This Spring, FLG Lacrosse will be launching the Long Island Lacrosse Journal. The LI Lax Journal will include pre-season rankings, coach and player interviews, team previews, games of the week, players to watch, key losses, video highlights, opinions, and much more.
Stay tuned for the March 1st release of pre-season team rankings for the top 16 teams in Nassau & Suffolk County Boys teams!
Be sure to follow FLG Lacrosse on Instagram & Twitter @flglax for more information on FLG’s #LILaxJournal
In our program, we don’t promote the committed players from our program until they sign their National Letter of Intent or get into the school they are verbally committed to. As players in High School begin to ‘commit’, it’s important for FLG to educate our players on the true meaning of ‘commitment.’ In the eyes of FLG Lacrosse, one might ask, “What is the true meaning of commitment?”
Developing each year in High School as a student and athlete is commitment.
Staying with the community you were raised and developed in is commitment.
Giving back to your community, club, or the game itself is commitment.
Learning about your future home and supporting your future school is commitment.
Fighting to make your teammates better each and every day is commitment.
Verbally telling a coach, “I want to go to your school” is the beginning of a road towards fining the true meaning of committing. It’s a means to the end. It’s not everything.
Below we’ve listed the 2017 studletes who are signed, sealed, and committed to taking their talents to the next level. These studletes know the true meaning of commitment. They’ve worked tirelessly to get an amazing opportunity to play collegiate lacrosse. Congrats to all the great young men and women in the FLG 2017 class who are moving on to play college lacrosse!
Girls
Boys
Be sure to follow FLG Lacrosse on instagram @flglax to see action shots, high schools, and positions for all our 2017 committed studletes! #LoveTheGame
Teacher Ashanti Branch created an after school program which was started because he noticed a trend of smart middle school boys failing his math class. The boys responded as most do in this particular school in a very rough part of Oakland, “You don’t get any respect walking around with a big heavy backpack, that’s not cool.” In an effort to get these young men to become more successful students, learn to express their emotions, and figure out healthier ways to “be cool,” Mr. Branch performed the following exercise:
Mr. Branch: “I want you to take one of these masks [a piece of paper with the outline of a mask on 1 side, and blank space on the other] and on this mask you’re gonna draw what represents you. On the front of that mask draw what you put up every day when you walk into school that you want other people to see. Then, on the back of that mask, I want you to write what’s inside you that you don’t want others to see. Like, what’s behind the mask? Now, I want you to take your mask and ball it up. Throw that ball across the room at one of your classmates. Pick-up the piece of paper that was thrown at you, and let’s have someone read what’s on that paper.”
As the 10 boys sitting in the circle start reading what’s on the front of their classmates masks there is a common theme:
Funny
Caring
Happy
Smile
Friendly
Fun
Mr. Branch: “Now, I want you guys to start reading what’s written on the back of the mask that’s in your hands.”
Again, a common theme emerged. This time, very different types of emotions.
Sadness
Fear
Anger
Pain
Scared
Mr. Branch: “Why do you think we hold back our pain?”
One of the student responds, “Because you gotta keep your poker face on, you can’t let people know what you got.”
Mr. Branch responds: “How hard is that to walk around every day with that poker face on? This isn’t just an activity on paper, this is about real stuff that we are dealing with as young men that we hide behind because we don’t feel safe. Almost 90% of you have pain and anger on the back of that paper, that’s not a coincidence. That is real. We are only 8 here, there are hundreds out there with same experience but they don’t have any one to talk to. They are holding back, because they don’t have someone asking what’s up with you? How can I support you? I want each of you to be able to say what you need to say. Because if we are ever going to dig down to the deepness of our pain, young men, if are ever going to dig down to the anger that we are holding behind so we don’t just end up like another man in jail because we exploded on the wrong person for the wrong thing. We have got to have a safe place to deal with it. That’s brotherhood.”
You can learn more about how Mr. Ashanti Branch and many others are impacting the lives of young men for the better by watching the documentary The Mask You Live In on Netflix.
Garden City-Manhasset in lacrosse, Duke-UNC in basketball, Yankees-Red Sox in baseball. These are all classic examples of rivalries in sports.
One of the best aspects of playing sports at the High School, College or Professional levels…rivalry games. These games give players an emotional high. It gives teams bragging rights for months or year to come. It gives sports organizations a prominent place in history.
It’s interesting to think where rivalries come from, how they form, and how they stick.
As rivalries form for different reasons, the fans always play a huge role in keeping them alive. From synchronized chants to orchestrated hand movements, fans look to distract the opponent and influence the game for the betterment of their team.
Tonight, tune into ESPN tonight and watch the end of one the greatest living rivalries in sports.
Back in 2012, when I first started working at FLG Lacrosse, I struggled.
For the first time, I assumed a role where my weaknesses vastly outweighed my strengths. Getting on the telephone to talk to consumers, dealing with collections, organizing teams so they can have a successful year; all was new to me and all I was not very good at. Overall, I wasn’t very confident my own abilities to do my job right.
As a player, I was usually very confident. But, not always. There were moments when I’d get exposed on the field. Exposed after going up against someone better, bigger, stronger, or more experienced. Exposed by my college coaches when I’d try the same things that worked for me in High School. Exposed when I thought my IQ for the game could never be surpassed by someone younger than me.
Each time my weaknesses were exposed, my confidence was tested, and my pride challenged. These moments got me thinking, “where does confidence come from?”
After pondering this question for years and working at FLG for nearly 12 months (2012 to 2013), I created what I called The FLG Confidence Model. This model creates a full circle that takes you through the when, why, what, and where confidence comes from. It’s something that I’ve used personally to grow as an employee at FLG, as a man at home, and as a coach for those on my team.
In the model, you will see how preparation, practice, repetition, and improvement prove to be the cornerstones for developing a sense of confidence. The beauty of this model, it works on and off the field. Which is exactly our goal at FLG – building more than just athletes.
Check out our confidence model below and feel free to let us know what you think!
Featuring over 80 teams from across the United States and several from Canada, the FLG in 3D Fall Shootout was held in Middletown, Delaware at Appoquinimink High School. Played in front of coaches from the top DI, DII, and DIII schools, the two-day long event was one of the most highly anticipated recruiting events of the fall. In the fourth year of its partnership, FLG in 3d was started as a way to give lacrosse teams of any experience level and players of any talent level, the chance to compete in front of college recruiters that might not be exposed to in their hometowns. Along with STX, the official partner of 3d Lacrosse, Lax.com was on hand for the entire tournament. Check out Part Two of our highlights from the action featuring teams like Edge Canada, Predators 2019, 3D Georgia 2019, Philly Freedom 2018, and much more!
Shout out to Lax.com for putting together this awesome promo on the event, enjoy!
Each year, FLG Lacrosse annually recognizes one outstanding boy and girl student athlete who demonstrates leadership, excels academically, and participates in their community.
The Male & Female Studlete Award Winners, receives a $500 award from FLG Lacrosse. In our third year, we had the most nominations yet! With over 50 male & female studletes nominated, FLG has chosen our 2 winners.
We would like to congratulate the following studletes on winning the 2017 Studlete Award!
Male Studlete Award Winner
Tommy Whelan
2017
Defenseman, Manhasset High School
Female Studlete Award Winner
Cassidy Sollazzo
2017
Attacker, Bay Shore High School
Tommy will be attending Weseleyan University in the Fall, and Cassidy has applied to USC, UCLA, Tulane, Northwestern, & Vanderbilt. Both Studletes are exemplary candidates for the FLG Studlete Award because they showcase excellence in the classroom, in their communities, and on the field.
Tommy told us that he lives by Jay-Z’s words by “hoping for the best, but expecting the worst.” This mantra has made him the Studlete he is today. In the Spring of Tommy’s junior year, a pivotal time to be recruited, he tore his ACL. After missing the entire Spring High School and Summer Club seasons, Tommy was positive and motivated to get back on the field. At the same time, Tommy put his head in the books, maintaining over a 4.0 weighted GPA! Tommy’s persistence in the classroom set him up to get recruited by and accepted to Wesleyan University. Tommy said, “I am grateful for the opportunity to attend one of the top schools in the country.”
Cassidy’s ability to balance her extracurriculars and her school work throughout her High School career is outstanding. Throughout High School, Cassidy was able to be part of two varsity sports since her freshman year, participate in various music organizations, be involved in other clubs and service activities in her community, hold a job, and keep at 99.8 average. Cassidy says “many of these activities allow me to work with peers. I have been a captain of the field hockey team for 2 years, I am the news editor of the school newspaper, and I am first chair flute. These leadership roles have increased my ability to bring a group of people together to work towards a common goal.” Whether it’s holding people accountable for a deadline for the school paper or bringing a positive attitude to practice after a big loss, Cassidy’s leadership qualities are apparent.
As we mentioned earlier, over 50 young men and women were nominated for this year’s Studlete Award. The choice to select this year’s winners was not easy. With that said, FLG Lacrosse would like to recognize our 2nd and 3rd place candidates for this year’s award.
Male Studlete Award 2nd & 3rd Place Candidates
2nd Place – Kyle Higgins, 2017, Shoreham Wading River, New York
3rd Place – Malik Gay, 2018, Roswell, Georgia
Female Studlete Award 2nd & 3rd Place Candidates
2nd Place – Charlotte Spencer, 2017, Celebration, Florida
3rd Place – Erica Santamaria, 2018, Corning, New York
In order to be considered for this prestigious award the applicants must:
• Demonstrate leadership and service to others
• Be a Junior or Senior in High School
• Maintain at least a 3.0 GPA at the time of application
• Have been a member for at least one High School Varsity Sport
• Have participation in Extra Curricular activities: (ie) Involved in music, theatre, writing, work outside of school, charities, other projects and running clinics
• Demonstrate the ability to get along with others, modesty and sportsmanship
• Have community service involvement
See past winners of FLG’s Studlete Award by visiting our Studlete Award Webpage here!
FLG Roots offers a solid grounding in lacrosse techniques, rules, and creativity. The FLG Roots Foundation training is for players just picking up a stick for the first time or for youth looking to enhance their skills in the sport they love.
At FLG Roots we teach the proper mechanics for how to catch, throw, and cradle. Using soft, pink handle balls, players have no fear and learn to catch the ball with soft hands next to their ear. After player’s graduate from our Roots Program, they move onto Box Lacrosse!
Learn more by visiting our FLG Roots web page.
