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Tis’ The Season

Posted on November 16, 2016 by Corey Winkoff

It was the Tuesday before a big recruiting showcase and one of our teams was short players. Injuries. High School Playoffs. Weddings. This was not looking good.

As a Club Director, I’m sure you are familiar with this position. Pete Sessa of 3d lacrosse puts the Fall Recruiting Season in a nutshell perfectly, saying,

“Tis’ the season.”

While the Fall is a big recruiting season, it is still High School football, soccer, and the beginning of basketball season as well. Athletes are consumed with their varsity seasons, leaving large gaps in the rosters of club lacrosse teams. For us, we didn’t know how to combat this issue. We were stuck.

After speaking with one of my buddies who runs a club program, he mentioned the idea of bringing in Guest Players. At first, the idea of bringing in guest player’s seemed unlikely and unattractive.  Bringing in someone who doesn’t know our systems, philosophies, or players seems difficult. How will they fit in right away? How can we trust they will play the right way?

After fighting this urge to stay away from guest play, this Fall, I finally gave in. Our program was in need for quality player’s, so we did our research, discovered quality player’s in need of a team, and asked those player’s to guest play. How did we do this research?

  1. Connected with Club Directors we have relationships with and let them know exactly what we were looking for.
  2. Used video to study player’s habits, style of play, and on-field characteristics.
  3. Leaned on parents in our currently program to discover quality player’s from different clubs / teams.

On the surface guest players seem like generic bodies that fill the side-lines to make teams look fuller, and more established. Deep down, guest players can prove to be the glue for teams who are missing their best athletes or player’s in crucial positions. Below are some ways in which Guest Players have helped the FLG Program this Fall:

  1. Guest player’s can heighten the competitiveness of your team. Missing a FOGO? Bringing in a player that can win a lot of face-offs can give your team more possessions and showcase your offensive players more frequently.
  2. Guest player’s can forge new relationships. This year, we brought in 2 players from Maryland to play with our 2018 team. Those player’s have built quality relationships with the guys in our program. They have built chemistry on the field, enhancing the competitiveness and commradery that team.
  3. Bringing in guest player’s who play the game the right way can push members of your existing program. Bringing in an attackman who rides really hard, plays unselfish, and makes those around them better will create a shining example of what player’s in your program should do. This can get more player’s to buy into your style of play, making your team more cohesive as a unit.
  4. Attract coaches. A guest player that has klout or is highly sought after might bring more college coaches to the side-lines of your games. This give players on your current roster an opportunity to play in front of more coaches.

The guest player is now a valuable tool in our program. How do you combat obstacles in the Fall? What tools do you use to give players and families in your program a great experience?

 
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Good Enough.

Posted on November 14, 2016 by Corey Winkoff
 
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3rd Annual FLG in 3d Fall Shootout

Posted on November 11, 2016 by Corey Winkoff

Two of the country’s premier lacrosse clubs, 3d lacrosse (CO) and FLG lacrosse (LI), have joined forces to present the 3rd Annual FLG in 3D Fall Shootout in Middletown, DE. The FLG and 3D Fall Shootout will have the country’s top club teams competing in front of hundreds of college coaches. Follow the action on 3drising.com

 
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FLG Partners with WOLA Co.

Posted on November 10, 2016 by FLG Lacrosse Staff

FLG is constantly striving to provide our players with the best opportunities in all facets of the game. That is why we are excited to announce our partnership with WOLACO to provide you guys with custom FLG gear at prices up to 20% off by using the below link.

 WOLACO, short for Way of Life Athletic Company, was founded by Terry White, a four year starter and senior captain of Harvard University, shortly after he graduated in 2012. The revolutionary North Moore Short was created so lacrosse players such as Kyle Harrison, Adam Ghitelman, and you guys at FLG Lacrosse could have a place to put your phone, keys, and anything else in your pockets in a convenient slot in the North Moore spandex so it does not jingle around when working out and shooting. WOLACO has become popular enough to partner with professional MLL players, such as the guys below:

WOLACO Apparel Web Store

 Order before November 15th to get for the Holidays!

Sincerely,

Stephen Jahelka

Coordinator of Strategic Partnerships, FLG Lacrosse

 
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A Tale of Two Lacrosse Clubs

Posted on November 9, 2016 by Bob Schmitt

I spent this past weekend at Diamond Nation in Flemington, NJ, coaching two different FLG Girls Teams at The Opener, a tournament run by the T3 Lacrosse Club.  I have been coaching at T3 events at Diamond Nation for at least five years now, and am never disappointed.  The venue is not too far from Long Island, you are never too far from your next game, the fields are all turf, even the food is great.  But the best thing about these events, is the competition.  It gets better every time I go there.  More and more quality players on more and more quality teams.

While I was very busy coaching, I tried to watch some other games as well.  I was very impressed by the level of play all around me. On Saturday, in between our games on Field 1, I was treated to a terrific game between a DewLax Team and an opponent, I regrettably don’t remember right now.  I have coached against Coach Wilkins, the DewLax Founder/Director and Coach, a number of times and we have become friendly over the years.  I have watched his program grow and continue to improve. He coaches every kid, and no detail, good or bad, goes unnoticed or un-coached. His teams always play with a relentless intensity, that is the trademark of DewLax teams.

I was also able to watch the ADK 2017/18 Team in action against our FLG 2018 Team.  ADK was coached by Bill White, also a  Founder/Director and Coach.  I have known Bill since my daughter was in 9th grade (she is now a college sophomore) and was a guest player on Bill’s ADK Team.  It was great to see him on the sideline, as his team put on a beautiful display of transition lacrosse.  As is the ADK Style, the ball never stays in one stick very long.  Crisp upfield passing and rapid ball movement are the hallmarks of every ADK Team, I have ever seen play.  I think I would have been able to tell it was an ADK Squad (and a very good one at that) even if they had been in a different uniform.

Where Coach Wilkins is loud and on top of every second of every game, Bill White is remarkably reserved on the sideline.  Two very different styles.  Each, very effective in its own way, and each leaving their personal stamp on their teams, their programs and anyone else, if they are really watching.  I am glad I have gotten to know them both.  The Lacrosse Community is fortunate to have such people.

 
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Growth Mind-set

Posted on November 6, 2016 by Corey Winkoff

Having a growth mind-set means dedicating yourself to the process of accomplishing a specific goal in a specific set of time. This process must be embraced. All parts of the process…

The challenges.

The ups.

The downs.

The obstacles.

The work that you don’t really wanna do, but you must in order to get where you are going.

Every day you have a choice to grow. On this Sunday, how will you grow?

 
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On the Same Page

Posted on November 4, 2016 by Corey Winkoff

I have 4 new players on my rising senior team. 2 players are from another state and two of the new players have missed a couple of important team practices.

How do I get these 4 players on the same page prior to playing in a team tournament?

At FLG, we utilize our Digital Playbook to get new player’s accustomed to our philosophies, methodologies, and team concepts prior to tournament play.

For example, prior to this weekend’s Quaker Fest Tournament, we sent an email to our teams participating saying, “Please watch following videos. These videos apply to your position and will help us play better as a team. Understand, the better we play as a team, the better you look as individuals. Any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out! -Coach Corey & Coach Dunne”

To check out our You Tube Channel, click below!

you-tube-channel

 

 
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More Than Just Athletes

Posted on November 3, 2016 by Corey Winkoff

When FLG ‘For the Love of the Game’ Lacrosse started 10 years ago, our mission was Building More Than Just Athletes. Today, our mission remains the same. We like to say that lacrosse is what brings the families in our programs together, but it’s the intangible traits that will set the players in our program a part.

In this post, FLG would like to celebrate some of the amazing alumni from the FLG Program who have not only excelled in college on the field, but have gone above and beyond for their teams, earning the highest possible team honor – Captain.

Jake Kiernan, Drexel

2015: Emerged as one of the team’s top defenders…started all 15 games on defense and had a solid season…finished second on the team with 15 caused turnovers…had a career-best three forced turnovers against Fairfield…snared 24 ground balls as a sophomore…grabbed four ground balls on three occasions (Albany, Bryant and Fairfield)…committed just three penalties… a CAA Commissioner’s Academic Award winner.

2014: Became a significant contributor as the season progressed…was in the rotation on defense and played on the man-down unit…appeared in nine games…had a big game in the NCAA Tournament at Penn, securing three ground balls and forcing a turnover…finished his first year with four caused turnovers and nine ground balls.

Background: Attended St. Dominic High School in Oyster Bay, N.Y…a four-time starter and NSCHSAA All-League member…named the 2013 NSCHSAA longpole of the year…was a Newsday All-Dong Island Second Team pick…named his team’s MVP and was a two-time participant in the Champion All-American Showcase…led his team to the state Class A title as a sophomore…played both lacrosse and basketball in high school…a member of the 2011 NSCHSAA All-Academic Team.

Personal: Son of John and Kate Kiernan…his father played basketball at Lafayette…one of four children…majors in general business.

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Jake Kiernan (Left) & Jake Gennosa (Right)

Jake Gennosa, Drexel

2014: Appeared in all 18 games as a freshman…part of Drexel’s rotation at long-stick…also saw time on the face-off unit on the wing…grabbed 10 ground balls and had six caused turnovers…scored a pair of goals in transition…had his first collegiate goal against Robert Morris and added another at High Point…picked up two ground balls at Villanova and at Saint Joseph’s.

Background: A four-year letterwinner at Cold Spring Harbor High School…played long stick middie at Cold Spring Harbor…was a Nassau County All-American…a two-time All-Country performer who played on the two-time Nassau Country Class C championship team…was also a county All-Academic team member.

Personal: Son of Nina Gennosa…one of two children…majoring in biological sciences.

Mark Rizzo, North Carolina

mark rizzo

Mark Rizzo hosting the NCAA Division I National                      Championship trophy last Spring

General:  Excellent freshman who will figure in the mix for playing time at the long-stick midfield position.

Prep:  Graduated from George W. Hewlett High School in 2012…he played football all four years of high school as a quarterback, running back, wide receiver, safety, cornerback and punter…played lacrosse four years as a long-stick midfielder, defenseman and midfielder…finished his lacrosse career with 28 goals, 29 assists and 267 ground balls…as a senior he had eight goals, 15 assists, 83 ground balls and caused 24 turnovers…his junior season he scored 11 goals and had 12 assists while scooping up 107 ground balls…in his first two years as a varsity player he scored nine goals and has two assists while scooping up 76 ground balls…he played as a power forward in basketball his freshman year…was a two-time lacrosse team captain…participated in Jake Reed’s Nike Blue Chip camp and was a Hot Beds All-Star Team selection…an adidas All-American All-Star selection…named one of the top 25 senior long-stick midfielders by ESPN Rise…was three-time All-Nassau County selection, a three-time Academic All-County honoree, and participated in the US Lacrosse Champion All-American Showcase…was the football team captain…earned the Robert Hufschmidt Scholarship Award…was a member of National Honor Society, National Foreign Language Honor Society, National Business Honor Society, National Society of High School Scholars and Youth Leadership Forum…was also named to the High Honor Roll.

Personal:  Mark James Rizzo is the son of Ray and Kelly Rizzo…was born March 8, 1994 in Oceanside, N.Y. …undeclared major… his brother, Matt, played club lacrosse at the University of Michigan in 2010 when they were MCLA National Champions.

Jackie Jahelka, Adelphi

Honors and Awards

  • IWLCA First Team All-American (2016)
  • IWLCA Attacker of the Year (2016)
  • IWLCA All-Region First Team (2016)
  • ILWomen Division II Attacker of the Year (2016)
  • NE-10 Academic All-Conference (2016)
  • ECAC First Team All-Star (2016)
  • ECAC Second Team All-Star (2015)
  • NE-10 All-Conference Second Team (2015)
  • NCAA Division II Final Four All-Tournament Team (2014, 2015)
  • IWLCA All-American Third Team (2014)
  • IWLCA All-Region Second Team (2014)
  • ECAC Division II Rookie of the Year (2014)
  • ECAC First Team All-Star (2014)
  • Northeast-10 Rookie of The Year (2014)
  • Northeast-10 All-Conference First Team (2014)
  • Northeast-10 All-Rookie Team (2014)
  • NE-10 Commissioner’s Honor Roll (Fall ’13, Spring ’14, Fall ’14, Spring ’15, Fall ’15, Spring ’16)
  • D2 ADA Academic Achievement Award (2016)
Jackie Jahelka celebrate a goal as she leads Adelphi to BACK-TO-BACK National Championships!

Jackie Jahelka celebrate a goal as she leads Adelphi to BACK-TO-BACK                                                     National Championships!

2016

  • Started in all 22 games at attack
  • Ranked first on the team in both goals (80) and points (104) while adding 24 assists
  • Had a season-high of seven goals against both AIC (4/16) and Franklin Pierce (4/27)
  • Had a season-high eight points (5G, 3A) and (7G, 1A) against Bentley (3/26) and Franklin Pierce (4/27) respectively
  • Scored at least one goal in 21 out of the 22 games

2015

  • Started in all 22 contests at attack
  • Ranked second on the team with 68 goals while adding 18 assists for 86 points
  • Scored the game-winner on seven occasions and tallied at least two goals in 18 games
  • Had a season-high eight points (6G, 2A) in 24-4 win over SCSU (3/11) and scored five times in five games

2014 

  • Started in 21 of the 22 games as a freshman
  • Tallied 61 goals and 12 assists
  • Scored four goals in the first game of her collegiate career against Grand Valley State (2/21/14)
  • Recorded 20 ground balls and 12 caused turnovers
  • Posted a game-high seven points (5G, 2A) in a 19-0 victory over St. Thomas Aquinas (3/17)
  • Tallied a team-high six goals against Saint Anselm on (4/12)

At Garden City

  • Played three years of varsity lacrosse and volleyball
  • Named captain of the volleyball team her final two years
  • Selected to the U.S. Lacrosse National All-American Team and U.S. Lacrosse School Girls All-Star Team
  • Named to the Nassau County All-Conference Team and Mineola All-Tournament team her senior year in volleyball
  • Member of the National Honor Society

Personal

  • Daughter of Patricia and Bob
  • Has one brother, Stephen
  • Interested in becoming an elementary education teacher

Jahelka’s Career Highs

  • Points: 8, vs SCSU, 3/11/15
  • Goals: 6, three times
  • Assists: 2, multiple times
  • Ground Balls: 6, vs Bentley, 3/25/15
  • Caused Turnovers: 3, twice
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Jackie Jahelka (Left) & Kaitlyn Stackpole (Right)

Kaitlyn Stackpole, Adelphi

Honors and Awards

  • NE-10 Third Team All-Conference (2016)
  • NE-10 All-Rookie Team (2015)
  • NE-10 Commissioner’s Honor Roll (Fall ’14, Spring ’15, Fall ’15, Spring ’16)
  • D2 ADA Academic Achievement Award (2016)

2016

  • Started all 22 games at defense
  • Second on the team in ground balls (35) and third in caused turnovers (21)
  • Picked up season-high five ground balls and caused three turnovers in win vs. Stonehill (3/22)

2015

  • Started all 22 games as a freshman
  • Caused 28 turnovers to rank third on the team and picked up 25 ground balls
  • Caused season-high four turnovers twice, including in NCAA First Round game vs. Stonehill (5/9), and also caused two in NE-10 Championship game vs. Le Moyne (5/3)

At Kellenberg

  • Played four years of lacrosse and basketball
  • Three-year member of varsity lacrosse
  • All-League in lacrosse in her sophomore year
  • Team MVP and All-League as a junior and senior
  • Catholic School Player of the Year and played in the Long Island All-American Game and recognized as one of the top-25 players on Long Island by Newsdayduring her senior year
  • Honor roll student

Personal:

  • Daughter of Phyllis and Billy
  • Has an older sister, Kristina, who attended Adelphi
  • Has an uncle who played baseball for St. John’s University and a cousin who is currently playing for the St. John’s men’s lacrosse team
  • Exercise science major
  • Plans on becoming a physical therapist

Stackpole’s Career Highs

  • Ground Balls: 6, vs Saint Michael’s, 3/21/15
  • Caused Turnovers: 4, twice
  • Draw Controls: 2, multiple

John Crawley, Johns Hopkins

2015
• Named to NCAA All-Tournament Team.
• Finished fifth on the team in scoring with 32 points on 21 goals and 11 assists.
• All 32 points on the season have come in the last 15 games.
• Counted eight goals and five assists to his credit during JHU’s seven-game winning streak late in the season.
• Broke into the scoring column at Villanova with a one-goal, one-assist effort.
• Came back with a two-goal performance at fourth-ranked North Carolina.  Both goals came on extra-man.
• Made it three straight multi-point games with a one-goal, three-assist showing against Princeton. Multi-point run came to an end against Navy, but did have an assist against the Midshipmen.
• Fired home two goals in a 13-10 loss at top-ranked Syracuse and added one against Virginia and Rutgers.
• Notched one goal and one assist at Ohio State to run scoring streak to eight games.
• Had his eight-game point-scoring streak snapped against Penn State, but responded with a two-goal, one-assist effort against Michigan and a one-goal, two-assist showing at third-ranked Maryland.
• Scored twice in a 13-6 win over Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship game and added two goals and one assist in the 19-7 win at Virginia in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
• Scored once and added an assist in a 16-15 win over Syracuse in the NCAA Quarterfinals.
• Finished season with a career-high-tying four-goal effort against Maryland in the NCAA Semifinals.

hopkins-john-crawley2014
• Talented freshman midfielder who has earned a spot among Hopkins’ top six midfielders. Finished sixth on the team in goals (12) and seventh in points (18).
• Had a two-goal effort in the 11-6 win against third-ranked Maryland and a one-goal, two-assist showing at Mount St. Mary’s.
• Had at least one point in nine of last 11 games.
• Enjoyed breakout game against Towson with four goals on just five shots. First freshman midfielder at Johns Hopkins to score four goals in a game since Paul Rabil had four in a 12-11 overtime victory at Syracuse on March 18, 2005.
• Scored first career goal early in the third quarter against Ohio State. Goal was the third in a three-goal run for JHU that turned a 2-1 deficit into a 4-2 lead.

At Paul D. Schreiber
• Four-year letter winner in lacrosse. Helped team to the prestigious Nassau County Class A title as a senior and trips to the county semifinals as a sophomore and junior.
• Earned US Lacrosse All-America and All-Academic honors as a senior, when he was also named to Newday’s All-Long Island Team.
• Scored career-high 48 goals and added 20 assists as a senior and finished career with 110 goals and 96 assists.

Personal
John Crawley • The son of John and Lisa Crawley • Majoring in economics.

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Devin Votta, Siena (Left) & John Crawley, Hopkins (Right)

Devin Votta, Siena

  • MAAC All-Academic and Academic Honor Roll selection
  • Appeared in all 14 games
  • Dished out an assist in win at Mercer (2/24)
2014:
  • Saw action in 11 games
  • Picked up 11 groundballs
BEFORE SIENA:
  • Led nearby Niskayuna High to back-to-back Section II Championships and state semifinals appearances
  • Four-year starter and two-time captain for Division Avenue
  • Tallied 15 goals and 16 assists while picking up 68 groundballs as a senior
  • Amassed 113 points and 204 groundballs during his high school career
  • Played club lacrosse with For Love of the Game
  • Also played football at Division Avenue and is a Second Degree Black Belt in Martial Arts
PERSONAL:
  • The son of Ralph and Jane Votta
  • Has an older sister, Hailey, and two younger siblings, Ian and Elena
  • Planning to major in Environmental Studies

Jocelyn Penteck, Binghamton

Redshirt Sophomore Season (2016)

  • Appeared in 17 games starting 9
  • Recorded 2 goals and 2 assists
  • Recovered 10 ground balls

Sophomore Season (2015)

  • Sat out Season with a Medical Redshirt

Freshman Season (2014)

  • Appeared in 16 games
  • Recorded 4 goals this season
  • Scored her first career goal in her Binghamton debut vs. Howard (2/22)

Before Binghamton

  • Collected five letters at Floral Park Memorial
  • Two-time all-conference and all-league selection
  • Scored more than 229 points during her five-year career
  • Two-time team MVP and voted a captain her senior season
  • Two-time US Lacrosse Academic All-American
  • Member of the National Honor Society and Foreign Language Honor Society
  • Earned United States Marine Corps Scholastic Excellence Award and President’s Award for Academic Excellence as a senior
  • Scholar-athlete in lacrosse, soccer, winter track and basketball

Personal

  • Parents are Rachael and Bill Penteck
  • Integrative Neuroscience Major

Career Highs

  • Goals: 2, vs. UMBC (April 26, 2014)
  • Points: 2, vs. UMBC (April 26, 2014)
  • Ground Balls: 3, 2x, last vs. Vermont (April 30, 2016)
  • Draw Control: 2, vs. Vermont (April 30, 2016)
  • Caused Turnovers: 1, 3x, last vs. UMBC (April 26, 2014)
Jocelyn Penteck (Left) & Val Denapoli (Right)

Jocelyn Penteck (Left) & Val DeNapoli (Right)

 

Val DeNapoli

Junior Season (2016)

  • Appeared in 16 games with 14 starts
  • Recorded 15 goals and two assists
  • Recorded 36 ground balls on the season
  • Caused 15 turnovers and secured 20 draw controls
  • Recorded two goals and five groundballs in a 9-7 win over Sacred Heart (3/20)
  • Recorded 7 draw controls against Colgate (4/12)
  • Had hat tricks against New Hampshire (4/2) and UMass Lowell (4/24)
  • Member of the Fall AD Honor Roll (3.3 GPA or above)

Sophmore Season (2015)

  • Appeared in 17 games with 17 starts
  • Recorded ten goals and two assist this season
  • Recorded 37 ground balls on the season
  • Recorded 47 draw controls on the season
  • Caused 18 turnovers on the season

Freshman Season (2014)

  • Appeared in 16 games with 14 starts
  • Recorded 11 goals and one assist this season
  • Scored her first career goal in her Binghamton debut vs. Howard (2/22)
  • Netted her first career hat trick against St. Bonaventure (3/8)
  • First on the team in ground balls picking up 35
  • Second on the team having won 25 draw controls

Before Binghamton

  • Four-year starter at G.W. Hewlett
  • Three-time All-Nassau County selection
  • Led team to second round of state playoffs for the first time in school history
  • Two-year team captain
  • Scored 48 goals and added 10 assists as a senior
  • All-conference in soccer and basketball

Personal

  • Parents are Marina Frank DeNapoli
  • Brothers Dominick and Steven played collegiate lacrosse at St. Johns and Hofstra, respectively
  • Enrolled in Harpur College

Career Highs

  • Goals: 4, vs.  UMass Lowell (April 24, 2016)
  • Assists: 1, 5x, last vs. UMass Lowell (April 24, 2016)
  • Points: 5, vs. UMass Lowell (April 24, 2016)
  • Ground Balls: 8, vs. Quinnipiac (March 23, 2014)
  • Draw Controls: 9, vs. Vermont (April 4, 2015)
  • Caused Turnovers: 4, vs. Cornell (April 4, 2015)

Ryan Matthews, Cornell

At Cornell
Matthews suffered back-to-back season-ending injuries during his two seasons at Johns Hopkins and has been granted a fifth-year eligibility waiver through the Ivy League Office.

2016: Following his first season as a starter, Matthews was named honorable mention All-Ivy. He finished the year ranked second on the team in goals (18) and fourth overall in points (21). Matthews registered at least one point in 10-of-13 games and notched the overtime game-winning goal vs. No. 11 Syracuse. Matthews had seven multi-point contests and registered a career-high four goals vs. Lehigh.

2015: Matthews saw action in six games during his junior season, seeing action vs. Syracuse, Hobart, Dartmouth, Canisius, Hofstra and Albany in the NCAA tournament. He scored one goal and picked up one ground ball vs. the Great Danes. He also had one ground ball against Canisius and Hofstra, and caused one turnover vs. the Golden Griffins.

Ryan Matthews, Captain of the Cornell Men's Lacrosse Team
At Johns Hopkins
Matthews played in five games as a reserve faceoff specialist and member of the Blue Jay midfield in 2013, going 2-for-2 in face-offs before an injury cut his season short. He did not play during the 2014 season.

At Manhasset
Matthews lettered four times at Manhasset high school, helping the team to a 69-8 record, a pair of New York State Championships as a freshman and sophomore, as well as a county final as a junior and a semifinal as a senior. He participated in the Under Armour Underclass All-America game as a junior and earned all-county and academic all-county honors as a junior and senior. Matthews also lettered in football and basketball.

Personal
Ryan G. Matthews is the son of Greg and Amy Matthews. His father played lacrosse at Johns Hopkins from 1982-85 and helped JHU to the 1984 & 1985 NCAA Championships and four consecutive appearances in the national championship game. His uncle, Brian Matthews, and his cousin, Matt Sutherland, played lacrosse at Yale and Cornell, respectively. Matthews is enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences.

 
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Helmets for Girls?

Posted on November 2, 2016 by Bob Schmitt

The New York Times Sports Sunday (October 30) section featured an article titled “New Headgear for Girls Comes on the Market and Reignites an Old Debate”, by Bill Pennington.  I read this piece with great interest, as I have been coaching Girl’s Lacrosse for many years now and am familiar with the ongoing debate.  With Cascade and now Hummingbird Sports (a start-up company out of New Jersey) launching helmets designed specifically for girls, it seems that at least a portion of the lacrosse industry, is willing to bet that the market will support their venture into this previously unclear area.  

The very next day, Cascade’s parent Company, Performance Sports Group, filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection.  While it appears that the company will be “restructured” and business will go on, the timing of this seems odd, at least to me.

Like anyone else involved in Girls Lacrosse, for me, player safety, is priority number one.  I have come to love the Girls game and its distinct differences from the Boys game.  I would hate to see the game changed forever by the proliferation of Helmets.  But, what parent is going to pass up putting their daughter in a Helmet, whether mandated or not?  How do you preserve the unique and beautiful essence of the sport, while continuing to make it safer for its players? I am not sure if there is any clear cut answer.

 
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Lacrosse Recruiting Calendar Shift

Posted on November 1, 2016 by Corey Winkoff

Fall has become a huge season for lacrosse recruiting. Not too long ago, College Coaches only used the late Spring and Summer seasons to recruit athletes for their programs. Now, the Fall has become equally as popular for getting recruited. September and October weekends are filled with College Prospect Days, giving studletes that day in the life experience and giving colleges an opportunity to show off the autumn beauty of their schools. November weekends are consumed with large-scale team recruiting tournaments and individual showcases, bringing together some of the best young lacrosse players from around the country.

Running a successful club organization means you have to change with the times. If the recruiting landscape changes, you have to move with those changes. As our club shifted from a strictly summer season program to an all year-round one, our Fall schedule has become more thought out, in-depth, and productive.

Below are some ways we help our studletes get better and get recruited in the Fall Recruiting Season:

  1. Welcome – it’s important that the FLG Directors, Coaches, and seasoned FLG studletes welcome newcomers to the program. Making new families and players feel welcome to our program enhances team chemistry, gives FLG Director’s an opportunity to develop relationships with the new families, and gives FLG an opportunity to better manage expectations throughout the recruiting process.
  2. Connect – After our teams have been selected and the rosters are complete, our FLG Directors get the cell phone numbers of every High School studlete in our program. Connecting with the studlete is vital because we want them taking control of their recruiting process, not their parents. We want there to be constant communication. As well as, hole player’s accountable throughout the year. Staying in touch via phone is one of the best ways to do all these things.
  3. Assign – After connecting with all athletes in the program, we assign ‘To Do’s’ that help our athletes engineer a more effective recruiting process. For example, making sure every player in the program has a complete online recruiting profile. Getting each player in our program a lacrosse recruits profile is only useful if our studletes actually use the lacrosse recruits profile. To get our player’s on board, we set a date their profiles have to be filled out. Along the way, we text or have phone calls with our studletes to discuss the best ways to get a complete profile.
  4. Train – we make sure to get in team practices leading up to the November’s Recruiting Tournaments. While players may be traveling on weekends to prospect days or playing Fall Sports with their schools, it’s important to have organized team practices to reinforce team concepts. Additionally, we offer individual training for our High School studletes to develop throughout the Fall.
  5. Network – Once our studlete’s have completely filled out their lacrosse recruits profiles, we then start matching-up each player with a specific set of schools and conferences. The leg-work done throughout the match-making process makes our lives much easier as we approach our final step in the Fall recruing process, emailing coaches.
  6. Emailing Coaches – After all the players have been matched up, we then email all the colleges that fit a specific set of player’s in our program. The Email includes:
    1. The tournaments our athletes will attend in the fall
    2. Links to their recruiting profiles
    3. Graduation years
    4. Contact information for coaches to reach if the like a player they see

Please feel free to share how you improve during the fall!

 
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