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The Direction You Choose

Posted on December 26, 2017 by Corey Winkoff

The recruiting process can be your own personal journey or someone else’s.

The process can be fun or frantic.

The process can a learning experience or futile.

The process can clear or confusing.

The process can be lead to the best four years or many tears.

The process can get you one step closer to a successful career or lead you astray from your hopes and dreams.

The process can lead to open doors or knock you down to the floor.

The process can keep a stick in your hand or force you to put it down.

Good grades, hard work, persistence, communication, accountability, respect, and hard work (said that twice on purpose), will give you the right to choose how you want to spend the process.

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FLG Recruiting Night

Posted on December 22, 2017 by Corey Winkoff

FLG Families,

First and foremost, I would like to thank everyone who attended our 2017 FLG Recruiting Night. What a wonderful occasion! The night consisted of laughs, cheers, applause, Panera Bread, drinks, and some valuable insight on the lacrosse recruiting process. It was so rewarding to witness transparency, authenticity, and maturity amongst our male and female alums. They did an unbelievable job vocalizing their path to finding the right fit at the next level.

All our Alumni had a different path. Some roads windier than others. At the end of the day, these journey’s were shared in a way that has better educated our current FLG studletes and families. To learn from other peoples stories is invaluable advice that should be used in a positive way. We want every boy and girl in our program to find the right fit at the collegiate level, have the best four years ahead of them and set themselves up for a career beyond the lacrosse field.

Special thanks to our alumni panel (listed below) and to all the families who attended. For those of you who couldn’t make it last night, below are some questions that were answered by our Alumni panel. We look forward to meeting with our are 19’s & 20’s towards the end of this year and next. Happy Holidays, be safe, and always remember: we love this game, love what we do, and love getting a chance to meet so amazing people through our FLG Program.

Best,

The FLG Family

FLG Alumni Panel & Questions Asked

Tom Whelan – Wesleyan University

*Tommy tore his ACL going into his Junior year of High School

-What advice would you give to athletes who experience a major injury during the recruiting process?

-How does your experience at a NESCAC school differ from other DIII programs?

Chandler Kirby – Cornell University

-What is biggest challenge you see freshmen facing as they adjust to college both academically and athletically?

-Do you think you were proactive enough during the recruiting process? If not, why not? If so, what did you do?

Christian Kuhn – Air Force

-What factors made a service academy appealing to you?

-What are the positives and negatives of being so far from home?

Eric Gennari – Union College

*Eric went from Providence to Nassau Community College to Union College

-Can you describe your journey through transferring schools?

-What is one piece of advice you would give young studletes going through the recruiting process?

Tyler Warner- Yale University

-Can you describe the commitment level during the fall and spring seasons?

*Tyler is a pre-med student at Yale who has been a 4-year starter in one of the best lacrosse programs in the country

-In what ways has the college lacrosse experience exceeded your expectations? What are some of the hidden obstacles you didn’t expect going in?

Jared Warner- University of Pennsylvania

*Jared committed in his senior year of High School and stopped playing his sophomore year of college.

-When did you commit to UPenn, talk about your recruiting process?

-What made you want to go back to playing lacrosse after taking some time off?

Giana Kapoosuzian – Bryant University

-When did the recruiting process begin for you?

-What events or showcases did you feel gave you the best exposure?

Kristen Decicco – Le Moyne College

-What made Lemoyne the right decision for you?

-Can you describe how your experience at Lemoyne compares with that of a DI or DIII student-athlete?

Paige Lewis/Megan Keener – Adelphi University

-What are some of the positives and negatives of attending school close to home?

–If there was one thing you could change about your college experience, what would it be?

Emily Sandford – Manhattan College

–What are some of the advantages of being so close to a major city?

–If you could give young studletes one piece of advice, what would it be?

Rory Sadoff – UMass-Amherst

*Rory coaches in the FLG Program

–What made you decide you wanted to stop playing your last season at UMass?

-Did you second guess yourself or have any regrets about your decision?

Diana Schmitt – Meryhurst University

*Diana coaches in the FLG Program

-Diana, recruited by one coach, freshmen year another, new coach late summer going into sophomore year, what was it like as a student athlete going through so many changes?

Sam DiSalvo – Stony Brook University

*Sam coaches in the FLG Program. Sam is a senior captain for one of the best lacrosse programs in the country.

-What have you found to be the positives and negatives in regards to being coached by a male?

-What advice would you give prospective student-athletes about to go on their unofficial/official visits?

For each member of the panel:

If you had one piece of advice for a studlete going through the recruiting process today, what would it by?

FLG Staff who helped make last night happen:

Facilitator: Corey Winkoff

Contributors: Robyn Pastuch, Eric Dunne, Bob Schmitt, Devin Votta, Rory Sadoff

President & CEO: Mike Winkoff

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FLG Box Training Session II RECAP

Posted on December 19, 2017 by Corey Winkoff

FLG Box Lax Participants & Parents,

Week 2 of our Box Lacrosse Training program was all about development. We spent most of each session focusing on the fundmantels of playing the box game. Some of these fundamentals included: scoring in tight, picking away from the ball, getting an advantage in a 1v1 scenario in tight, competing for ground balls in tight spaces, as well as picking and slipping the dodger.

We decided to push back our league play one more session so we could focus on teaching our players the basics of playing within the rinks. Over the holiday break, FLG Lacrosse will be hosting a draft at the FLG HQ (345 Main Street, Huntington’s Village) and will be posting it to our Instagram page. The top players will be drafted and the remaining athletes will be evenly broken up into teams for the remainder of box training. In the meantime, read into what we taught this past weekend at Box Lacrosse.

Hungry Hippos – A competitive ground ball game that focuses on scooping ground balls with urgency in tight spaces. As the balls dwindle down, players have to contest ground balls against opposing players to earn more food for their hippo.

Canadian 1v1s – Defender should start making contact and shade half a step towards the middle, offensive player starts in a ready position with their stick to the inside using body to protect, dodger can not switch hands when attacking the goal, dodger can attack goal to the high side or underneath, dodger must get shot off before crossing the Rhino line (imaginary line cutting the floor in half)

2v1 Pass-down Pick-downs – Top right passes down, immediately picks down, soon to be dodger drags her girl toward GLE and the cage, picker sets FEET with 75% weight on inside leg 25% outside leg, dodger tries to run defender into pick, attack the cage for a hard shot to the far pipe.

3v2 Pass-down Pick-aways – Offense sets up in a triangle, defense sets up covering the top players closest to the crease. Point of the triangle passes down to a side and must pick away from that side. Feeder needs to read who is open off-ball. Play to a shot and then players switch positions.

Salisbury Box Shooting – Players move in figure 8 motion switching hands while working on finishing in tight. Athletes can score using a quick stick, hitch & go, step down, shovel shot, BTB, or around the world.

3v3 Decision Maker – Playing 3v3 in a small area field, players must score using different rules. Rules include scoring with your stick to the inside, scoring using an off-ball or on-ball pick, and scoring using a shallow cut. These rules teach players to incorporate specific skills and techniques while competing in a game like setting.

We are really excited to move into Session III after the New Year. Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Facebook to see our draft and see videos of the drills we’ve been doing in the box rinks. We hope everyone has a nice Holiday break and Happy New Year!

Best!

FLG Team

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Sleep

Posted on December 15, 2017 by Corey Winkoff

Sleep is big.

Especially for those who want to grow big.

It recharges your batteries.

Gives you a deeper appreciation for Saturday’s.

Sleep restores.

Can take away the sore.

Give you the energy to do one more.

After knock-downs, helps you get off the floor.

Sleep is underrated.

It should be stated.

It’s for the educated.

Dont lose Sleep, gain it.

Embrace it.

Make time for it.

Sleep.

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Scoring Academy Session II RECAP

Posted on December 14, 2017 by Corey Winkoff

FLG Scoring Academy Participants,

Last night was another great session at our Scoring Academy in Northsport. We started the session with a quick recap of proper fundamentals for shooting on the run. We emphasized the big four: arms out and up, head of your stick above your head, establish pivot foot and kick the can foot, as well as knowing when to release the ball. We then had everyone establish some real estate next to the padded walls surrounding the facility. We started our warm-up on our knees so players eliminating any lower body movement. Instead, players simulated a shot using only their upper body. This is a great way for players to warm-up there back muscles and work towards perfecting the fundamentals for how to shoot on the run. We then had players do the same thing on 1 knee. Finally, our players were simulating a shot on the run on both feet. The warm-up went really well as players started to get more comfortable shooting with both hands. Perfecting the fundamentals makes shooting on an actual cage more fluid and effortless. Check out the video from our warm-up on our instagram page here.

The second half of our night consisted of different shot types. These shot types included:

Shooting coming upfield (away from the goal)
Shooting downhill (towards the goal)
Getting into your defender, stepping off, and re-attacking downhill
Getting underneath your defender from the low wing for a shot in front of the goal
Dodging downhill, rolling back to the middle, switching hands, and getting off a quick shot on goal
Hitch and goes. Catching coming up field, throwing a little pump fake or hitch, and re-attacking upfield

While we worked on several different types of shots last night, they all had one thing in common: Each shot finished “on the run.”

It’s a beautiful thing to see our player’s last night apply what they learned early in the session into the latter part of the session. There were 2 players in particular that stood out last night and were awarded String King Practice Player of the Day. Their names are listed below:

Girls: Kerrin Heuser, 2019, Hicksville High School, Stony Brook University Commit

“Kerrin is someone for the girls at Scoring Academy to look up to. Kerrin leads by example. She is proof that hard work and paying attention to the details will provide opportunities to play at the highest of levels.” -Coach Bob Schmitt

Boys: Jude Anton, 2021, Northport High School

“Jude is a detail guy. He focuses on how to do things right. Jude is becoming one of the most consistent shooters at the Scoring Academy.” -Coach Corey Winkoff

See everyone next week!

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Cheers!

Posted on December 13, 2017 by Rory Sadoff

You know FLG is getting their ☕️ intake in for a productive Tuesday here @ FLG HQ!

Did you guys know how effective caffeine can be!?!

🧠Coffee is known as a “stimulant” – which increases norepinephrine and dopamine in the brain. SAY WHAT?
🧠Coffee basically increases firing neurons in your brain, which in turn increases energy levels, mood, and brain function!
🏃🏽‍♀️🏃🏽‍♂️Coffee increases adrenaline, and studies show can increase physical performance 11-12% on average! FUEL UP
❌Coffee is rich in antioxidants- what are those???? Antioxidants disarm free radicals in our body.. which we are exposed too everyday from pollution, radiation and smoke- they are EXTREMELY harmful to our DNA and protein
🍽Coffee is rich in vitamins/minerals your body needs- such as
1. RIBOFLAVIN(breaks down nutrients from diet)
2. B5(helps to maintain the health of your digestive tract)
3. MAGNESIUM(contributes to production of energy within your cells)
4. POTASSIUM(crucial to heart function & muscle contraction)

CHEERS!😍✔️☕️

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The Calendar

Posted on December 13, 2017 by Corey Winkoff

For any studlete going thru “The Process” it’s important to follow some sort of timeline. We call this timeline “The Calendar.” Our recruiting calendar offers some basic insight on when players should email college coaches, visit schools, or focus on their school team vs. club team. Publicizing a timeline and following it proves to be an effective way to organize “The Process.”

Take a peek at FLG’s Recruiting Calendar by clicking here.

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The Process

Posted on December 11, 2017 by Corey Winkoff

When it comes to getting recruited, every player is different. One studlete wants to fly commercial airplanes one day, another wants to become a college coach. One studlete wants to be High School Social Studies teacher, another wants to be an entrepreneur. One wants a “DI Experience”, another wants to have the luxury of travelling abroad in the Fall.

While no two studletes are the same, they should still follow an intelligent route towards finding the perfect fit. At FLG, we call this path “The Process.” The Process offers our boys and girls a simple guide towards accomplishing the simple goal of finding the right fit after High School.

It’s important to note, the Process does NOT:

Guarantee.

Promise.

Compare.

However, The Process does:

Offer clarity.

Teach accountability.

Stimulate maturity.

Check FLG’s Process by clicking here.

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FLG Scoring Academy – Session I RECAP

Posted on December 7, 2017 by Corey Winkoff

FLG Scoring Academy Participants,

Thank you for joining us at Session 1 of FLG’s Winter Scoring Academy. For the families who couldn’t make-it, this recap will tell you exactly what we focused on last night.

In lacrosse, over 80 to 90% of the shots taken are on the run. Meaning, you are releasing the ball from your stick towards the goal while you are moving your feet. That being said, we feel it’s very important to work on this part of the game.

Before we did any shooting on goal last night, we worked on the fundamentals of shooting on the run around the out-skirts of the indoor facility. We discussed 4 BIG things that must be done in order to correctly shoot on the run:

Get the head of your stick above your helmet or head. This allows you to get more control on your shot, get more speed behind your shot, and hide the ball from the goalie.
Arms out and up! Keeping your hands close to your body might help you control your shot in the short-run, but will significantly diminish your speed and accuracy in the long run. Remember! Extend your arms and get those hands up towards the sky.
Now, we start thinking about the lower half of our body. Establish a “Pivot Foot” and “Kick the Kan” foot. Your inside leg should be established as your pivot foot, remaining on the ground, and your outside leg should be established as your kick the kan foot. The outside leg should swing around, coming off the ground, and allowing your hips to square up on cage. Your momentum to bring your body into a 180 degree turn, eventually finishing your shot with a back peddle.
Lastly, the release. We teach our shooters to release the ball as soon as their kick the kan foot (outside foot) hits the turf. Reason being, once our foot hits the turf, we know that our hips are now on cage, a crucial step for getting an accurate shot on net.

We spent a solid 30 minutes focusing on the fundamentals for how to shoot on the run. Instead of warming up on a cage, we warmed up on the netting around the indoor complex. We do this so players don’t focus on where the ball goes. They should be focusing on everything else. Hand positioning, where their eyes should be, foot work, body language, release point, etc. Being able to synchronize all of these ideas takes time to master and lots of repetitions.

Once our players started shooting on net, they looked great. Our athletes did a really nice job applying the fundamentals of how to shoot on the run. It allowed for more accurate and consistent shots on goal.

Moving forward, we plan on focusing on the fundamentals at the beginning of each session, and incorporating more advanced shooting drills towards the middle and end of each session. We want to get lots of reps. But, more importantly, we want to get lots of QUALITY REPS. Consistency is the goal of the scoring academy. We want to answer the very important question of “How can we become more efficient, consistent, and effective goal scorers?” To help find answers to that question and for video footage on how your son or daughter is progressing, be sure to follow us on Instagram & Facebook.

#LoveTheGame

Sincerely,

Coach Corey & Coach Bob

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Box Lacrosse Training Week 1 RECAP

Posted on December 5, 2017 by Corey Winkoff

FLG Box Lax Participants & Parents,

It was a wonderful week 1 of FLG’s 5th annual Winter Box Lacrosse Training Program. It was a site to see so many great young lacrosse players inside the rinks this past Saturday at the MultiSportime in Bethpage, NY.

FLG’s methodology leads both boys and girls indoors to the box rinks during the winter to focus on unique skills, concepts, and techniques. I love when athletes in our training programs acquire new skills and apply them in a competitive setting. Being that our training programs aren’t all about competition, athletes feel more comfortable trying new things with the fear of failure.

Each week, athletes will experience station work and game play. Station work is a great opportunity to get multiple repetitions, learn new skills, and start to think about the game in a different way. Game play offers an opportunity to incorporate the skills learned in station work. Some of the stations taught this past Saturday included:

Spotlight 1v1s – In this drill, offensive players are restricted in that they can’t switch hands when trying to beat their defender. This forces players to keep their stick to the inside. Players are forced to protect their stick by moving their body, taking 1 hand off the stick, and/or boxing out their defender to establish good position. Offensive players were forced to think about how to set-up their defender to take the best possible angle towards the goal. Defensively, players were taught to keep their stick in that up field hand. This allowed players to match stick-on-stick and learn the importance of taking away the middle of the field.

1v1 Box GBs – Players competed in a 1v1 GB game by the corner boards. Learning how to use the boards to your advantage, recognizing the angle in which the ball is coming at or away from you, and learning to box out earned players a better chance at winning the ground balls. Contested ground balls translate to the field game as well, which is why this is a great drill to work on for everyone.

2v2 Pass-down Shallow-cut Shooting – In box lacrosse, we are teaching players to attack from the back corners of the rink to maximize space when dodging, give oneself an opportunity to attack the middle of the floor, and have the option to throw back to a teammate. This drills teaches players to attack the middle of the floor, as well as give a pump fake back to a teammate. Shallow cuts are an effective way for off-ball players to get underneath the dodger and create space for your teammate.

Circle Passing – A great drill that players can do at home, between games, or at box! This drill teaches players the importance of communication, concentration, catching the ball behind the ear, getting the ball in and out of your stick quickly from your ear, and staying light on your feet. Circle passing requires players to call the name of the person they are throwing to before they throw it. Giving your teammate a heads up is crucial as the coaches work 2, 3, sometimes 4 balls into the circle at once! As soon as players get the swing of this game, we tell everyone their favorite command, “time to put the stick in your weak hand!”

2v1 Pass-down Pick-downs – The boys learned how and when to use a pick in the box rinks. The pick-down or down-pick is an effective movement to free up your teammate who is dodging from the low corners. The picker learned the importance of cutting the floor, being stationary on the pick, opening the door when your teammate who is dodging brushes shoulders and keeping your stick at your ear and to the inside. You never know when you might receive that pass! Dodgers learned to drag their defender, square up to the middle, attack the pickers top shoulder, and dodge with the head up.

The goal of FLG’s Box Training program is for players to use the concepts from Station Work and apply them to the scrimmages. I saw some incredible lacrosse on Saturday. The natural talent and athleticism was one thing, but the coach-ability and willingness to learn new concepts were another. It was a pleasure to see players applying what they just learned within a competitive setting.

I’m so excited to resume our program at Session II on the 16th of December. REMINDER! We are OFF next Saturday. In the meantime, FLG Trainers will be drafting up teams for players to compete towards the 5th annual Box Lacrosse Training Championship.

Lastly, be sure to follow FLG Lacrosse on Facebook & Instagram to see our athletes in action in the box rinks.

Have a great week!

Corey Winkoff

Program Director, FLG Lacrosse

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