train smart, train safe, train hard, lax on.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
This is why I say to get better at lax one needs to just play with the ball at home.
Team practice is very important, but to become one of the best one needs to spend time simply messing around with the ball in the crosse. Learning how the ball feels in the pocket when you are spinning and twirling you and the stick in all sorts of crazy directions.
Then you can do this:
Then you can do this:
Monday, April 23, 2012
Lacrosse fans need to check out the fun MCLA ads made by Zach Heffner and Verdict
Work done by former pro laxer Zach Heffner -- check out his series of ads for MCLA Lacrosse:
Friday, April 20, 2012
Connor Wilson predicting more one-handed lax action.
I made a couple of predictions earlier this week, and while you can question my 2012 college national champion picks all you want, my other two predictions are rock solid, and a great example of one of those predictions made its way onto Yotube within hours of my post hitting the ‘net. One handed lacrosse is here to stay, and we’re only going to see more of it as time goes on!
Wells Stanwick Johns Hopkins Lacrosse
How many one handers can we expect this Stanwick to throw in his career?
My point is not that the one handed shot is new to lacrosse. As anyone who knows the game well can tell you, the one handed shot had been around for years. My point is that the newest, lightest sticks and improvements in flex technology (both in the head and shaft) will make one handed lacrosse easier, and therefore more popular, than ever.
I run through the WHY and HOW of one handed lacrosse in This Lacrosse Swami Says: The Future Is Coming!
The only problem with the argument I’ve made is that almost all the players I mention, who play one-handed, are the BEST guys in the world, and the best guys in the world have been doing the one hand thing for quite some time. So what exactly is NEW about that? Nothing.
What is new is that younger players are now shooting and passing one handed, and it’s working for them. The one hand flip pass can be seen in college and high school games across the country right now, and this is a big change from when I was playing the game at these levels, only 10-20 years ago, when that type of play was much rarer, and often vehemently frowned upon by the coaching establishment.
However, the one handed flip pass is now widely accepted, and the one handed shot is well on its way. Check out this High School game below for proof:
This game was played by the Providence School and I believe, Fletcher, and was played in North Florida. Neither of these teams are considered to be top level teams in Florida, but I think that only strengthens my point. Kids at all levels of the game, in every possible place, are learning to play one handed, and many are seeing success. And they actually look pretty natural doing so.
Watch that high school player score one handed again. Now watch Blake Miller score one handed for Team USA back in 2007 against Loyola.
Now try to tell me the high school kid didn’t look a little more natural shooting one handed… I know, I feel crazy just writing that. Blake Miller is one of the best ever, and the high school player is… well, a high school player. But he still looks really comfortable shooting one handed, whereas Miller seems as surprised as everyone else that the ball went in.
Miller shot one handed our of pure need and creativity. The Providence players almost seemed to set his one handed shot up before hand with his dodge. And it has everything to do with lighter sticks and better ball retention.
The changes in stick technology over the last few years have definitely impacted the game, and I think they will continue to impact the game in a major way. So much so that if I posted something like this in two to three years, the only comment I would probably get is “duh.”
As a coach or a player, will you start adding one handed passing or finishing into your training plan? Do you use it already?
Or do you think I’m crazy and have no idea what I’m talking about?
I’m excited to hear what people think about the impending invasion of one handed lacrosse.
Wells Stanwick Johns Hopkins Lacrosse
How many one handers can we expect this Stanwick to throw in his career?
My point is not that the one handed shot is new to lacrosse. As anyone who knows the game well can tell you, the one handed shot had been around for years. My point is that the newest, lightest sticks and improvements in flex technology (both in the head and shaft) will make one handed lacrosse easier, and therefore more popular, than ever.
I run through the WHY and HOW of one handed lacrosse in This Lacrosse Swami Says: The Future Is Coming!
The only problem with the argument I’ve made is that almost all the players I mention, who play one-handed, are the BEST guys in the world, and the best guys in the world have been doing the one hand thing for quite some time. So what exactly is NEW about that? Nothing.
What is new is that younger players are now shooting and passing one handed, and it’s working for them. The one hand flip pass can be seen in college and high school games across the country right now, and this is a big change from when I was playing the game at these levels, only 10-20 years ago, when that type of play was much rarer, and often vehemently frowned upon by the coaching establishment.
However, the one handed flip pass is now widely accepted, and the one handed shot is well on its way. Check out this High School game below for proof:
This game was played by the Providence School and I believe, Fletcher, and was played in North Florida. Neither of these teams are considered to be top level teams in Florida, but I think that only strengthens my point. Kids at all levels of the game, in every possible place, are learning to play one handed, and many are seeing success. And they actually look pretty natural doing so.
Watch that high school player score one handed again. Now watch Blake Miller score one handed for Team USA back in 2007 against Loyola.
Now try to tell me the high school kid didn’t look a little more natural shooting one handed… I know, I feel crazy just writing that. Blake Miller is one of the best ever, and the high school player is… well, a high school player. But he still looks really comfortable shooting one handed, whereas Miller seems as surprised as everyone else that the ball went in.
Miller shot one handed our of pure need and creativity. The Providence players almost seemed to set his one handed shot up before hand with his dodge. And it has everything to do with lighter sticks and better ball retention.
The changes in stick technology over the last few years have definitely impacted the game, and I think they will continue to impact the game in a major way. So much so that if I posted something like this in two to three years, the only comment I would probably get is “duh.”
As a coach or a player, will you start adding one handed passing or finishing into your training plan? Do you use it already?
Or do you think I’m crazy and have no idea what I’m talking about?
I’m excited to hear what people think about the impending invasion of one handed lacrosse.
Great interview with Mike Powell.
Off the Rug, The Life
Off the Crosse-Bar Podcast with Mike Powell
April 18th, 2012 by Teddy Jenner
Inevitably, as kids grow up there is an immediate comparison to those that have come before them. People will always draw parallels to the names of the past putting unnecessary pressure on young minds before they even grow and become their own person. Well when your older brothers are two of the greatest players to ever play at Syracuse University people will automatically think you can do what they did. Mike Powell was put in that situation. He set records at Carthage High School in upstate New York and when he agreed to attend SU, the shadow was cast to repeat the feats of Casey and Ryan. He did that and more, setting the SU all time points record of 307, was a 4x All American, 4x Tewaaraton nominee, winning it twice and a 2x National Champion. But after his senior season, he didn’t want to continue down that path anymore. The idea of being a professional lacrosse player like his brothers didn’t appeal to him so he put down his stick and became his own man, did what he wanted to do and set out on a journey to find out who Mike Powell was. Well this week on the OTCB podcast, we find out who Mike Powell IS!
Many people criticized Mike Powell when he opted to completely walk away from the game of lacrosse after his senior season at Syracuse. They jumped to conclusions as to why he was choosing not play NLL or even MLL. What they didn’t know was that Powell was making the choice for himself, not those that watched the game. “I have so much respect for guys like John Tavares and John Grant Jr. and the others that play lacrosse full time, all year around. It’s so taxing on the body and I wasn’t ready to make that commitment.”
So with one tough decision behind him, he set off on a journey to find out who he was, what made him happy and what path he was going to go down. Powell packed up his car and traveled the US sleeping in a tent and allowed himself to find the things that made him happy.
After a short stint as a traveling musician playing in a couple different bands he realized that the game of lacrosse was drawing him back and in 2005, he suited up along side lacrosse legend Gary Gait to help lead the Baltimore Bayhawks to an MLL title. Even though he was out of the game for a year, he picked up right where he left off and it was like he never left.
However, he continued to ply his trade outdoors on the big field. “It would be like a top level boxer thinking he can just walk into the Octagon and be succesfful,”remarked Powell sitting that his game was modeled for the outdoor game and not indoors. You can’t blame the guy for knowing his strengths.
Like many Americans, Mike admits that his knowledge of the indoor game was and still is very minimal but since he’s been apart of the CBS Sports Networks broadcasts he started to learn the intricacies of box lacrosse. “Casey and I were filming a sequence on pick and rolls for one of our segments, Tracy Kelusky was standing on the side watching. When we were done he came over to us laughing and said, you guys are doing that totally wrong,” obviously, it’s still a learning process. That’s what makes Powell such a great piece to the CBS puzzle. He’s very similar to the common newbie and together they can learn the game.
So have a listen and not just to the podcast(check out ‘The Polite Rebel’ on YOUTUBE and iTunes) as Mike Powell and I cover a ton of topics from the NLL, MLL, his music why his game doesn’t fit the indoor game, his growth as a person and “The Move”.
This is a must listen for all lacrosse fans!
http://www.ilindoor.com/2012/04/18/off-the-crosse-bar-podcast-with-mike-powell/
Off the Crosse-Bar Podcast with Mike Powell
April 18th, 2012 by Teddy Jenner
Inevitably, as kids grow up there is an immediate comparison to those that have come before them. People will always draw parallels to the names of the past putting unnecessary pressure on young minds before they even grow and become their own person. Well when your older brothers are two of the greatest players to ever play at Syracuse University people will automatically think you can do what they did. Mike Powell was put in that situation. He set records at Carthage High School in upstate New York and when he agreed to attend SU, the shadow was cast to repeat the feats of Casey and Ryan. He did that and more, setting the SU all time points record of 307, was a 4x All American, 4x Tewaaraton nominee, winning it twice and a 2x National Champion. But after his senior season, he didn’t want to continue down that path anymore. The idea of being a professional lacrosse player like his brothers didn’t appeal to him so he put down his stick and became his own man, did what he wanted to do and set out on a journey to find out who Mike Powell was. Well this week on the OTCB podcast, we find out who Mike Powell IS!
Many people criticized Mike Powell when he opted to completely walk away from the game of lacrosse after his senior season at Syracuse. They jumped to conclusions as to why he was choosing not play NLL or even MLL. What they didn’t know was that Powell was making the choice for himself, not those that watched the game. “I have so much respect for guys like John Tavares and John Grant Jr. and the others that play lacrosse full time, all year around. It’s so taxing on the body and I wasn’t ready to make that commitment.”
So with one tough decision behind him, he set off on a journey to find out who he was, what made him happy and what path he was going to go down. Powell packed up his car and traveled the US sleeping in a tent and allowed himself to find the things that made him happy.
After a short stint as a traveling musician playing in a couple different bands he realized that the game of lacrosse was drawing him back and in 2005, he suited up along side lacrosse legend Gary Gait to help lead the Baltimore Bayhawks to an MLL title. Even though he was out of the game for a year, he picked up right where he left off and it was like he never left.
However, he continued to ply his trade outdoors on the big field. “It would be like a top level boxer thinking he can just walk into the Octagon and be succesfful,”remarked Powell sitting that his game was modeled for the outdoor game and not indoors. You can’t blame the guy for knowing his strengths.
Like many Americans, Mike admits that his knowledge of the indoor game was and still is very minimal but since he’s been apart of the CBS Sports Networks broadcasts he started to learn the intricacies of box lacrosse. “Casey and I were filming a sequence on pick and rolls for one of our segments, Tracy Kelusky was standing on the side watching. When we were done he came over to us laughing and said, you guys are doing that totally wrong,” obviously, it’s still a learning process. That’s what makes Powell such a great piece to the CBS puzzle. He’s very similar to the common newbie and together they can learn the game.
So have a listen and not just to the podcast(check out ‘The Polite Rebel’ on YOUTUBE and iTunes) as Mike Powell and I cover a ton of topics from the NLL, MLL, his music why his game doesn’t fit the indoor game, his growth as a person and “The Move”.
This is a must listen for all lacrosse fans!
http://www.ilindoor.com/2012/04/18/off-the-crosse-bar-podcast-with-mike-powell/
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Connor Wilso gives his thoughts on how to be a better middie.
Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve talked about how to become a great lacrosse shooter. We’ve also talked about how to become a dominant lacrosse defenseman, and we’ve even given you a drill called the Takeaway Teacher. Now it’s time for us to bring it all together for you lacrosse midfielders out there.
Syracuse Vs. Duke Lacrosse - Big City Classic
Rotanz is a pretty solid midfielder!
Today, we are supplying you with three tried and true keys to being the best lacrosse midfielder you can be. We’ve even brought in the big guns to lend a hand!
First, I’ll run through what some of the best midfielders in the game are thinking. These guys are the absolute BEST, and their experience in the game is invaluable. Learn from Sean Lindsay, Peet Poillon, Max Seibald, and Jay Jalbert. Next, I’ll break down their responses and add in my own knowledge to provide you with THREE keys to being the best midfielder you can possibly be. Are you ready for this?
3 Keys To Becoming The Best Lacrosse Middie
A Word From The Pros
Peet Poillon is a budding household name in the lacrosse world, and one heck of a player! I just love his hard and spirited style of play. This Maverik Lacrosse athlete and MLL star had to say:
“I want midfielders on my team to be tough, fast and quick, versatile, selfless, and scrappy.”
I really like the scrappy adjective. It encompasses the whatever it takes attitude, that so many players mention, nicely.
Max Seibald, current MLL star, Nike Lacrosse athlete and owner of Maximum Lacrosse Camps laid out the following traits that any great middie should possess:
A great midfielder should have the following: 1) A great work ethic 2) Grit, toughness and resilience 3) Speed and strength 4) versatility and intelligence 5) HUSTLE!
All in all, Max summed up a great midfielder as a “two-way Stallion” that can do it all, play hard, play smart and run all day.
Jay Jalbert was one of the best middies of all time while at University of Virginia. He went on to be an All-MLL fixture, and he’s now producer of the Maverik Lacrosse videos. Jay kept it relatively succinct, but was also incredibly insightful. Not a big surprise as this guy is an absolute lax legend!
I think a middie should possess strength, speed, endurance, toughness. He needs to be relentless, and awesome.
Great qualities form a great player! Stand out by doing it all, and doing it all really well. There is nowhere for a truly great lacrosse middie to hide, so prepare to be excellent! Jalbert drops knowledge.
Sean Lindsay was always a pleasure to watch while he was winning titles and All-American awards at Syracuse, and befitting of an Orange lacrosse legend, his midfield qualities vary from the others just a bit, in that they include a little more flair for the dramatic.
My ideal midfielder is versatile and unpredictable. Toughness is key. They need to be a leader. And I want them to be clutch.
Now that you’ve heard from the best to play the game, here are three major keys to becoming the best midfielder and how you can improve on each and every one of these aspects of the game.
1) Focus On Your Legs
The Reason: Three of the four greats we spoke with mentioned some combination of speed, quickness, endurance and strength. This is no coincidence. Great midfielders have to be able to run hard, run fast, and do it all day. Knowing where to be, or what to do, means nothing if your legs can’t get you there.
The Answer: Run. When you think you’ve run enough, run some more. Distance is ok, sprints are ok, interval training is ok. Running around on a field with a stick, picking up a ground ball and sprinting down the field, and then repeating that for 20 minutes? Well that’s just ideal. You’re working your legs and doing so with a stick in your hands.
When you’re done running, do some body weight lunges and squat jumps. Beat your legs up when you train and come game time, you’ll be in great shape. Literally.
The other part of the answer is to stretch and be flexible. Lacrosse puts an incredible amount of strain on your body, so make sure you are limber and flexible. Spend 10 minutes stretching out your legs and core each morning. More flexibility means a greater range of motion, and more speed and power.
2) Be A Tough Player
The Reason: The greats ALL mention toughness as a key trait, and yet none of these guys are “fighters”, or “big hitters”. They CAN hit big, but it’s not what they are known for. Being tough isn’t about being a tough guy at all. It’s about being able to take it, and dish it out, but all in the quest of winning the game.
Getting slashed and then turning around and pushing the guy who just slashed you doesn’t make you tough. Getting slashed and going hard to the cage anyway DOES make you tough. This is where being “scrappy” really comes into play. A scrapper isn’t a thug, they just go out and give it 100% at all times. There is no quit in these types of players, and it is almost impossible to get in their head as an opponent. They play to win.
The Answer: Take pride in your bruises and keep your eyes on the prize. When an opponent hacks you in a game but you come up with the ball, don’t complain. Relish the moment and make them pay by burning them for a goal. Want to “learn” how to do this? It’s simple… make a conscious decision to act this way ALL THE TIME. In practice, in class, in life.
This one is all about personal responsibility, accountability and the ability to control yourself, and is one of the most important life skills one can learn via this sport. There is no shortcut to toughness. It’s earned through effort and attitude. Watch Jalbert take an NLL beating and laugh it off. True toughness!!!
3) Be Versatile
The Reason: Each and every midfield great we talked to mentioned some variation of speed, and they all talked about toughness. But they also hit on the ideal middie’s ability to do it all, be versatile, or just “be awesome” as Jalbert might say. A great midfielder can ride, play defense, clear the ball, and then play offense in the span of less than a minute, and the diversity of skills required to do this well is almost staggering. There are just so many aspects of the game to master! But to be truly great, you simply have to be able to do it all. It’s just the way the game is played by the best.
The Answer: This is a great opportunity to ask for a little help. Seek out one of your coaches, and ask them what the biggest “holes” are in your game. Do you dodge well but struggle to shoot on the run? Do you play good defense but miss ground balls? What aspects of your game need the most improvement? Ask for honesty, and be prepared to hear things you don’t want to hear. Then get to work!
How do you get to work when there is so much to do? You have to train intelligently. If your coach tells you that you need to work on shooting, ground balls and your weak hand, and then you spend 3 hours working on your time and room sidearm shot, then you are cheating yourself. Stick to fundamentals and train intelligently. Spending 1 hour on wall ball with your off hand, 1 hour of pass with a friend while you run around, and 1 hour of shooting on the run off a ground ball pick up would be better.
Want to be a diverse midfielder? Train in a diverse manner. To Sum Up…
Being a great midfielder requires you to be in great shape, and you have to be tough. You need to be able to do it all and do it all consistently well.
Becoming a great midfielder doesn’t happen overnight. It’s something you work for constantly. But once that work gets put in, and is continued to be put in, the sky is truly the limit.
Here are some additional pointers from the likes of Peet and Max…
What else do you think aspiring lacrosse middies should focus on?
Let me know your thoughts in the comments section.
Rotanz is a pretty solid midfielder!
Today, we are supplying you with three tried and true keys to being the best lacrosse midfielder you can be. We’ve even brought in the big guns to lend a hand!
First, I’ll run through what some of the best midfielders in the game are thinking. These guys are the absolute BEST, and their experience in the game is invaluable. Learn from Sean Lindsay, Peet Poillon, Max Seibald, and Jay Jalbert. Next, I’ll break down their responses and add in my own knowledge to provide you with THREE keys to being the best midfielder you can possibly be. Are you ready for this?
3 Keys To Becoming The Best Lacrosse Middie
A Word From The Pros
Peet Poillon is a budding household name in the lacrosse world, and one heck of a player! I just love his hard and spirited style of play. This Maverik Lacrosse athlete and MLL star had to say:
“I want midfielders on my team to be tough, fast and quick, versatile, selfless, and scrappy.”
I really like the scrappy adjective. It encompasses the whatever it takes attitude, that so many players mention, nicely.
Max Seibald, current MLL star, Nike Lacrosse athlete and owner of Maximum Lacrosse Camps laid out the following traits that any great middie should possess:
A great midfielder should have the following: 1) A great work ethic 2) Grit, toughness and resilience 3) Speed and strength 4) versatility and intelligence 5) HUSTLE!
All in all, Max summed up a great midfielder as a “two-way Stallion” that can do it all, play hard, play smart and run all day.
Jay Jalbert was one of the best middies of all time while at University of Virginia. He went on to be an All-MLL fixture, and he’s now producer of the Maverik Lacrosse videos. Jay kept it relatively succinct, but was also incredibly insightful. Not a big surprise as this guy is an absolute lax legend!
I think a middie should possess strength, speed, endurance, toughness. He needs to be relentless, and awesome.
Great qualities form a great player! Stand out by doing it all, and doing it all really well. There is nowhere for a truly great lacrosse middie to hide, so prepare to be excellent! Jalbert drops knowledge.
Sean Lindsay was always a pleasure to watch while he was winning titles and All-American awards at Syracuse, and befitting of an Orange lacrosse legend, his midfield qualities vary from the others just a bit, in that they include a little more flair for the dramatic.
My ideal midfielder is versatile and unpredictable. Toughness is key. They need to be a leader. And I want them to be clutch.
Now that you’ve heard from the best to play the game, here are three major keys to becoming the best midfielder and how you can improve on each and every one of these aspects of the game.
1) Focus On Your Legs
The Reason: Three of the four greats we spoke with mentioned some combination of speed, quickness, endurance and strength. This is no coincidence. Great midfielders have to be able to run hard, run fast, and do it all day. Knowing where to be, or what to do, means nothing if your legs can’t get you there.
The Answer: Run. When you think you’ve run enough, run some more. Distance is ok, sprints are ok, interval training is ok. Running around on a field with a stick, picking up a ground ball and sprinting down the field, and then repeating that for 20 minutes? Well that’s just ideal. You’re working your legs and doing so with a stick in your hands.
When you’re done running, do some body weight lunges and squat jumps. Beat your legs up when you train and come game time, you’ll be in great shape. Literally.
The other part of the answer is to stretch and be flexible. Lacrosse puts an incredible amount of strain on your body, so make sure you are limber and flexible. Spend 10 minutes stretching out your legs and core each morning. More flexibility means a greater range of motion, and more speed and power.
2) Be A Tough Player
The Reason: The greats ALL mention toughness as a key trait, and yet none of these guys are “fighters”, or “big hitters”. They CAN hit big, but it’s not what they are known for. Being tough isn’t about being a tough guy at all. It’s about being able to take it, and dish it out, but all in the quest of winning the game.
Getting slashed and then turning around and pushing the guy who just slashed you doesn’t make you tough. Getting slashed and going hard to the cage anyway DOES make you tough. This is where being “scrappy” really comes into play. A scrapper isn’t a thug, they just go out and give it 100% at all times. There is no quit in these types of players, and it is almost impossible to get in their head as an opponent. They play to win.
The Answer: Take pride in your bruises and keep your eyes on the prize. When an opponent hacks you in a game but you come up with the ball, don’t complain. Relish the moment and make them pay by burning them for a goal. Want to “learn” how to do this? It’s simple… make a conscious decision to act this way ALL THE TIME. In practice, in class, in life.
This one is all about personal responsibility, accountability and the ability to control yourself, and is one of the most important life skills one can learn via this sport. There is no shortcut to toughness. It’s earned through effort and attitude. Watch Jalbert take an NLL beating and laugh it off. True toughness!!!
3) Be Versatile
The Reason: Each and every midfield great we talked to mentioned some variation of speed, and they all talked about toughness. But they also hit on the ideal middie’s ability to do it all, be versatile, or just “be awesome” as Jalbert might say. A great midfielder can ride, play defense, clear the ball, and then play offense in the span of less than a minute, and the diversity of skills required to do this well is almost staggering. There are just so many aspects of the game to master! But to be truly great, you simply have to be able to do it all. It’s just the way the game is played by the best.
The Answer: This is a great opportunity to ask for a little help. Seek out one of your coaches, and ask them what the biggest “holes” are in your game. Do you dodge well but struggle to shoot on the run? Do you play good defense but miss ground balls? What aspects of your game need the most improvement? Ask for honesty, and be prepared to hear things you don’t want to hear. Then get to work!
How do you get to work when there is so much to do? You have to train intelligently. If your coach tells you that you need to work on shooting, ground balls and your weak hand, and then you spend 3 hours working on your time and room sidearm shot, then you are cheating yourself. Stick to fundamentals and train intelligently. Spending 1 hour on wall ball with your off hand, 1 hour of pass with a friend while you run around, and 1 hour of shooting on the run off a ground ball pick up would be better.
Want to be a diverse midfielder? Train in a diverse manner. To Sum Up…
Being a great midfielder requires you to be in great shape, and you have to be tough. You need to be able to do it all and do it all consistently well.
Becoming a great midfielder doesn’t happen overnight. It’s something you work for constantly. But once that work gets put in, and is continued to be put in, the sky is truly the limit.
Here are some additional pointers from the likes of Peet and Max…
What else do you think aspiring lacrosse middies should focus on?
Let me know your thoughts in the comments section.
A good video that really shows play development.
Great to get video with well played lax action but to have footage that really shows play development is terrific -- the best way to learn is to see the whole play develop -- not just a ball going into the net.
Monday, April 16, 2012
Two very different types of goals but great examples of how to score.
Wow -- two great goals -- one is a d-pole who does a great job paying attention to the opponents' field position and shooting where the goalie was not -- in the goal. The second goal is a brilliant flurry of action and a sort of behind the front backwards goal -- really a well earned goal. - http://snip.it/s/2tb1 @snipit
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Friday, April 6, 2012
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Being an elite player takes brains too.
This article is about soccer, but clearly to be an elite player in any sport the mental component is the deciding factor.
The original article.
Hey soccer fans, here's something to think about at the next game: The best players may be quicker thinkers than you.
A study led by Swedish researchers suggests that elite soccer players outperform players in lower divisions in tests of certain cognitive abilities, and both groups bested the general public. The results were published recently in the journal PLoS ONE.
Specifically, the study focused on executive function, which is involved in working memory. Whenever you bring forth a memory that you need to solve a task, such as make a phone call or tie your shoe, that's working memory in action. Executive function is also involved in creativity, multi-tasking and inhibition.
"The successful player must constantly assess the situation, compare it to past experiences, create new possibilities, make quick decisions to action, but also quickly inhibit planned decisions," the authors write.
The phenomenon has not been studied in detail before with regard to professional athletes. But previous research showed expert sports players have enhanced abilities in things like evaluating probabilities, recognizing patterns and using information from peripheral vision.
Participants in the Swedish study included 57 males and 26 females, all soccer players from the country's top three national division soccer leagues. The players took cognitive function tests, which had well-established average scores for the general population in the fall of 2007.
Information about the players' goals and assists was obtained from January 2008 to May 2010. The Swedish researchers then looked back at the players' test scores to see if cognitive function could help predict later performance.
It turned out that higher performance on the cognitive test was correlated with the subsequent performance of the players, based on a subsample of the original group.
The theory is that playing soccer may have improved the players' executive function. But they wouldn't have been able to get to such a high level of professionalism if they hadn't already been good at these mental tasks, said study co-author Predrag Petrovic of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm.
Should soccer players be recruited on the basis of cognitive tests like these?
The study points in that direction, but the number of participants is small, and the conclusions do not prove causality. It's a question for further research whether playing soccer causes better cognitive processing, or if cognitive processing leads to better soccer performance. This study also does not say anything about the genetic component of mental or athletic performance.
Bradley Hatfield, professor at the University of Maryland School of Public Health, who has researched the link between executive function and exercise independently of Petrovic's group, says the study is based on a reasonable conceptual model. It doesn't make definitive statements about the role of these brain processes in soccer success, but its suggestions are plausible based on research that has come before it, Hatfield said in an e-mail.
"I think it's relevant to the public interest, and the quality of the work is supported by its appearance in a peer-reviewed journal," he said.
But Mark Williams, professor of motor behavior at Liverpool John Moores University in the United Kingdom, is more skeptical. He points out that since cognitive abilities have been previously shown to be correlated with aerobic capacity, it's possible that the most elite athletes performed better on tests because they are more physically fit.
On the whole, more research must be done before definitive conclusions can be made.
The original article.
Hey soccer fans, here's something to think about at the next game: The best players may be quicker thinkers than you.
A study led by Swedish researchers suggests that elite soccer players outperform players in lower divisions in tests of certain cognitive abilities, and both groups bested the general public. The results were published recently in the journal PLoS ONE.
Specifically, the study focused on executive function, which is involved in working memory. Whenever you bring forth a memory that you need to solve a task, such as make a phone call or tie your shoe, that's working memory in action. Executive function is also involved in creativity, multi-tasking and inhibition.
"The successful player must constantly assess the situation, compare it to past experiences, create new possibilities, make quick decisions to action, but also quickly inhibit planned decisions," the authors write.
The phenomenon has not been studied in detail before with regard to professional athletes. But previous research showed expert sports players have enhanced abilities in things like evaluating probabilities, recognizing patterns and using information from peripheral vision.
Participants in the Swedish study included 57 males and 26 females, all soccer players from the country's top three national division soccer leagues. The players took cognitive function tests, which had well-established average scores for the general population in the fall of 2007.
Information about the players' goals and assists was obtained from January 2008 to May 2010. The Swedish researchers then looked back at the players' test scores to see if cognitive function could help predict later performance.
It turned out that higher performance on the cognitive test was correlated with the subsequent performance of the players, based on a subsample of the original group.
The theory is that playing soccer may have improved the players' executive function. But they wouldn't have been able to get to such a high level of professionalism if they hadn't already been good at these mental tasks, said study co-author Predrag Petrovic of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm.
Should soccer players be recruited on the basis of cognitive tests like these?
The study points in that direction, but the number of participants is small, and the conclusions do not prove causality. It's a question for further research whether playing soccer causes better cognitive processing, or if cognitive processing leads to better soccer performance. This study also does not say anything about the genetic component of mental or athletic performance.
Bradley Hatfield, professor at the University of Maryland School of Public Health, who has researched the link between executive function and exercise independently of Petrovic's group, says the study is based on a reasonable conceptual model. It doesn't make definitive statements about the role of these brain processes in soccer success, but its suggestions are plausible based on research that has come before it, Hatfield said in an e-mail.
"I think it's relevant to the public interest, and the quality of the work is supported by its appearance in a peer-reviewed journal," he said.
But Mark Williams, professor of motor behavior at Liverpool John Moores University in the United Kingdom, is more skeptical. He points out that since cognitive abilities have been previously shown to be correlated with aerobic capacity, it's possible that the most elite athletes performed better on tests because they are more physically fit.
On the whole, more research must be done before definitive conclusions can be made.
Really great lacrosse action and what make this video significantly better than most is the excellent pacing.
The video is not just showing the goals -- a bit of play development, faceoffs, d-pole action are all included.
The best part of this video is the clever use of slow motion -- never overdone -- the SloMo is used to allow one to better see the action.
One of the best lax highlights videos of 2012
The video is not just showing the goals -- a bit of play development, faceoffs, d-pole action are all included.
The best part of this video is the clever use of slow motion -- never overdone -- the SloMo is used to allow one to better see the action.
One of the best lax highlights videos of 2012
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Great ideas for d-pole development from Connor Wilson
If you want to be a dominant defenseman, you’ll need to master three major skill sets: Footwork, Sticks Skills and Lacrosse IQ. I laid out these key aspects of player development in my post, How To Become A Dominant Lacrosse Defenseman, and today I’ll go a little deeper into the stick skills portion of this. The Takeaway Teacher
Throw GREAT checks and be FEARED by all who carry the ball! Princeton vs. Johns Hopkins men's lacrosse 23
Learn to throw checks with the best of them!
As I said in my defensive post, wall ball is extremely important when it comes to stick skill development and becoming comfortable with the ball. However, it isn’t the only stick drill you can do to improve your game! This drill is an oldie but a goodie, and it will allow you to really focus on your wrist strength, timing and stick skills. It’s perfect for first time long poles but can still help the best of the best become even better! Drill Requirements
To get started, you’ll need the following:
- 1 short stick
- 1 goal
- 1 long pole
Preferably, the long pole you use will be a heavier back-up stick, as this will help you build up strength and stamina. Also, when you pick up your gamer after using a heavier pole, it feels like a feather in your hands!
Drill Setup
Step 1: Take the short stick and slide the shaft through the back of a lacrosse goal’s netting. The shaft should be placed through the goal so that the head of the short stick is at or below your head level, placed about 10-15 net rows in from the goalpost. The stick is positioned like this in the goal to simulate a ball carrier with a vertical cradle and good stick protection.
Step 2: Take two steps back from the goal, standing on goal line extended and pick up your long pole.
Step 3: Start throwing PRECISE checks on the stick hanging in the goal as two of my HS freshman defenders are doing here:
Ok, so they aren’t young Joel Whites just quite yet, but they are improving! This was probably the first time they ever got a lesson in throwing checks, and later in the day, during 6 on 6, it showed with multiple takeaways.
Drill Progression
At first, stick to simple checks like the poke check, two-handed front wrap check, and slap check. Then, as your strength and comfort with a long pole increases, you can start throwing more advanced checks. If you can’t throw a kayak perfectly on a set up like this 20 times in a row, you’re not ready to use it in a game. Use this drill as a barometer to test how well you know your own checks, and avoid getting in trouble with your coach!
Build up to combination checks. By throwing two checks to the front of the goal, the stick will begin to sway back and forth. Time this sway like an attackman’s cradle and then work on throwing the over the head check. This drill truly allows players to learn how to set up checks, and throw them effectively.
Do’s and Don’ts
When doing this drill yourself, try to focus on the following things:
- DO throw sharp, accurate checks. With a heavier shaft, you will be amazed at how quickly your arms will get sore. But that means they’re also getting strong!
- DON’T take a big back swing on your checks. This will lead to bad habits on the playing field!
- DO time your checks. As the short stick swings, focus on timing your checks to navigate around the goal pipes.
- DON’T hit the goal with your stick. Hitting the pipe is equivalent to slashing an attacker on his free arm, and it means you are not reaching AROUND the player enough with your stick, or timing your checks well.
- DO stay in control. Tighten your core when you do this drill. Focus on your positioning and be precise with your stick checks at all time. Get ready to work!
- DON’T be lazy and step around the goal. Stand on the balls of your feet, like you would in a real game, and bend your knees. Challenge yourself.
- DO be diverse with your checks. Practice throwing checks to the head of the short stick and then to the butt end. Some players hang the head of their sticks, while others show the butt end. Get used to going after either.
- DON’T throw one-handed checks. This is another horrible habit to fall into. Effective and efficient use of a 6-foot long lacrosse stick requires 2 hands! The Only Drawback
The only real drawback to this drill is that the defensive players are standing still, and we all know that standing still is bad! So as a coach, if you’re going to use this drill in practice, I recommend having the poles go at it like this for 5 minutes, and then moving DIRECTLY to 4 on 3s. Players’ arms should be tired from throwing all those checks, so they will have to use their feet. After you see that they are moving their feet again, you can get into 1 on 1s, 3 on 3s or 6 on 6.
The Art of Checking
This drill really breaks down the art of defensive checking to its most simple form. It is all about short, strong and precise checks while working on timing. By placing the short stick on either side of the goal, you can mimic a lefty or righty ball carrier.
There is no limit to what a defensive player can learn from this drill, it just depends on how far they’re willing to take it.
Here is why just messing around with your crosse pays off !
Team practice is important. Wall ball is important. Running, passing and shooting on goal with just a buddy is important. To really get good one also needs to spend time with a ball in your crosse twisting, turning and doing all kinds of crazy moves while keeping the ball in your crosse.
Then you can do this:
Then you can do this:
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)