A Lacrosse Weekend 4/13/19

Welcome to "A Lacrosse Weekend" my weekly compilation of thoughts, ideas, stories, myths, truths, about the great game of lacrosse. I hope you enjoy it!

Virtual Lacrosse Summit

It's coming Monday!  20+ hours of FREE educational lacrosse content!  The schedule will be coming out shortly, but check out the speakers, it's going to be an awesome week!  Click here for more info on the Virtual Lacrosse Summit.

• Tom Schreiber - How Box Helps Field and How Field Helps Box
• Darris Kilgour - NLL Game Breakdown Bandits/Swarm
• Deemer Class - Duke / Notre Dame Game Breakdown
• Joe Spallina - The Backer Zone Defense
• Jim Berkman - Seagull Drills
• Casey Cittadino - "Mentalytics"
• Marty O'Neil - Box Lacrosse Goaltending
• Marie McCool - Dodging and Shooting
• Spencer Ford - The Art of the Hangup
• Kaillie Briscoe - A New Era in WLax
• Bill Olin - Women's Lacrosse Goaltending
• Drew Wardlow - Redefining Success: Winning on and off the Field
• Greg "Beast" Gurenlian - Dominating the 50/50 Face-off, a study of the All-Americans
• Andy Towers - Game Breakdown Penn State / Maryland
• Dom Starsia - Zone Defense
• Brodie Merrill - Analyzing the LSM
• Ric Beardsley - Making Defensemen Great Again
• Terry Foy - Touring the IL Recruiting Database
• Damon Wilson - Developing a Goaltender

Coaching Lacrosse

One of the skills I've been thinking a lot about recently is shooting on the run.  If you listen to the Phi-Lacrosse-ophy Podcast with Yale Coach Andy Shay, you will hear a conversation about how Andy teaches shooting on the run.  I have taken Andy's ideas on shooting and added them to my coaching repertoire to create an "On the Run Shooting" teaching progression that I think you will find interesting.

I have found that if you teach your players how to shoot jump shots coming across the front of the goal from 8-10 yards parallel to the goal line they become much better shooters!.  There are multiple reasons for teaching jump shots:

• The Jump Shot is an effective shooting technique that every player should learn
• Jump Shots force shooters to learn how to get a proper shoulder rotation
• Shooting Jump Shots teaches players how to load up on their "Jump Shot" foot
• Shooting Jump Shots teaches shooters how to change the timing of the release point, meaning they can delay their release by shooting at the top of their jump, on the way down, or even after they land.
• Shooting Jump Shots teaches players how to hold the goalie up and pull the ball low

It takes players differing amounts of time to get comfortable shooting off their opposite foot, but once they get a feel for it, you will see big time improvements in their swing, power, and deception.

Check out this video of the high school girls team I'm coaching working on their jump shooting.  

Now back to Andy Shay.  What Andy was explaining that I didn't fully understand until recently (even though I realize now that I actually do this) is that proper shooting on the run technique involves loading up on your "Jump shot foot" just before releasing the ball on your "Shooting on the run foot." 

Check out this video where you will see examples of shooters loading up for their traditional shot on the run on their second to last step, their jump shot foot.

If you want to learn more about how to shoot, dodge, or play defense, check out the JM3 Academy.  It is has the greatest wealth of teaching content that will literally teach you every variation of every skill.  And I hate to say this, but it's true: you will probably not learn these skills and techniques anywhere else.  It's a new opportunity to get world class coaching no matter who you are or where you live.

College Lacrosse Recruiting

If you have a son or daughter who wants to play college lacrosse, you need to watch the video below.  I interviewed Lars Tiffany, Head Coach Virginia, Joe Breschi, Head Coach North Carolina, Kevin Corrigan, Head Coach Notre Dame, and Matt Madalon, Head Coach Princeton and I asked them about what they're looking for in the following categories:

• Character
• Academics
• Athlete
• Skill
• IQ

I

The great thing about this video is it puts the whole process in great perspective.  Worry abut and work on the things you can control, like BEING GOOD ENOUGH!

How Do You Know?

If your players are serious about playing lacrosse, getting better, an opportunity to be recruited, I recommend the use of film.  It's like the old saying goes, "You really don't know what happened until you watch the film."  

Division I programs do individual video instruction for their players EVERY DAY!  

I have created a Video Assessment Tool that has been a game changer for the athletes I've worked with.   I've done this for Division I All-Americans, for boys, girls, middle school, High School, box lacrosse, field lacrosse and even pick up games (actually, pick up game assessments might be the best!).  

Here's Calvert Hall Head Coach Bryan Kelly's Video Testimonial:

Check out a couple of these assessments, they're pretty in depth!  Imagine your son or daughter getting this type of instruction!  This one is of an attackman from McDonogh School in Baltimore, who plays the X position and is pretty slick!  See what he can work on!

 Here's an assessment from a girl from Penn Charter School who is a sick athlete and a definite Division I prospect.  See what she has to work on!

If you want more information on video assessments, feel free to email me!  There are limited spots because this process is SO in depth.

Have a great weekend!