Coaches, preparing your team for a showcase

In the world of lacrosse, there are now two big seasons for high school studletes to get recruited in person, in the fall and in the summer. The weekend before Thanksgiving is typically the last big weekend to get recruited in the fall. As a club director and coach, there are several important to do’s that should go into preparing your player’s for a team recruiting showcase.

1. Organization – make sure the player’s attending the recruiting showcases get a couple of practices with the coaches that will be working with them at the recruiting events. This allows players to familiarize themselves with the coaches and their style. Most importantly, it’s an opportunity for coaches institute or reinforce team concepts that will help player’s shine on the field. At the fall FLG High School Team practices, we focus on fundamentals, clearing and riding game, transition, and having fun.
2. Confidence – coaches need to understand that their NOT going to convert specific player’s into all-americans over the course of a fall recruiting tournament. Therefore, if a player makes a mistake because he/she isn’t capable, try not to bring that player’s confidence level down. Instead, pick it up. If you have a team of player’s who are confident and having fun, they will always showcase better than a team that’s timid and afraid to make mistakes. At FLG, we try not to point out player’s flaws while they are on the field. Instead, we wait until they get to the sideline and quietly discuss what they could have done differently or wha they need to improve upon.
3. Rosters – double check that the players on your team are wearing the correct numbered jersey. Meaning, if a you have a lefty attacker with the number 2 and the roster the coaches get shows his/her number as 10, that’s a problem! Make sure to communicate which number player’s should wear before the tournament and confirm it at the tournament. Before the start of the first game, we always go through the roster in the college coaches book with our teams.
4. Lines – going into game-day, coaches should have his lines written down or printed out on paper. Being organized before the tournament, allows the transition and substation game during play to go smoother. Also, it’s important for player’s with chemistry to run together during games. It allows the team and those individuals to showcase better. If we have a midfield group that has played together for two years, then we’ll keep those players together. Or, if we have two attack men that do a great job working the two-man game, we’ll allow those players to run together.
5. Early Arrival – get your team to the fields at least 1 hour before the start of their first game. Even though most high school aged player’s have been going these tournaments for year and years, it doesn’t mean they should get to a game 10 mixtures before the start now. Get your player’s in the right mind-set, right away. Get a good stretch, Talk x’s and o’s. Talk strategy. Get ready. Be ready.