K D LTHE

CRADLELACROSSE:DEVELOPING YOUTH

The O�icial Magazine of In Lacrosse We Trust MARCH 2014

IN THIS ISSUEJillian's Ugandan

Experience

CollegeScoutingReports is a new informa-tion service (not a recruiting service) designed for high school athletes with professionally researched profiles of college teams, their schools, and their coaches.

Choosing the right college can be a real challenge! Equipped with the right information, however, you can make a good choice about where you will fit best athletically, academically and socially -- and even identify which coach is a match. Our goal is to provide that level of knowledge to all high school athletes who would like to compete in college.

Why are we giving away a free CollegeScoutingRe-port? Simple. We want you to see the quality of our work and the unique value of the information we're presenting. Then, hopefully, you will want to purchase a CSR Library Subscription, or more individual CSR Reports.

BUT, the first one is on us and there are no strings attached. No credit card info is required ... no subscription you have to remember to cancel, etc. None of that.

Not only do I hope you will check out www.Col-legeScoutingReports.com, also please pass this information on to your fellow student-athletes (and their parents), so they can tap into the desig-nated library and select any team report they would like right now. It's that simple.

For a Free CSR Report simply click the following link and then select your sport and CSR Report from the library options presented: http://colleges-coutingreports.com/freereport.php

Let CollegeScoutingReports.com help you make your best college decision!

K D L T H E M A G a Z I N E MARCH 2014

IN THIS ISSUEMLL TRADE VALUE

HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE

MULTI SPORT ATHLETES

COLLEGE PLAN CHECKLIST

Cradle Lacrosse

coaches corner

LOOKING FOR SOME GOOD SAVINGS?Head over to www.knuckledownlacrosse.com to get some awesome savings in our Coupon Code Section!

www.allamericanshots.com

Are you tired of breaking down your game film? Ifyou aren’t a program at the top collegiate level, chances are that you don’t have a video coordina-tor to do it for you.But now you’re in luck – a new technology company called Krossover Intelligence will do the work for you.Let’s face it, you didn’t become a coach to stay up all night clipping out and tagging your game film. You’re not a film editor –you’re a coach! Surveys have suggested that some coaches are spending more than six hours on each game film – clipping out each of their plays, tagging their players, shots, ground-balls – everything that you would want to know about in a game. Six hours? Who has six hours of free time a�er every game? When do you sleep, coach? Make more e�icient use of your time by uploading your film to Krossover and letting them break it down. They’ll clip out and tag every single play in your game, so you can quickly find the plays you want to review with your team in sec-onds. They also stat out your entire game – so you’ll never have to run the numbers again!

This spring, Onondaga Community College won an unprecedented fi�h straight NJCAANational Title in Men’s Lacrosse. The win was also the team’s 70th straight victory, the longest streak in collegiate lacrosse history. When asked his secret, Head Coach Chuck Wilbur said, “Honestly, Krossover is a huge reason for our success. It used to be a lot tougher to watch film and keep focused!”

Sign up at www.krossover.com or call 888- 339-5395 to start getting your life back!their lacrosse IQ; creating complete, well-rounded play-ers.

Cornell University is one of the leading lacrosse programs at the NCAA Division I level, making a Final Four bid in 2013. One of the reasons for their continued success is their strong emphasis on filmstudy. Matt Kerwick, Assistant Coach of the men’s team recently spoke about the important role that film breakdown, and especially Krossover, has played in his team’s preparation. “The ability for our guys to view upcoming opponents has been an excellent teaching tool. I highly recommend Kross-over to every level lacrosse program.”

FOLLOW KROSSOVER

NEW TECHNOLOGY SAVES LAX COACHES HOURS OF TIME

National Champs Use Krossover Technology

Top NCAA Team Use FilmStudy to Succeed

OCC Celeebrates their �fth National Title

BRIAN RENDINE E D I T O R - I N - C H IEF

Notes From the Editor

Be heard! We are always looking for contributors.

CONTRIBUTE

#GetRecruited

KNUCKLE DOWN LACROSSE IS GROWING

To help with the recruiting process and to gain recog-nition from college coaches, we are go-ing to run a listing of where players can be found both in and out of season.

List a Camp/TourneyRunning a camp or tourna-ment, let us know and we will list it for you.

Review a Camp

Send Us a Story

Been to a camp, fill out our review form.

Review a ProductWant to let others know about some lax gear, fill out our product review form.

Have a great story that you want to share? Send it in to us and we will get it posted.

K D L T H E M A G A Z I N E MARCH 2014

lot has been happening here at KDL. As you may have noticed, the layout of our last issue was hands down way better than our first two issues. For the last issue, we

brought on Kevin Galligan to do the graphics for our magazine. Kevin and I go way back and when he emailed me wanting to come on board, it was a no brainer decision to bring him on. He is reliable, dependable and professional; a great combination and when you add in his work, you saw the results.

A�er we revamped the magazine, the website was next. We took a couple of weeks and tackled our website, streamlining it and making it reflect the same mission as our magazine; giving every player and program an outlet to be seen.

So here is a quick guide to the website. There are several homepage features that you can send on over to us:

The Team This is a list of the top players that we have found. We are going to be updating the All KDL Team as we get submissions, rotating players though.

Coupon Codes - Companies have been sending us coupon codes for you to use. So before you go and make a purchase, check out our coupon codes section. Not only will we be adding to the coupon code section but the individual coupon codes change regularly. Check it regularly and check it o�en to get the best deals.

KDL the Magazine - On both our homepage and on the KDL the Magazine tabs, you can download the latest issue of KDL the Magazine. On the KDL the Magazine tab, you can also download past issues of KDL the Magazine.

The Blog - Our blog has a myriad of posts, ranging from Faces of Lacrosse - where people submit a photo with an answer to one of our random ques-tions - to the latest going on in high school lacrosse.

We are excited about our quick growth over the past 6 months with the magazine and can’t wait to see what is in store for us during the rest of this year. Rumor has it that we may be organizing a recruiting event for this September!

K D L T H E M A G A Z I N E MARCH 2014

RANDOM LAX TIPCommunicating with College Coaches Successfully

I recently was sitting in on a presentation about the internet and one point that struck me was this: There is a college that gets so many applicants, that they are able to narrow the field using Face-book. One thing to keep in mind is that private settings on Facebook are not consistent when colleges and other organizations have access to everything on your page. What was said next was poignant, this college had an applicant’s Facebook profile printed out and on their wall someone had written about doing lines of coke that night. The admissions person said that this was probably a joke, but considering the amount of applicants

When you are talking with college coaches, it is important to remember that first impressions are lasting. College coaches hear from so many recruits that some are able to set aside players based on first impressions. Be prepared when you first start contacting coaches. One great way to be prepared is to have a resume in front of you so that you know what you are all about. It would also be beneficial to know a little bit about the program that you are contacting, as this will help with a personal connection with the coach.

concise, to the point and lets the coach know about you. Make it count. In addition to this, college coaches receive so many emails that they may not be able to respond to you, so follow-up with the coach on the phone. NCAA rules restrict coaches from initiating contact with players until the July a�er their junior year, but this does not preclude you from calling the coach.Either way, whether it is by phone or email, make sure that you are prepared.

that they have, they can throw that applicant away. One line that a friend wrote as a joke on your wall could cost you Ivy League caliber. A few years ago I had the privilege of having Max Seibald come to my practice and talk to the team. He mentioned that coaches watch to see if you open the door for others. What this shows is that you are not concerned about only yourself, but you are a team player. College coaches are concerned with more than are you a good player; they want to know about your academics and also you as a person. You don’t have much time to make an impression, so make sure that your first email is

K D L T H E M A G a Z I N E MARCH 2014

D E V E LO P I N G O U R YO U T HCRADLE LACROSSE-TIM SPATH

CRADLE LACROSSE

the successful growth and expansion of any sports organization, focusing on the future of the sport is key and Clubs like NXT Sports are evolving with the rapidly growing lacrosse community. "Lacrosse is growing by 1,200 percent each year," says Hayes. Starting out as a small Philadelphia based company with a clear vision for the future of their sport; NXT has since developed a recruiting program called Philly Showcase, hosting tourna-ments for local players with hopes to gain the attention of college coaches from around the country. But it is still their “cradle-robbing” philosophy that has taken on the challenge of lighting the passion and love for the game that will hopefully carry players to this level.

n 2007, co-founders of NXT Sports Peter Lawerence and Andrew

Hayes adapted their passion for the game along with extensive coaching and leadership skills to form Trashcan Lacrosse. Together with the help of educators, coaches, and current lax players on both high school and college levels, this summer camp program was created for kids ages 9-13. With its aim to spark an interest in future generations of lacrosse players, the backyard style two-on-two game literally involves two trashcans and a tennis ball. In a sport with such a fierce competi-tive nature, innovative programs like Trashcan Lacrosse recognize the importance of emphasizing the fun and enjoyment of sports to kids. For

ages 3-8. With 1,000 participants just last year, this subdivision of NXT has expanded immensely, o�ering year-round camps in 16 locations throughout 11 states.Lacrosse has always been popular on the East Coast, however with the proper motivation, leadership, and coaching curriculum provided by Cradle, the program will move west this spring to locations in Texas, Colo-rado, and Washington State.Most programs run for 6 weeks at

Forward thinking Director of Pro-grams for NXT Sports, Dylan Brown has adopted this philosophy and begun to secure an even stronger future for a sport that has, respective-ly, gained rather recent recognition and popularity throughout the athlet-ic community. Over the past two years, NXT’s new baby is even that much closer to the crib.Quite appropriately named, Cradle Lacrosse o�ers a fundamental intro-duction to the game for boys and girls

K D L T H E M A G a Z I N E MARCH 2014

TIM SPATH

CRADLE LACROSSE

some of the most influential lacrosse locations in the nation. So, what does Cradle Lacrosse o�er that other Lacrosse camps do not? Given the model set in motion by the directors of NXT programs, fun comes first, fundamentals second. “We provide an energy and a focus,” Brown says. “And the kids get to run around for an hour with sticks in their hands.”Playing with a plastic stick and a tennis ball, Cradle Lacrosse fosters a love of the sport in these little laxers.

Their non-contact format is designed to teach the players the skills needed without the mundane monotony of repetitive drills. Playing games like sharks and minnows, their proven strategy has intertwined the develop-ment of their skills right along with creating a passion for the sport of lacrosse. With music playing and kids laughing, Cradle Lacrosse is sweeping across the country!Get Cradle Lacrosse to come to your town! Visit http://cradlelacrosse.com/

Tim Spath livs in Harrison, NY and currently works for a produce company. He is a Sacred Heart graduate class of 2009. While at Sacred Heart Tim obtained a BA in both English and Spanish. Tim is an avid reader anoutdoorsman.

K D L T H E M A G a Z I N E MARCH 2014

TIM SPATH

TIM SPATH

About The Author

K D L T H E M A G a Z I N E MARCH 2014

eing a lacrosse coach for over 20 years at multiple levels (youth, high school travel and college club) I am o�en asked what I do for my

players to get them ready, during the o�-season. While my response o�en di�ers based on what people are looking for, I always suggest one of my favorite methods for improving stick work.Especially for indoor practices, one of my favorite things to have my players do is to have full practices using just tennis balls. Why tennis balls you ask? I have a number of reasons for using them, and here they are.First, tennis balls are typically bright green. If prac-ticing in a school gym the bright green is a lot easier to see than white tennis balls against a typically o�-white background. This, honestly, is the least of my reasons.Tennis balls are incredibly light, especially com-pared to the weight of a lacrosse ball. The reduced weight makes everything relating to lacrosse more di�icult, and makes my players have to use proper form for everything.Catching is more di�icult because you can not rely on the weight of the ball to push into your pocket. This enforces the need to develop so� hands, as well as reinforcing the technique of catching the ball by

your ear. This is great for older players to get their sticks ready for the season, and is great for younger players because it helps rid them of the bad habit of stabbing at the ball or flattening the stick in front of them to keep the ball in. In most cases, because the tennis ball is light and bouncy, any improper form will force the ball to bounce out of the pocket.At every level I have coached, I seem to find at least one player who likes to float passes instead of throwing them on a line, with proper over-the-top technique. Again, because of the reduced weight of a tennis ball, it is very easy to spot improper tech-nique as side arm passes sail way wide of their intended target, and floated passes seem to hang from the ceiling forever. Especially with younger players, it is easier to get them to pass crisply, with-out fear of hurting a teammate (which is o�en the reason I hear for floating passes).Lastly, because of the reduced weight, proper cra-dling technique is easy to spot. Sloppy cradling will result in the ball flying out of the pocket.Challenge yourself and or your team, and try a prac-tice with tennis balls. The improved technique gained in all aspects of the game will greatly out-weigh the frustration at the time of not being able to use real balls.

Follow Coach

COACHES CORNERTennis Ball Training

Coach Paul JonesLacrosse coach, Lacrosse Dad, and all things lax, with a smattering of life lessons and #wordstoliveby

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ABOUT OTTAWA NEMESIS FIELD LACROSSE

www.nemesislacrosse.com

he Ottawa Nemesis Field Lacrosse is the tour de force behind field lacrosse in Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec. The founders

and volunteers of the program are involved in many aspects of the field lacrosse community in the region providing the Ottawa Nemesis with a wealth of experienced coaches and the ability to recruit the best players in the region and provide exciting competitive opportunities in Canada and the United States. Their mission is to promote, govern and improve the game of field lacrosse in the National Capital region by providing guidance and direction to its members, through strong and ethical leadership. Like any sport, the best way to improve as a lacrosse player is through exposure to quality development and an increased level of competi-tion. In recent years, the Ottawa Nemesis has taken the lead in establishing and expanding a fall field lacrosse league among several Eastern Ontar-io clubs. Building upon the successful house league program, Nemesis launched competitive fall travel teams at both the U19 and U16 divisions.

T

K D L T H E M A G a Z I N E MARCH 2014

Playing with the bestA competitive U19 travel team competing in the Toronto-based Ontario Junior Men's Field Lacrosse League (OJMFLL) was launched in 2011. A�er only three years, the 2013 team weekly dominated games completing the regular season undefeated and finishing within the top four teams of Ontario. This provided a high level of recognition for the Ottawa program and its partic-ipants and management. This success translated into Ottawa Nemesis' players receiving invites to attend select events in Maryland, Chicago, Flori-da, Mid-West US as well as numerous Canadian university and NCAA meetings and campus visits. Building on the U19 success, an Elite U16 tourna-ment team was launched this season that was undefeated and tournament champs in three Upstate New York competitions.

More Canadian players are dreaming of playing in the NCAA and at post secondary institutions. Nemesis Lacrosse encourages players to pursue lacrosse experiences beyond the minor program. Many Nemesis players have been selected and are currently competing in the NCAA and Canadi-an University league.

K D L T H E M A G a Z I N E MARCH 2014

LAX SNAX

players and coaches raise funds to pay for equipment, tournament costs and ultimately build their teams. It’s not just another fundraising snack. With more than 30 beneficial nutrients, LaxSnax is valuable nutri-tion for lacrosse athletes, mere mortal athletes and other homo sapiens. LaxSnax founder Pam Alfa said, “We have received great feedback from coaches and players alike.” Alfa explained that LaxSnax chose pista-chios to di�erentiate from the stan-dard junk food (chocolate and candy) usually o�ered for fundraisers. The pistachios are grown and manufac-tured on LaxSnax farms in California.

Sell your face o�! LaxSnax estimates that clubs can

eam up with one shell of a snackFirst ever Lacrosse fundraiser

launched at the National Convention in Philadelphia.

Philadelphia, PA, January 10, 2014: Illinois company, LaxSnax, launched the first o�icial fundraising snack for US Lacrosse at the recent National Convention in Philadelphia. LaxSnax is a tasty, nutritious pistachio snack that comes in four epic flavors. These include ‘Rip It Ranch’, Who’s Hot Habanero, Braveheart Bandito Lemon Lime and Man Up Roasted and Salted.

Gear Up with extreme fundraisingLaxSnax was created for one simple reason. We want to help all lacrosse

about how to crack open an order at www.LaxSnax.com . Also join our Facebook, Twitter or Instagram com-munity.

BLAIR JACKSONLAXSNAXPhone 630.229.7389customersupport@LaxSnax.com 1801 S Meyers RoadOakbrook Terrace, IL, 60181

easily earn several thousand dollars through sales of the 4 oz packs. Each 4oz. bag of LaxSnax sells for $5 and your profit is $2 per bag. If a team of 25 players sells a 50 bag carton, your team earns $2,500. Shipping is free and orders are fulfilled within 5-7 days.

The O�icial Fundraising Snack for US Lacrosse.LaxSnax would love to be a part of your fundraising team. Learn more

K D L T H E M A G a Z I N E MARCH 2014

T

K D L T H E M A G a Z I N E MARCH 2014

STRINGERS SHACK

eginning as far back as history will write, The Algonquian tribe of Native Americans began Lacrosse with balls of wood or deerskin, and sticks made pliable with steam. We have come a long way since then, and even from the 17th century practices of the French. Not only has the game evolved but also the ability to purchase high func-tioning equipment as well. The Stringer’s Shack of Western Massachusetts o�ers variations of high performance meshes all ofwhich are high tenacity in nylon or ultralight nylon for the purposes of attack, defense, or goalie posi-tions. Customers have the option to purchase

string kits and make your own. Don’t know how to string your own? No worries! They have a DVD that will aid you in a step-by-step process. The Stringer’s Shack specializes in team orders, so your team has a leg up on the uniformity and con-sistency of solid, durable equipment. Because there is nothing more frustrating than missing a shot because of poorly tendered equipment.

B

We're giving away 2 stringing kits

Here's How to Win:

• You must follow StringersShack and KDL on Twitter

• Use "@knuckledownlax""@stringersShack"

• Lastly Use "#kdlmagcontest"

Stringers ShacK

K D L T H E M A G a Z I N E MARCH 2014

ANCAA REALIGNMENT

As many have heard, in 2015 the NCAA will realign their lacrosse conferences to better reflect the

current standings in other NCAA sports. Change will naturally come with the di�erences and I think they’ll be beneficial to the game of lacrosse.

The biggest alteration will be the addition of a new conference: BIG 10. Currently, Penn State University tech-nically does not compete within any specific conference, causing them to

not qualify for any post season play without conference wins.

In preparing for the 2015 addition 2014 commenced a few realignments already, and the e�ects are being seen already. The ACC welcomed Syracuse and Notre Dame. Despite their successes in previous years they have seen struggles already. Syra-cuse’s only two losses wer-back-to-back against ACC opponents Maryland and Virginia.

Thank you to www.allamericanshots.com for the picture!

K D L T H E M A G a Z I N E MARCH 2014

NCAA Realignment 2015

There are certain conferences in the NCAA that receive more attention than others; the BIG TEN is debatably the most popular. For lacrosse to emerge in the BIG TEN is a precursor that BIG THINGS will happen for the sport. Syracuse is possibly the most decorat-ed lacrosse program in NCAA lacrosse history. Look at them as they play the ACC, also known as the lacrosse pow-erhouse. Any conference rival they’ve played have been a crushing blow to

their reputation. On the contrary, Loyola has exceeded expectations and is dominating the Patriot League. The rest of the conference will need to step it up. The biggest thing I noticed at the Lehigh-Loyola game was that Loyola backs up every single shot, whereas Lehigh waited for it to go out of bounds.

Notre Dame And PSU have seen quite a noticeable amount of success. Penn State’s program continues to grow,

and despite minor road bumps at the start, I see them being just as strong as Maryland and Johns Hopkins in 5 years.

With all the team-conference realloca-tions, I ponder the simple fact of physical field space and media cover-age: is there enough publicity on the sport to support this growth? I truly feel this answer will be better uncov-ered once BIG TEN play is in motion.

Loyola and Boston U. are the newest additions to the Patriot League. So far, Loyola has dominated all in-con-ference competition and Boston U. has had its own memorable victories, as well. This move for Boston U. has tremendously supported its pro-gram’s growth.

Lacrosse grew at a faster pace than expected and there were numerous “independent” eams competing at NCAA levels without the recognition or conference alignment. As of this year, the BIG EAST is a new confer-ence, home to Denver, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, Rutgers, St. Johns and Villanova. It collects the extra, top-notch programs.

Saint Joseph’s le� the CAA for the NEC.

Next year, many teams will realign once again to create a BIG 10 confer-ence. Teams that will leave their cur-rent/new conferences for the BIG 10 are:

Penn State UniversityRutgersMarylandMichiganJohns HopkinsOhio State

K D L T H E M A G a Z I N E MARCH 2014

T the right place. Today we will review 3d’s lacrosse Spring Break trip.

First, a little background on the pro-gram. 3d Spring Break provides boys and girls high school lacrosse players with the opportunity to travel to sunny Florida and train during the week of their spring break.

3d’s trip packages include an all-in-conclusive package with lodging,

meals, fields, training, and scrimmag-es with teams from all over the coun-try. This is a great opportunity for teams to get a jumpstart on their season. They can customize and design packages around each team’s specific needs.

Personally, I have been apart of their spring break program and I not only improved, but our whole team started playing together as a cohesive team

and established new camaraderie.

All of the coaches connect with every single attendee on a personal level that enables them to feel supported and grow both as a more skilled indi-vidual lacrosse player and team member.

If you think your lacrosse team could benefit from learning new techniques by playing with teams from all across

Trying to organize a team road trip can be stressful, time con-suming and painful especially

during the season. However, if done right, it can be extremely beneficial.

What’s better than planning a road trip down to Florida to play lacrosse…next to the beach…during spring break…in the sunshine state?

Well perfect, because you’ve come to

THE ULTIMATE TEAM BONDING EXPERIENCE-SIMON GONDECK

K D L T H E M A G a Z I N E MARCH 2014

The camp is held at Premier Sports Campus facility that includes over 20 fields. Additionally, the team hotels are on the beach, ideal for relaxing a�er a long day of lacrosse.In conclusion, 3d’s Spring Break trip is a top notch camp. Jamie Munro, former Denver University Head Coach and current ESPNU lacrosse analyst, provides hands on instruction that is second to none. If I was planning a trip, I would highly recommend look-ing to 3d’s Spring Break.

the country, then this camp is for your team.

The competition at 3d Spring Break is very high in that many talented teams continue coming. According to Sara Munro, Director of Operations and Events for 3d Lacrosse:

“We get a really good mix of teams. A lot of New England prep schools along with teams all over the country coming from states including Colora-do, Oregon, Minnesota, Illinois, Virginia, Texas, Ohio, and other areas. It works out well be-cause teams all over get to play each other. A new dimen-sion added this year that should make the camp even more appealing is the addition of a box lacrosse arena.We will be giving our teams the chance to practice in the box and get coached by our box lacrosse coaches.”

THE ULTIMATE TEAM BONDING EXPERIENCE

Simon GondeckSimon is the Founder of LaxCampReview.com. He's currently a student at the University of Minnesota where he plays lacrosse as well as being an avid Kevin Love fan. He started LaxCampReview.com last fall to fill a void in the lacrosse community. By creating a database that helps players, parents, and coaches find the best fit for various camps, clinics, and tournaments, LaxCampRe-view.com is an essential tool in every player’s arsenal.

simon@laxcampreview.com

K D L T H E M A G a Z I N E MARCH 2014

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Getting Recruited

About The Author

players consider not playing for their high school to focus on their club team? Some may laugh at that notion, but in certain regions that idea in not that far o�. Let’s put more meaning into the High School season and the accolades that come with it.

Dual Sport AtheleteWith the current focus on club lacrosse many play-ers are hesitant to play multiple sports. This could be attributed to the pressure they feel to perform during the fall club circuit or a fear of injury from playing another sport. Regardless there is a consid-erable amount of players opting not to play other sports or waiting to play other sports until they have committed. Each player has to make his own decision but there are many benefits to enjoying various sports during high school.

The ultimate goal for every player is develop to their full potential. No player is going to to do that by the ninth grade. Between the ninth and twel�h grade there are many opportunities that will help them develop. Players should seek out those that will help them to be successful in the future and have an enriching high school experience.

Luke Christiansen here is the Co-Founder of LaxPath.com, WesternLacrosseScout.com, and is an Assistant coach at Southern Virginia University (D3 and new member of the Capital Athletic Conference). He played football and lacrosse in college and has coached both football and lacrosse at the high school level.

Early Recruiting is a hot topic lately in the lacrosse community with many calling for changes. So much so the Intercollegiate Men's Lacrosse Coach-es Association (IMCLA) has felt the need to take a stance on early recruiting.

"The IMLCA does not support recruiting of boys who have not yet entered ninth grade,” stated the organization. “If a coach is present at an event and not on the tournament sta� or on the field instructing, then he must be there to recruit. The Association does not condone this action.”College programs are going to do what is needed to be competitive, and are not going to sit back as the best prospects are scooped up. If a program feels they can accurately evaluate an eighth grader they should be able to take that risk.

The greater concern should be how early recruiting influences players and their high school experi-ence. Here are some issues concerning early recruiting to consider.

Focus on ClubRecruiting younger players requires focusing almost exclusively on club events, and excludes a large market of players. Many NCAA Division I commits have yet to suit up for their varsity team, and players realize their high school career will have little to no e�ect on their college prospects. Do we really want to create a situation where top

-LUKE CHRISTIANSEN

K D L T H E M A G a Z I N E MARCH 2014

BY HAKEEM CLARK

Hakeem Clark is the Program Director of Parisi Speed School at Lifebridge Health and Fitness in Baltimore Maryland. A frequent contributor to Ehow, blogger, and nationally televised trainer, he directs the strength and speed training for numerous lacrosse athletes, clubs and teams such as TLC, and McDonogh, the 1 Girl's High School Lacrosse team in the nation.

Running MechanicsIf your arms aren’t correct you aren’t going to get proper knee drive, footspeed, and your center of gravity will be thrown o� leading to ine�icient movement and lack of power.For correct arm action work first without a stick in hand and then with your stick in your dominant then in the non-dominant hand. While you are running your arms should pump forward and back at a 90 degree angle, back pocket to chin. For non- stick running your hands are open with the thumb up. When your arm is up you want to primarily see your thumb when your hand is at chin level. (If you see your pinkie you have twisted your arm and adding air resistance to the movement, slowing you down.)

Seated Arm Action. First work your arms when seated, this takes the rest of the body out of the

seated, this takes the rest of the body out of the equation and lets you concentrate on the arms.

Standing Arm Action. Bend your arms at 90 degrees. Imagine there is a bar through your shoul-der You are only going to move your arms, not your shoulder.

No Middle groundMiddie’s better have great running technique, or they’re le� far behind on a field of fast play. Yet, we consistently see three major technique issues with Lax middies: incorrect foot strike, poor running lean and some really sad arm action. Any of those will substantially slow you down and give defend-ers a striking shot: now is the time to work on technique.

Before you move with a stick in your hand you have to learn to move correctly without a stick in your hand, it’s easier to build the technique and will transition easily to play. First you are always going to start with an Active Dynamic Warmup to properly ignite your nervous system and prevent injuries.

Parisi Speed School

K D L T H E M A G a Z I N E MARCH 2014

Running Arm Action without a Stick. While on a treadmill, have a friend video you running from the front and from the sides. Your arms should not cross your body, that’s wasting energy and diminishing your running power.

Leaning too far forward.Leaning too far forward while running is a common response to wanting to get down the field quickly. But the body position for initial acceleration will slow you down for top speed and you will be o� balance, making change of direction more di�icult. A�er accelera-tion, running tall allows proper knee drive and balance.

One of the ways we work on posture for top speed at the Parisi Speed School which cleans a lot of posture problems up is to use small 6 inch hurdles with “high knees” over them. Keep your chest up, bring your knees up. Once you are comfortable with that body position, transition to a sprint a�er going through the hurdles without breaking pos-ture.

Foot Strike .We see a lot of players who run on their heels instead of the front of the foot – defi-nitely a speed stopper. Running on the balls of your feel allows you to generate increased foot speed, have better balance, be more explosiveness and decrease the chances of injury. Then, use the agility ladder to practice. Hops first, where the foot strike is obvious and you can feel it. 2 feet in each square sprinting, then 1 foot in with high knees. The whole idea is to understand where your foot strike should be so when you transition to running it is correct and you know what it feels like when it is correct. Concentrate on feeling the ground con-tact with your foot as you are doing these drills.

At Parisi Speed School we find that correcting those three issues will translate into field speed.

Parisi Speed School

Email The Authorhclark@lifebridgehealth.org

K D L T H E M A Gaz I N E MARCH 2014

with only my imagination of what to expect. The assumptions we [Ameri-ca] hold about Africa could not be further from the truth. The people of Uganda, always stay united, are so grateful for the smallest opportunity, and are so thankful for the everyday experience of life.   

Landing in Entebbe, was very interesting as we just walked right o� the plane onto the ground. Your senses were stimulated instantly. Uganda is beautiful, with its tropic greenery and weather that is not humid but the sun is strong.

I traveled with 10 other student athletes from Notre Dame University, and what made it interesting was that not all participated in the sport of

Uganda, the first and only country in Africa, to compete in the sport of lacrosse and for the people of Uganda, lacrosse is more than just a game. From a grassroots movement, Fields of Growth International is changing the culture of lacrosse by creating diversity. More importantly, giving people the opportunity to overcome adversity in their lives and exchanging that with hope, dreams, and enthusiasm to participate in the sport of lacrosse.

I was blessed with the opportu-nity to travel with Fields of Growth to Uganda to spend seven weeks coach-ing and teaching. Nerves and appre-hension were at a high knowing I was journeying to an unknown country

K D L T H E M A G a Z I N E MARCH 2014

-JILLIAN MARICONDO

L A C R O S S E I S

LACROSSE IS POWER

unpacking we were o� to go to an orphanage, for the woman of Uganda there is little to no opportunities for health care. Therefore women, who become pregnant of an unwanted child, will abandon the newborn baby. Police o�icers will find these newborns and drop them o� at the orphanage.

As we pulled up to the orphan-age, we learned that the organization will provide care for newborn infants up until they turn three years old. The children were sleeping when we first arrived as you could feel the tension of our nerves being unsure of how much we can interact with the babies. The care takers brought a child out and all of our hearts were immediate-ly impacted as we all wanted a chance to hold the baby. As soon as we entered the building they would show us room a�er room and the amount of orphans dramatically was increas-ing, as it was not possible for the few amount of care takers to provide the essential attention to each child’s needs.

At the time we were visiting, the babies were in the process of bathing. At such a young age, they were able to hold responsibility of independence. A ratio of 10 babies to every 1 care

lacrosse. Our first bus ride into the city, Kampala was fascinating but also alerting. Police o�icers, who carry rifle guns strapped around them, were firing shots into the air as we wit-nessed citizens running through the slums of the town. As the Americans were stunned, our Ugandan hosts informed us it was nothing to worry, as the police o�icers were just avoid-ing riots and citizens to form together. It was almost humorous how shock-ingly di�erent our cultures were almost immediately a�er landing.

When we arrived at the guest house, it was beautiful. It included four bedrooms, two full baths, kitch-en, dining room, living room, porch, an outhouse, and even wi-fi!  Before

next room for feeding.  It was really incredible just to witness the inde-pendence this young children had to possess in their daily routine. Three children were wanting to be picked up at the same time just to feel the a�ec-tion, love and attention. As we played outside, one of the children’s favorite game to play was to chase the stray chickens that were roaming in the

taker existed. The children would move from the bathing room to an open room where two piles of cloth-ing existed, it did not matter if you dressed the child in boy/girl dominant looking clothing; the objective was to dress the children as quickly as possi-ble and move onto the next child walking out of the bathing room. They would continue on their own to the

K D L T H E M A G a Z I N E MARCH 2014

TIM SPATH

LACROSSE IS POWER

next room for feeding.  It was really incredible just to witness the inde-pendence this young children had to possess in their daily routine. Three children were wanting to be picked up at the same time just to feel the a�ec-tion, love and attention. As we played outside, one of the children’s favorite game to play was to chase the stray chickens that were roaming in the yard.We traveled to St. Peters Primary School, which had 3,200 students enrolled at the elementary school level. Our objective was to implement the University of Notre Dame’s “Play Like a Champion” curriculum. Visual-ize, 300 young students staring at you, all wide eyed with bright smiles. The energy these children possessed cannot be put into words. We had three days to spend with St. Peter’s students, to teach them about the positive impact sport can contribute to ones’ life. I believe they le� a bigger impact on our lives than we did for theirs. There was one girl, out of three thousand two hundred students, that stood out to me because of her natu-ral ability to play lacrosse. I am not even sure if I found her or she found

me, but it is one of those small occur-rences in life where you believe fate exists. She is only nine years old, her name is Alinda Josephine, and I believe she will be one of the best players for Uganda Lacrosse. I gave her my own “first lacrosse stick” and she met us at “MUBS” to practice with the Women’s National team.     

Our next objective was to pro-mote and encourage the game of lacrosse to be implemented in four di�erent secondary (high) schools; Gayaza, Nabisunsa, Namugongo, and Namiganga. Every day we traveled to the di�erent girl schools to introduce the game, teach the skills, and grow the sport starting with just a seed of thought. Gayaza was always my favor-ite to travel to; we would jump onto “bota-botas”, which is a small motor-cycle, three of us squished on one bike, with a huge du�le bag filled with lacrosse sticks. We would ride up the hills through dirt roads, small trails, and by the time you arrived you had a “fake tan” from all the dust and dirt accumulated from the ride. The view was incredible from Gayaza, you were on top of the world.

K D L T H E M A G a Z I N E MARCH 2014

JILLIAN MARICONDO

he pomp. The pageantry. The exciting wins and devastating losses. Unbelievable feats of

athleticism and sheer determination. That’s right – it’s time for the winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Everyone has their picks for who will take gold medals and we’re likely to see some unexpected upsets.But there are certain athletes that may have a leg up on everyone else: the Russians.

In a new article, psychological scien-tists Mark S. Allen of London South Bank University and Marc V. Jones of Sta�ordshire University review the existing research on sports and ath-letic competition and find that there is scientific support for the idea of a “home field advantage.”

Their review is published in the Febru-ary 2014 issue of Current Directions in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.

Allen and Jones investigate two di�er-ent models that have been proposed to account for the apparent advan-tage of playing on home turf: the standard model and the territoriality model.

The standard model includes several factors that can influence the psycho-logical states of competitors, coaches, and o�icials, ultimately impacting their behavior in ways that tend to favor home athletes.Research shows, for example, that larger home crowds that show encouraging behavior, like cheering, are linked with home-team success. Crowd noise may even impact the kinds of decisions that o�icials make: When the home crowd is noisy, o�i-cials are more likely to make discre-tionary decisions (such as awarding extra time) that favor the home team and dole out harsher punishments (such as warnings) for the away team.And findings suggest that the home advantage remains even when there is no audience. This may be due, at

K D L T H E M A G a Z I N E MARCH 2014

HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE

T

For Athletes, There’s No Place Like Home-GREG CHERTOK

forming at home, adding to self-re-port data that athletes feel increased pressure to succeed in front of their own fans. Studies show that in high-pressure, high-importance situa-tions, athletes may shi� their atten-tion in an e�ort to control typically automatic movements. This con-scious control o�en leads to worse performance, a phenomenon com-monly referred to as “choking.”

Each of the home-field advantage models has evidence to support their main premises, but it’s still unclear how, or whether, they fit together. And more work is needed to understand the specific psychological mecha-nisms that drive behavior, attention, and stress responses.Such work “would elucidate under what circumstances, and how, com-peting at home can enhance (and

occasionally harm) athlete and team performance,” Allen and Jones con-clude.

least in part, to travel fatigue su�ered by the away team – one study indi-cates that the home advantage increases by as much as 20% with every time zone the away team must cross.The territoriality model, on the other hand, specifically frames the home advantage as a reflection of players’ natural tendency to defend their home turf.One study, for example, found that soccer players showed significantly higher testosterone levels before home games than before away games and neutral training sessions. And additional research suggests that increased testosterone may benefit athletic performance through physi-cal aggression and motivation to compete, though the relationship between testosterone and perfor-mance needs to be further investigat-ed in the context of competitive sport.But, as Allen and Jones point out, playing at home may come with cer-tain disadvantages, as well.Research indicates that cortisol, a stress hormone, is higher when per-

K D L T H E M A G a Z I N E MARCH 2014

For Athletes, There’s No Place Like Home

HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE GREG CHERTOK

K D L T H E M A G a Z I N E MARCH 2014

Over a decade ago, Bill Simmons began ranking basketball players in his annual ‘NBA Trade Value’

column. The rules are simple: Talent, salary and age all matter. If two equally talented players earn di�erent amounts, then the cheaper one has more ‘trade value.’ Similarly, younger players are o�en viewed as more valuable. The idea of the list is that if the general manager of Team A calls the general manager of Team B and o�ers Player 19 for Player 20, then Team B will accept–or at least think about it.

Just a couple years ago, Bill Barnwell began an annual ‘NFL Trade Value’ column. This is admittedly a much more di�icult task, since football teams field many more players. The tradeo� between players is far from clear. Ask three GMs to rank Julio Jones, Von Miller and Eric Winston. Each could give a di�erent combina-tion and provide perfectly logical reasoning for it. This makes Barn-well’s job much more di�icult. I think he puts a bit too much weight into

salary. [He ranked RGIII and Matt Ryan ahead of Tom Brady because they have a smaller cap hit.] Otherwise, Barnwell’s annual piece is excellent.

This year, I am bringing the tradition to lacrosse. Here are my rules: Talent matters. Age matters. Salary… well, it doesn’t really even exist in profession-al lacrosse. Lots of these guys work second jobs. Those who do make a living o� lacrosse usually do so with endorsements. Earnings don’t matter for my piece–but personality does.

Why? Professional lacrosse is young and growing; players who help it grow are more valuable to your team. Some players can put fans in the stands and sell jerseys because of reputation. While winning might be the main priority, selling tickets is a close second. Personas won’t matter in this as much as salaries mattered in Barn-well’s piece, but I’d be lying if I said they were a non-factor.

MLLO

MLL Trade Value

I just don’t think their market value is through the roof at this point in their careers, so I le� them o� the list.

[Sidenote: You'll see some old players on this list. You might wonder why Matt Striebel or Kyle Sweeney made the cut over these guys. Here's my reasoning: Besides Leveille, none of these guys advanced far in tryouts for Team USA. The "old" guys who made the list all went deep in the selection process and will be in tremendous shape this summer. Some might be playing with a little edge a�er getting cut, too.]

Some of the best short-stick defensive midfielders in the game missed the cut. Kevin Drew, Je� Reynolds, Dan Burns and Dan Groot don’t get enough credit for what they do. I hate to leave them o� the list. I just cannot picture one of the 50 players on this

percentage? Again, imperfect. For what it’s worth, Schwartzman finished first in 2013, third in 2012, second in 2011, fi�h in 2010, fi�h in 2009 and fourth in 2008. By wins? Denver has never finished worse than second in the league with Schwartz-man between the pipes [with records of 14-0, 11-3, 7-5, 8-4, 9-3, 8-4].

By any metric, Schwartzman has been trustworthy. The Outlaws and regular season success go hand-in-hand, largely because of him. How much of that is overshadowed by their playo� struggles? And how much credit should be given to Lee Zink and Matt Bocklet? I’ll cover that in a bit.

Without further ado, here is my first annual MLL/LXM Trade Value column–starting with the toughest omissions:

Five rookies from the class of 2013 [not including Rob Pannell] made the cut. There are a handful of rookies that we just didn’t see enough. I’m excited for the sophomore seasons of Eric Law, Will Manny, Cam Flint, Dave Lawson, JoJo Marasco, Josh Hawkins and Marcus Holman. I could definitely see a few of these guys playing their way into next year’s trade value column and making me regret omit-ting them. [Quick ranking of likeli-hood to do so: Flint, Holman, Haw-kins, Marasco, Lawson, Manny, Law.]

Are Casey Powell, Ryan Boyle, Kevin Leveille, Casey Cittadino and Brian Spallina too old to play? Nope. They’ll all compete at high levels this season.

list being traded straight up for them. As Michael Evans said at the dra�, Major League Lacrosse is a one-on-one league. With a 60-second shot clock, there is little time to waste playing cat-and-mouse games. Teams are using two-way midfielders to push the tempo and to create favorable one-on-one matchups. Swing guys are more valuable, even though Drew, Reynolds, Burns and Groot are lock-down defenders.

K D L T H E M A G a Z I N E MARCH 2014

Jesse Schwartzman-G–Denver Outlaws

Ask four people who the league’s best goalie is. The chances of you hearing four di�erent responses are high. Very high. Kip Turner, John Galloway, Drew Adams and Schwartzman are all phenomenal. In Part 2 I explained that there’s another handful of goal-ies, even a�er these guys, with whom you could win a championship. That’s why goalies are so low on my list. But why is Schwartzman the highest among them?

Trust and stability go a long way down the road, but how do you mea-sure that? By GAA? Eh, it’s imper-fect–but for the record, Schwartzman finished first in 2013, second in 2012, first in 2011, fourth in 2010, first in 2009 and second in 2008. By save

20.

Jesse Schwartzman-G–Denver Outlaws

The 2013 Machine had possibly the most one-dimensional, over-crowded o�ense in MLL history. Lifelong attackmen Marcus Holman, Connor Martin, Chazz Woodson and Logan Schuss saw a majority of their time at midfield because, well, there weren’t really any midfielders on the team.

Seemingly overnight, the Machine became as versatile as a Swiss Army knife. Kyle Harrison, Tom Schreiber

18.

Peter Baum–A/M–Ohio Machine19.

MLL Trade Value

shoots 111 miles-per-hour and throws lethal stick checks. Since the emer-gence of Vine, HARTZELL!’s already-in-famous rusty gate check on Ryan Boyle has become even more infa-mous.

HARTZELL! is SANDERS! with a long-pole. His takeaways are emphatic and frequent. This over-the-top strip of Albert Maione is the exact criteria that earns an athlete the all caps privilege:

The all caps privilege is a heavy burden to carry. Shortly a�er SAND-ERS! earned the honors he was involved in a fight at a nightclub, engaged in a shouting match with teammate Gary Neal and got a tattoo of the word “Receive” spelled incor-rectly. Now, he’s just Larry Sanders again. Please don’t do any of those things, KYLE. Embrace the responsibil-ity of the caps lock button.

John Algie: But why don’t you em-power yourself and don’t need them and do it yourself?

SS: HOW JOHN?!

JA: Take a few steps back, and –

SS: You ain’t got the answers, man! You ain’t got the answers!

JA: Steele –

SS: You ain’t got the answers, John! I been doing this more than you!

JA: Doing what more than me?

SS: You ain’t got the answers!

JA: C’mon, chill out, bro!

SS: You ain’t got the answers!

JA: Steele, relax!

SS: You ain’t got the answers!

JA: Bro, relax. I’m asking you a ques-tion.

SS: You ain’t been doing the passing!

JA: Steele, calm down.

SS: You ain’t been doing the passing!

You ain’t played fourteen games with midfielders who can’t shoot!

JA: I know, and you’re absolutely right, but I’ve spent dra� picks and traded for Logan Schuss, Marcus Holman and Joe Cummings.

SS: And that–and that ain’t no Poillon though. That ain’t Poillon level.

JA: It ain’t but let me ask you this–

SS: What’s up with all these attack-men? We don’t know. You don’t have the answers.

JA: I’m askin’ you for the answer, it’s a question. Why is it that you can’t? You don’t have the midfielders to feed, that’s the answer. You ain’t gotta turn up, man.

[Note: I can't confirm that this conver-sation didn't happen sometime this fall.]

and Rob Guida will fill the midfield void. Holman will likely move down to attack with finisher Erik Krum and quarterback Steele Stanwick. The versatility lies with Baum and Schuss. The possibilities for this o�ense are endless because of these two guys.

Both Baum and Schuss spent signifi-cant time inverted this past year. They’ll likely run with either Harrison or Schreiber, who are both tremen-dous pickers. Schreiber’s coach at Princeton, Chris Bates, is a former professional box lacrosse player. Princeton’s o�ense incorporates lots of box elements. Midfield pick-and-rolls, pick-and-pops and slipped picks–you know, the sort of stu� the Denver Outlaws used heavily in their 14-0 season. Look for Baum and Schuss to be ball carriers in wing pick-and-roll situations. They have a nasty right-handed and le�-handed sweeping shot, respectively, making them an excellent complement to either Harrison or Schreiber.

KYLE HARTZELL!–LSM–New York Lizards

Last year Grantland’s Zach Lowe gave Milwaukee Bucks center LARRY SAND-ERS! all caps privilege for his electrify-ing shot-blocking ability. If anybody in MLL is deserving of my keyboard’s caps lock button, it is HARTZELL! He

17.

Steele Stanwick–A–Ohio Machine

Steele Stanwick: I am standing up and I’m telling you, I am Marohl. I am the number one most impactful feeder of our generation. I am Tim Nelson in the flesh. Scott Montgomery. Joe Vasta. Dennis Fink. Now who’s gonna be the Medici family and stand up and let me create more? Or do you wanna mar-ginalize me ‘til I’m out of my moment?

16.

Kyle Harrison–M–Ohio MachineHe is the face of the game. He is

Kobe Bryant. Minus the Shaq fallout. And the rape allegations. And plus some passing. What I’m trying to say is that Harrison can make $30.45 million per year, play less than 10 percent of the games, and nobody will say boo about it. People love him, and rightful-ly so.

15.

MLL Trade Value

Look at the 2000s Indianapolis Colts, the post-Spygate New England Patri-ots, Season One of True Detective and Kanye West’s discography. Each was incredible, but each had a suboptimal ending. Not all of the endings were disastrous [Kanye's was], but they all failed to match the level of greatness to which we had grown accustomed during the first 80 percent.

That’s been the case for Bocklet, Zink and the Outlaws. Luckily, the last 20 percent of their careers is yet to come. Polanco and Spallina have won two titles [and counting] together on the north side of 30-years-old. I really, really hope Bocklet and Zink do the same.

[Important note: Notre Dame athletics are an exception to the Pareto princi-ple. The 80-20 aspect is still involved, but it has nothing to do with postsea-son play. As usual, the Irish play by their own rules. Instead, 80 percent of Notre Dame's ranking is automatically colossally overrated because of stu� like “tradition” and Rudy. And 80 percent might be an underestimate.]

you’d see from him in a game. That is what makes him the best two-point shooter under 29-years-old. [And the second-best two-point shooter under 35-years-old.]

Some people love the two-point line, some people hate it. Regardless of where you stand, here’s a brief ver-sion of a proposal of mine [click here for the full explanation]:

Very few players can shoot two-point-ers. That’s because there isn’t much prime real estate beyond the arc. Once you step inside angles more acute than 45-degrees, you’re prepar-ing yourself for failure. The NBA trims its three-point arc out of necessity; an equidistant arc wouldn’t fit comfort-ably on the court. Lacrosse should trim its arc out of practicality:

Make the arc extend 10- or 12-yards o� the pipe instead of 16-yards. Obvi-ously, shooting from GLE is still not sensible, but a two-point shot from the wing now has legitimacy. I don’t want two-point goals to increase dramatically or to take over the sport; I want them to become higher per-centage shots so that teams lacking All-World shooters like Sieverts, Striebel and Dixon aren’t at a drastic disadvantage.

On the field Harrison does it all. At Hopkins he was a 60 percent faceo� man. This summer he will play defen-sive midfield for Team USA. O� the field he is constantly touring the country and making appearances at lacrosse stores. He is dedicated to connecting with fans and growing the game. Having Harrison in the Midwest is beneficial for the sport. At this point in his career, he might not be as talented as Sam Bradman, but he was the right pick for Ohiowanna margin-alize me ‘til I’m out of my moment?

Matt Bocklet–D–Denver Outlaws

Casual fans might not fully appreciate Bocklet and Zink. They’re domi-nant–but they’re quietly dominant. They don’t have the crushing body checks, cheek-wide triangles and waist length hair of a young Nicky Polanco and Brian Spallina combo. Bocklet and Zink simply get their jobs done. They have been the best defen-sive tandem in Major League Lacrosse for the last five years. There’s just one tiny flaw holding them back: the Outlaws’ lack of postseason success.

Blame it on the Pareto principle. We base 80 percent of our judgment on 20 percent of their work. Inconve-niently for the Outlaws, it is the last 20 percent that we care about most.

14.

Jeremy Sieverts–M–Denver OutlawsAt the 2013 All-Star Game, his shot was clocked at 98

miles-per-hour. He didn’t finish first. In fact, it was significantly slower than Mike Sawyer’s world record 114 miles-per-hour rip. Yet, Sieverts belongs to the upper echelon of two-point shooters along with Matt Striebel and Kyle Dixon. So how does he defy a young, drugged-up Reese Bobby’s logic that “first” and “last” are collectively exhaustive?

Sieverts’ shot in that skill competition was much like his actual shot. Most players have ridiculous crow hops and wind-ups. They take advantage of the infinite time and room to maximize their score. Sieverts just kind of shoots. His 98 miles-per-hour score is genuine; that’s fairly close to what

12.

Ned Crotty–A/M–New York Lizards

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. This Lizards’ Instagram post le� fans with just one word on their mind. Crotty!! CROTTY?!?!? CROTTY!!!!!

13.

Want to see more?

MLL Trade Value

How can a team with no GM in place yet, trade away two mar-quee players in @jwalters1 and @BrodieMerrill_ #loveCPthough #justsayin

Head to www.inlacrossewetrust.com for (#10 – #1) next week. If you have a question or idea for Joe, e-mail him at joekeegan21@gmail.com! Include your first name and hometown. You could be featured in his next mailbag column!

Brett Queener was a bit more blunt. (Note: Launch attackman Kevin Cun-ningham retweeted this short-and-sweet gem from Queener.)

Brodie Merrill–LSM–Boston Cannons

Like the Crotty trade, the Merrill trade produced passionate social media reactions. Instead of fans, it was Mer-rill’s former teammates who tweeted. They were about as happy as you’d expect players to be a�er hearing an all-time great was traded from their team.

11. @Cjamieson88

That trade blows@BrettQueener23

Position: AttackHigh SchoolH.C. WilliamsHigh School Grad Yr:2015GPA: 84.0SAT/ACT: Coming in Spring 2014Height: 5�. 9inWeight: 185

PLAYER WATCH

PEYTON VANBIBBER

PW

What aspects of your game are you working on to improve?I have spent all winter on my o� hand , being able to go both ways is huge. Also, I have been working on shooting on the run and my inside finishing

What makes you unique?I think my ability to finish, produce, and stay on my game under pressure makes me unique. When the game is on the line and goals need to be scored or we need the ball back I am willing to work to get the job done for my team.

What can you o�er a program that others cannot?My hard work and dedication to improving myself and my team is what I can o�er a program. I see guys all the time who have potential but don't want to put in the work to get better I have always had a huge amount of drive to be a better player and help my teammates do the same.

Do you see yourself as a leader? If so, why?Yes, I am definitely a leader. If someone isn't focused or is having a hard time with something I have no problem stepping in to help and encour-age them.

Who would you like to thank that has helped you get to where you are today?I would like to thank my mother for all her support and the time she has put into getting me where I am. My family as a whole for all their help and support. My coaches, Tim Youngs, Matt Randi, Billy Bascum. My teammates and the Akwesasne for allowing me to play with them through the fall.

What are your goals this season?My goals for this season are to win our section and to become a better player and teammate.

How do you feel about winning and losing?Obviously I love to win; to me it is one of the best feelings in the world. However, I feel that losing is important it brings to light your imperfections in your game and a�er a loss, you are more likely to realize what you did wrong and fix it instead of brushing it under the rug. Whether it is in football, lacrosse, or box lacrosse, a win is great but a loss gives you dedication and something to work on.

Scan the ReQRuitme code to watch his highlight reel and learn more about him

K D L T H E M A G a Z I N E MARCH 2014

THE VALUE OF PLAYING MULTIPLE SPORTS -BARRY MARENBERG

s a coach and parent I have heard a great deal recently about

athletes focusing exclusively on one sport year-round rather than diversi-fying and playing multiple (or season-al sports). As a lacrosse coach, I want our boys to have the best training possible so we can be the best team possible. We must all realize, howev-er, that our boys are still just that – boys. In a recent article entitled Over-use Injuries, Overtraining, and Burn-out in Child and Adolescent Athletes from the O�icial Journal of the Ameri-can Academy of Pediatrics, it was noted that:Single-sport, year-round training and competition is becoming more

common for children and adoles-cents. A focus on participating in 1 sport, or single-sport specialization, to improve, advance, and compete at the highest level may drive youth to participate for long hours daily on 1 or more teams at a time.The motivation behind this over involvement may be induced by the young athlete or parent or both. Of course, there are legitimate reasons some kids play only one sport: lack of time, limited budgets, hectic sched-ules, etc. But there is one reason I have a di�icult time accepting as legitimate – coaches and/or parents who force kids to pick one sport. As more young athletes are becoming

Dr. James Andrews, has stated that “playing multiple sports gives our body the opportunity to use certain muscles while others are resting. By forcing kids to pick one sport, the same muscles are used over and over without recovery time.” Young ath-letes who participate in a variety of sports have fewer injuries and play sports longer than those who special-ize before puberty.The American Academy of Pediatrics further found (and it should be common sense to all of us) that “Well-rounded, multisport athletes

professionals at a younger age, there seems to be more pressure to grab a piece of the “professional pie,” “to obtain a college scholarship, or to make the Olympic team.” Most young athletes and their parents fail to real-ize that, depending on the sport, only 0.2% to 0.5% of high school athletes ever make it to the professional level. Yet, youth continue to specialize in one sport while participating on mul-tiple teams and risk overuse and/or burnout if there is no break from athletics during the year. The nation-ally renowned orthopedic surgeon,

[This article was originally posted online on Coach B’s Lax Blog in October 2009 by Barry Marenberg. Barry coached youth boys lacrosse in NJ for many years and is now the Vice President of NJ Riot Lacrosse and the GM of the NJ Riot 2017 team.]

The Value of Playing Multiple Sports

most, but no player or parent should believe that to excel in a particular sport it is necessary to focus on that single sport year round to the detri-ment of other sports. We are all aware of many athletes who have excelled in numerous sports: Jim Thorpe, Jim Brown, Bo Jackson, Deion Sanders, Anthony Gonzalez. Jackie Robinson was one of the great-est athletes of all time, yet many only know him as a baseball player. In college, Jackie starred in football, basketball, track and baseball. It’s a good thing Jackie Robinson wasn’t forced to pick one sport at an early age. Reportedly, baseball was his least favorite sport.Many of our boys play multiple sports throughout the year either simultane-

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, “Multisport athletes are at risk of overuse injuries if they do not get su�icient rest between daily activities or if they do not get a break between seasons.” At this point in our children’s’ lives, the ultimate goal of participation in sports should be to promote lifelong physical activity, recreation, and skills of healthy com-petition that can be used in all facets of future endeavors. To this end, it’s important that we (as coaches and parents) all make sure that at this point in time, the focus of sports participation should be on fun, skill acquisition, safety, and sports-manship. Keep an eye on your boys. If they are stressed, complaining of nonspecific muscle or joint problems, experiencing fatigue, or experiencing poor academic performance, be alert for possible burnout. I know no parent or coach wants who wants a young player to burnout or injure himself as a result of overwork. We do not want to lose our young ath-letes because the sport ceases to be fun. Well-balanced sports participa-tion should be an important part of a child’s social, emotional, and physical well-being. It should also go without saying that consistent with my philos-

ophy as described above; no member of my spring team should feel com-pelled to play on any o�-season lacrosse team in lieu of other sports they wish to play.I am a member of and adherent to the philosophy of The Positive Coaching Alliance. The Positive Coaching Alli-ance advocates a double goal for coaches: to win and, even more importantly, to use sports to teach life lessons through Positive Coaching. If any parent would like to further discuss this issue with me, I invite them to contact me.

have the highest potential to achieve the goal of lifelong fitness and enjoy-ment of physical activity while avoid-ing some of the pitfalls of overuse, overtraining, and burnout provided that they participate in moderation and are in tune with their bodies for signs of overuse or fatigue.” There is no doubt in my mind that the skills our boys attain playing football, bas-ketball, soccer, etc., transfer in large way to the lacrosse field (and vice versa). In fact, as a lacrosse coach, I believe many of players obtain their toughness from football, hockey or wrestling. They also obtain quickness and agility from basketball and soccer. Obviously our boys should be free to choose the sports they enjoy the

K D L T H E M A G a Z I N E MARCH 2014

BARRY MARENBERG

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WHAT SHOULD I BE DOING?

FRESHMENMake sure that you are prepared for the season.This includes being in contact with your high school coach and attending any team

Start thinking of what schools you would like to go to.Are you thinking DI, DII, DIII? What is each of these schools looking for in a player? Do you fit this mold? (Read the blog: What Are College Coaches Looking For? How To Decide DI, DII or DIII?)

Finalize which camps you want to attend this summer and register for them.Camps are the first way to see colleges and meet college coaches. Register for camps that are at school you are interesting in attending when you graduate.

Finalize which camps you want to attend this summer and register for them.This includes being in contact with your high school coach and attending any team

SOPHMOREGet out to some college games.Any school will do but it would be best to see the schools you are interested in attending. You can see the level or play that you will need to rise to before college. Takes notes as you watch the games. Narrow in on a player that is similar to you and see.

Now that you have an idea of which Division you might want to play in college, continue withyour list of your top 20-30 schools.Start going to their websites and getting into con-tact with the coaches. Some schools ask that you fill out an online form while other coaches you may just have to email. (If you need to email, see the post about writing a letter to a college coach where we have outlined the letter for you.)

In the email give them your profile:

• 1-2 pages describing yourself.

• Any personal data that is relevant.

• Academics, grades, GPA and classes you aretaking.

• Athletic information, such as sports you play, andawards earned.

• Any extracurricular activities that you are in.

• Your contact information.

• Keep them up to date with where you will beplaying this spring.

• Let them know what tournaments and leaguesyou are playing in so they can

• By this time your high school lacrosse team’sschedule should be posted.

• Ask the college coaches for their schedule so thatyou can make it out to a come and take a look.

Continue sending out game film.College coaches want to see your best perfor-mance against one of your better opponents.They do not want to see you play the last place team in the state and have 7 goals, but rather they want to see you play one of the best team in the state and have 2 goals and 2 assists.

Post a highlight reel of yourself on Youtube and email the link to coaches if you have not doneso already.It should be a well-rounded highlight of you, showing many aspects of the game, not just your goal scoring ability.

Finalize which camps you want to attend this summer and register for them.This includes being in contact with your high school coach and attending any team

WHAT SHOULD I BE DOING?

K D L T H E M A GAZ I N E MARCH 2014

JUNIORGet out to some college games.Any school will do but it would be best to see the schools you are interested in attending. You can see the level or play that you will need to rise to before college. Takes notes as you watch the games. Narrow in on a player that is similar to you and see.

Prepare for and take the SATs at least once.

By this time you should have heard from several college coaches who are interested in you play-ing on the team in college.• Keep your options open to make sure you get thebest deal from a school.• Keep emailing your top 20-30 schools (make sureyou Blind Carbon Copy them or BCC: because you don’t want to give them more information that could quite possibly hurt you.)• Narrow down your list to the top 10 schools thatyou are interested in, but continue to email all of them, you never know.

In the email give them your profile (See the post about writing a letter to a college coach where we have outlined the letter for you.)•1-2 pages describing yourself.• Any personal data that is relevant.• Academics, grades, GPA and classes you aretaking.• Athletic information, such as sports you play, andawards earned.

• Any extracurricular activities that you are amember of.• Your contact information.• Keep them up to date with where you will beplaying this spring.• Let them know what tournaments and leaguesyou are playing in so they can come and take a look.• By this time your high school lacrosse team’sschedule should be posted. • Ask the college coaches for their schedule so thatyou can make it out to agame. This is a great way to see if this is a team youncould see yourself playing on. Do you fit into their style of play?

Continue sending out game film.College coaches want to see your best perfor-mance against one of your better opponents.They do not want to see you play the last place team in the state and have 7 goals, but rather they want to see you play one of the best team in the state and have 2 goals and 2 assists.

Post a highlight reel of yourself on Youtube and email the link to coaches if you have not done so already. It should be a well-rounded highlight of you, show-ing many aspects of the game, not just your goal scoring ability. It should be a well-rounded high-light of you, showing many aspects of the game, not just your goal scoring ability.

Finalize which camps you want to attend this summer and register for them. Camps are the first way to see colleges and meet college coaches. Register for camps that are at school you are interesting in attending when you graduate.

SENIOR Do not let your grades slip. This is very import-ant because schools will be looking at how youfinish out, slipping grades reflect slackers and who wants a slacker on their team?

Make sure that you play well through the spring, college coaches will make random trips out tosee how you are doing.This is important because colleges always have more scholarship money than they giveout and playing well could lead to some more money when you ask for it.

Get out to some games at the college that you are going to attend, see their style of play and start the learning process now.

Stay in contact with college coaches.

K D L T H E M A G a Z I N E MARCH 2014

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