Sitting in my living room on the couch, chilling....it's been a loooooong day. I'm on the couch putting the final touches to the the line up for tomorrow's scrimmage vs. the Lizards in Wilton, CT. I'm actually pretty excited for the scrimmage. It's the 1st time we've actually done this against another MLL team so it should be fun. We're evaluating our players against another group trying to do the same thing....make an MLL roster. Plus it's against a rival so to speak so I'm sure it'll be a good run for everyone, including the coaching staff. Big weekend as we're cutting down after Sunday's practice to 30-31.
Tomorrow will be another long day, Mark Kastrud (our VP) is picking me up at 6:15 for a 7:00 bus out of Harvard. Boy, can't believe bus rides are here already (ugh..) maybe I don't like this preseason scrimmaging thing after all! Once we're there it'll be ok, probably no more than 2:45-3 on a bus. It shaping up to be a good day; after our scrimmage there's an autograph signing for all of the youth kids, then Wilton plays Westville HS and after we freshen up back at the hotel we're heading to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation fund-raising event as Chris Eck and his family are being honored. That should be fun, put on the suit and enjoy an evening poking fun at Eck because he has to give speech! Just kidding Chris! Seriously, we're looking forward to it!
We're still missing a few guys in training camp because of the NLL playoffs. The one good thing is Boston plays Orlando tomorrow night so we'll either get Ryan Boyle in camp next weekend or Mitch Belisle, Jack Reid and Greg Downing. That should be a great game, best of luck fellas! With next weekend being the last before we open up against Denver on the 15th, the more veterans we can get back in camp the better.
I tell you, we have a good group in camp this year, it's been a very competitive camp thus far. Tomorrow will be good test for some of the guys on the bubble of making the 23 man active roster. The speed will be a little bit faster than last weekend, guys are going to have to step up their game tomorrow. I'm pumped to see who rises to the challenge, see if we have any "Diamonds in the Rough" as coaches like to say in this league. Everyone is always looking for that one player that catches you off guard and shows that he can play at this level even though he didn't play D1 or at a big name school. I think we're due for one, it's been awhile.....
Make sure you take a peak at our new video on facebook.com/laxschool. It's our 1st Cannon's weekly of the season and it focuses on our preseason training test with Catz last Saturday at camp. If you have any questions email me (bd@lax-school.com) or check out catzsports.com
Next weekend the final regular season games are played and then the selection show will be on Sunday.....can't wait!
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Friday, April 30, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
1st Weekend of Camp in the Book
It was great to get back on Harvard's campus and get the season underway. This past weekend was pretty sweet; the weather, Harvard getting a big win vs Princeton, the season ticket holder event and of course.......training camp getting underway!
You couldn't have asked for a better day on Saturday; sunny and 70 degrees, the buzz was in the air as Princeton was in town for a big Ivy league match up. The season ticket holder event was great, we had over 100+ die hard fans out in the courtyard in front of the Murr Center. We lead the team over to the area and I said a few words about the upcoming season to the Cannon's faithful. I broke it down to them that we're working our tails off for one reason; the opportunity to play for the MLL Championship in Annapolis. It was funny, I got a little fired up as I was speaking to the fans and you could see it in a few of their eyes that they too were getting jacked up and excited for opening day.
After the event was over, the coaching staff and I headed in to the game to watch it at field level. Whenever you watch a game at field level (no matter what sport), you get a feel of the speed of the game which is important when you're looking at potential collegiate draft picks. I tell you what, Harvard played one of their best games of the year and got the "W". The win puts them within striking distance of earning a bid in the inaugural Ivy League tournament. Princeton is still in 1st place, then there are five teams that with either a win or a loss have the possibility of making the tournament. It should be an exciting week of lacrosse in the Ivy league to see who ends up where.
CATZ came in and worked out the team before we took the field on Saturday night. This was the 1st year we took the players through a conditioning test prior to taking the field to play. It was a good barometer as we need to see how players will react when being both physically and mentally tired. As athlete's this is when we need to be at our best; the 4th quarter, late in a game when you need to possess the ball the most. As a team we can't afford a bad turnover because you were too tired to make a good decision. It was a great test for us because after CATZ finished with the players we took the field for a scrimmage against the CROART All-stars. Honestly, I was impressed with the way we handled ourselves for 3 quarters. The 4th quarter things got a little sloppy but for the 1st time out, it wasn't bad at all. A few individuals stood out this weekend amongst others. Next weekend however will be a little more of a test and we'll get a good chance to see if these players can consistently play at a high level. We're in Wilton, CT next Saturday scrimmaging the Long Island before the Wilton HS game. This will definitely give us a good indication of where players are as we move closer to making final cuts before the last weekend of camp.
Congrats to Coach Starsia and the Virginia Cavaliers for capturing their 6th ACC Tournament championship. What a performance by tourney MVP Adam Ghitelman. Perfect example of not losing it mentally as a goalie when the opposing team takes 3 shots and gets 3 goals to start the game. As a goalie that is when you need to be mentally strong, shake it off and focus on the next shot. The good ones have a short memory.....the quicker you can shake it off and forget about a goal the better you're going to be. Once a goal gets by you, figure out what you did wrong, make a mental note of it and then move on! That's exactly what the junior from Cold Spring Harbor did on Sunday as he led his team to the 2010 ACC Crown. UVA is the favorite to garner the #1 seed in the tournament when the seedings are announced two Sundays from now (5/9)....can't wait to see where the Heels end up!
What's up with your game? What are you having success with? What are you struggling with? Need any advice? Email me at bd@lax-school.com, I would love to help anyway I can!
A shout out to Francisco from Portugal! He emailed me about the 2-3-1 offensive set as he needed some help. I had no idea there was lacrosse in Portugal, he started up a team in 2008 and they've been playing ever since!
Learn: Lax-School.com
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Follow: twitter.com/laxschool
You couldn't have asked for a better day on Saturday; sunny and 70 degrees, the buzz was in the air as Princeton was in town for a big Ivy league match up. The season ticket holder event was great, we had over 100+ die hard fans out in the courtyard in front of the Murr Center. We lead the team over to the area and I said a few words about the upcoming season to the Cannon's faithful. I broke it down to them that we're working our tails off for one reason; the opportunity to play for the MLL Championship in Annapolis. It was funny, I got a little fired up as I was speaking to the fans and you could see it in a few of their eyes that they too were getting jacked up and excited for opening day.
After the event was over, the coaching staff and I headed in to the game to watch it at field level. Whenever you watch a game at field level (no matter what sport), you get a feel of the speed of the game which is important when you're looking at potential collegiate draft picks. I tell you what, Harvard played one of their best games of the year and got the "W". The win puts them within striking distance of earning a bid in the inaugural Ivy League tournament. Princeton is still in 1st place, then there are five teams that with either a win or a loss have the possibility of making the tournament. It should be an exciting week of lacrosse in the Ivy league to see who ends up where.
CATZ came in and worked out the team before we took the field on Saturday night. This was the 1st year we took the players through a conditioning test prior to taking the field to play. It was a good barometer as we need to see how players will react when being both physically and mentally tired. As athlete's this is when we need to be at our best; the 4th quarter, late in a game when you need to possess the ball the most. As a team we can't afford a bad turnover because you were too tired to make a good decision. It was a great test for us because after CATZ finished with the players we took the field for a scrimmage against the CROART All-stars. Honestly, I was impressed with the way we handled ourselves for 3 quarters. The 4th quarter things got a little sloppy but for the 1st time out, it wasn't bad at all. A few individuals stood out this weekend amongst others. Next weekend however will be a little more of a test and we'll get a good chance to see if these players can consistently play at a high level. We're in Wilton, CT next Saturday scrimmaging the Long Island before the Wilton HS game. This will definitely give us a good indication of where players are as we move closer to making final cuts before the last weekend of camp.
Congrats to Coach Starsia and the Virginia Cavaliers for capturing their 6th ACC Tournament championship. What a performance by tourney MVP Adam Ghitelman. Perfect example of not losing it mentally as a goalie when the opposing team takes 3 shots and gets 3 goals to start the game. As a goalie that is when you need to be mentally strong, shake it off and focus on the next shot. The good ones have a short memory.....the quicker you can shake it off and forget about a goal the better you're going to be. Once a goal gets by you, figure out what you did wrong, make a mental note of it and then move on! That's exactly what the junior from Cold Spring Harbor did on Sunday as he led his team to the 2010 ACC Crown. UVA is the favorite to garner the #1 seed in the tournament when the seedings are announced two Sundays from now (5/9)....can't wait to see where the Heels end up!
What's up with your game? What are you having success with? What are you struggling with? Need any advice? Email me at bd@lax-school.com, I would love to help anyway I can!
A shout out to Francisco from Portugal! He emailed me about the 2-3-1 offensive set as he needed some help. I had no idea there was lacrosse in Portugal, he started up a team in 2008 and they've been playing ever since!
Learn: Lax-School.com
Connect: facebook.com/laxschool
Follow: twitter.com/laxschool
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Training Camp is Here!!
Well, it's here....opening day of training camp; I've looked forward to this day for quite sometime now. Lots on my mind, I'm excited to see all the guys that will be in camp from last year's team. Unfortunately because of the NLL season we don't get all of the veterans in camp in week 1 but there are some guys like Ryan McClay, Chris Eck, Matt Casey, Bobby Horsey that will be in today amongst others. I'm also pumped to meet the new guys we've brought onto the team and most importantly see what they can do on the field. At the end of last season the staff met and we determined we needed to be better at specific areas on the field. Well today (actually tonight) we get to see what these players we've brought in can do and it's the 1st step to building what we hope to be a Championship team. Our goal every season is to be playing on Championship weekend, it's why we play this game, it's why we make the sacrifices we do. Let's face it, it's great to be a professional lacrosse player & coach but the bottom line is we do this because we want to win. We'll see how the boys do tonight, can't wait! If you're around today, pop on by Harvard and say hello!
Can't believe the score of the Maryland/North Carolina game! The Terps (yes gave them some respect LB) shellacked my boys 13-5. Not sure what happened, didn't see the game unfortunately because for some reason they don't cover the semifinal games on TV. One would think when you have four teams in the top six playing that you would at least have some sort of TV coverage huh? Anyway, hats off to Maryland sounds like they played a great game. In the other game the Wahoos avenged their loss last week against Duke, sounds like another great game that we didn't get a chance to see on TV! Good luck to the Wahoos and the Terps on Sunday for the ACC Championship. The funny thing is there's always a chance these teams can meet again when it comes time for the NCAA playoffs which is only 2 weeks away.....would love to see the Twerps again!
I've fielded a lot of questions on facebook.com/laxschool......keep them coming! You can also email me at bd@lax-school.com with a question. Or if it's something you specifically want to see on Lax-School.
Well, getting ready to head out of here shortly and head into the city for a long day. Season ticket holder event at noon but before that we have an interview with Chris Bates from Princeton. Also going to try and catch up with John Tillman from Harvard if time permits. Stay tuned.......
Remember, only you can control how good of a lax player you want to be.....
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Connect: Facebook.com/laxschool
Follow: Twitter.com/laxschool
Can't believe the score of the Maryland/North Carolina game! The Terps (yes gave them some respect LB) shellacked my boys 13-5. Not sure what happened, didn't see the game unfortunately because for some reason they don't cover the semifinal games on TV. One would think when you have four teams in the top six playing that you would at least have some sort of TV coverage huh? Anyway, hats off to Maryland sounds like they played a great game. In the other game the Wahoos avenged their loss last week against Duke, sounds like another great game that we didn't get a chance to see on TV! Good luck to the Wahoos and the Terps on Sunday for the ACC Championship. The funny thing is there's always a chance these teams can meet again when it comes time for the NCAA playoffs which is only 2 weeks away.....would love to see the Twerps again!
I've fielded a lot of questions on facebook.com/laxschool......keep them coming! You can also email me at bd@lax-school.com with a question. Or if it's something you specifically want to see on Lax-School.
Well, getting ready to head out of here shortly and head into the city for a long day. Season ticket holder event at noon but before that we have an interview with Chris Bates from Princeton. Also going to try and catch up with John Tillman from Harvard if time permits. Stay tuned.......
Remember, only you can control how good of a lax player you want to be.....
Learn: Lax-School.com
Connect: Facebook.com/laxschool
Follow: Twitter.com/laxschool
Monday, April 19, 2010
Opening Weekend
Well, this is it....the week of training camp is finally here as we get the 2010 season underway this Saturday at Harvard. The time off was great but I can't wait to get back to work and start this journey together as a team. Saturday is always a great day, the season ticket holders come in for a catered lunch by our sponsors and meet the all of the players on the roster in for camp. I always look forward to mingling with the season ticket holders; shaking hands, taking pictures and saying thank you for all of their support.
Saturday is a big day for the players trying to make the 23 man active roster as practice will begin with a series of conditioning tests. This is a great indication of where players are with their conditioning and will be something the coaching staff pays close attention to. With only three weekends of training camp we don't have the time to get player's in shape, we expect them to come into camp ready to go and we'll have a good idea of this right from the start. There's a lot of competition at the midfield this year, this was one of our goals coming into camp. We identified we needed to be stronger and deeper at this position for 2010 and that shows by the number of midis we've brought into camp. We're looking for players who can play both ends of the field, the more versatile the player the better.
The main goal for training camp is to find the best 23 players that we can. This doesn't necessarily mean the 23 most talented lacrosse players but the most athletic, skilled players that fit into the roles the coaching staff identifies. This league is filled with great players but the players that can adapt to the specific roles or positions teams are looking for have the best chance to succeed and make the team.
This weekend is also the ACC tournament down in College Park, MD. Did you watch any lax over the past weekend? Maryland beat Hopkins, Duke handed Virginia it's 1st loss of the season and Carolina beat Robert Morris. Every ACC team is talented and it's sure to be an unbelievable tournament; UVA will face Duke back to back weekends and Maryland will play Carolina. As a coach preparing to face a team you've played before (just last weekend) is always a challenge. Game plans will change so you need to determine what you had success with and what you didn't and then create a game plan that gives you the best shot at winning. In a tournament scenario you and your staff need to prepare for not only one team but all three teams anticipating winning your game and not knowing who will win the other one. As a player you need to take care of your body all week knowing that there's a good chance you'll be playing 2 games in 2 days. It should be a great tournament, can't wait to see it and hopefully the Heels can capture the crown!
How's your high school season going so far? What do you need help with? Identify something you need to be better at. Focus on working on that each day at practice, before practice and even after practice. The only way you're going to get better at it is by working hard to be better. It's up to you, do you want to take your game to the next level?
Need help? Have a question? Email me at bd@lax-school.com
Learn: Lax-school.com
Connect: facebook.com/laxschool
Follow: twitter.com/laxschool
Saturday is a big day for the players trying to make the 23 man active roster as practice will begin with a series of conditioning tests. This is a great indication of where players are with their conditioning and will be something the coaching staff pays close attention to. With only three weekends of training camp we don't have the time to get player's in shape, we expect them to come into camp ready to go and we'll have a good idea of this right from the start. There's a lot of competition at the midfield this year, this was one of our goals coming into camp. We identified we needed to be stronger and deeper at this position for 2010 and that shows by the number of midis we've brought into camp. We're looking for players who can play both ends of the field, the more versatile the player the better.
The main goal for training camp is to find the best 23 players that we can. This doesn't necessarily mean the 23 most talented lacrosse players but the most athletic, skilled players that fit into the roles the coaching staff identifies. This league is filled with great players but the players that can adapt to the specific roles or positions teams are looking for have the best chance to succeed and make the team.
This weekend is also the ACC tournament down in College Park, MD. Did you watch any lax over the past weekend? Maryland beat Hopkins, Duke handed Virginia it's 1st loss of the season and Carolina beat Robert Morris. Every ACC team is talented and it's sure to be an unbelievable tournament; UVA will face Duke back to back weekends and Maryland will play Carolina. As a coach preparing to face a team you've played before (just last weekend) is always a challenge. Game plans will change so you need to determine what you had success with and what you didn't and then create a game plan that gives you the best shot at winning. In a tournament scenario you and your staff need to prepare for not only one team but all three teams anticipating winning your game and not knowing who will win the other one. As a player you need to take care of your body all week knowing that there's a good chance you'll be playing 2 games in 2 days. It should be a great tournament, can't wait to see it and hopefully the Heels can capture the crown!
How's your high school season going so far? What do you need help with? Identify something you need to be better at. Focus on working on that each day at practice, before practice and even after practice. The only way you're going to get better at it is by working hard to be better. It's up to you, do you want to take your game to the next level?
Need help? Have a question? Email me at bd@lax-school.com
Learn: Lax-school.com
Connect: facebook.com/laxschool
Follow: twitter.com/laxschool
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
College Regular Season almost over....
Wow, this week has flown by I can't believe it's Wednesday already. I feel the same way about the college lacrosse season to be honest. I was just online checking out North Carolina's remaining games and there's only 3 weeks left before the NCAA tourney begins. Where does the time go???
Great weekend down in New Jersey at the new Meadowlands stadium. It would have been a better weekend if my Tarheels would have won but that's ok. It's hard to get back in a game when you spot the #1 team in the country a 5-0 lead. Although the boys almost did it, they could never get the equalizer before Virginia built that 2 goal lead. A few injuries here, a couple of pipes there, etc. and I think it's a different game if Carolina was healthy and if they didn't dig themselves such a hole to begin with. I have a feeling those two teams will meet again, if not a couple of times more.....we shall see. Back to the stadium, it was the 1st official event in the new stadium and it was pretty impressive. We took a tour underneath the concourse and checked out the playing surface which was plush.....very nice. Can't wait to watch the boys in green play a home game there, we'll have some video up on lax-school.com very shortly.
We got a chance to interview Joe Breschi and Dom Starsia prior to the game on Saturday, it will be up soon online so stay tuned. I haven't seen Bresch (Coach Breschi) in a long time so it was really great to catch up with him prior to the interview. Joe was a senior when I was a freshman and he coached me for two years prior to getting the assistant job at Brown, so we go way back. He spoke a lot about the culture he's creating down in Chapel Hill and it's something I've definitely felt as an alum since Bresch has arrived. It's the first time in many years I've felt a connection to the university and the lacrosse program that I spent four years with and it's something special he's created. As we waited for the team lunch to finish up prior to interviewing Joe it was a pretty neat listening to the pregame chatter and then saying hello to the current players on the squad as they left the room. It was an overwhelming feeling of pride and it's something that was missing before Bresch came back to Blue Heaven. The Heels have Bellarmine this weekend, then the ACC tourney, then Ohio State as the regular last season game. Good luck the rest of the way boys!
Training camp for the Boston Cannons is officially two weeks away, I'm looking forward to it as the season is right around the corner. We have one spot remaining on the roster to fill prior to next weekend. The coaching staff and I are meeting this week to discuss what we'll need to fill that spot, if you think you have what it takes let me know!! Yesterday we spent an hour on a conference call with ESpor, a company that produces software that breaks down and analyzes game film. It's something we're looking to pick up for the season as another way of game preparation for the guys. Now I have to convince our VP that it's a necessity.......and that we have to find room in the budget! Make sure you come out to opening day next week @ Harvard; season ticket holder event from 12-1 and then Princeton vs. Harvard @ 1:00......can't wait!
If you're in high school you've probably played 4-5 games already, if you're a youth player probably more like 1-2 games. Now's the time to take your game to the next level, you've had a few games under your belt to see what you need to fine tune. Hit the wall, get a bucket of balls and go shoot, work on your conditioning or your agility's.....whatever it may be now's the time to work....and work hard! How good do you want to be? Every time I speak at a clinic or to a client of mine I always ask that question. The answer is simple, you control your own destiny. How good you want to be is all about how hard you want to work to become a better player.
Have a question? Email me at bd@lax-school.com
Learn: lax-school.com
Connect: facebook.com/laxschool
Follow: twitter.com/laxschool
Great weekend down in New Jersey at the new Meadowlands stadium. It would have been a better weekend if my Tarheels would have won but that's ok. It's hard to get back in a game when you spot the #1 team in the country a 5-0 lead. Although the boys almost did it, they could never get the equalizer before Virginia built that 2 goal lead. A few injuries here, a couple of pipes there, etc. and I think it's a different game if Carolina was healthy and if they didn't dig themselves such a hole to begin with. I have a feeling those two teams will meet again, if not a couple of times more.....we shall see. Back to the stadium, it was the 1st official event in the new stadium and it was pretty impressive. We took a tour underneath the concourse and checked out the playing surface which was plush.....very nice. Can't wait to watch the boys in green play a home game there, we'll have some video up on lax-school.com very shortly.
We got a chance to interview Joe Breschi and Dom Starsia prior to the game on Saturday, it will be up soon online so stay tuned. I haven't seen Bresch (Coach Breschi) in a long time so it was really great to catch up with him prior to the interview. Joe was a senior when I was a freshman and he coached me for two years prior to getting the assistant job at Brown, so we go way back. He spoke a lot about the culture he's creating down in Chapel Hill and it's something I've definitely felt as an alum since Bresch has arrived. It's the first time in many years I've felt a connection to the university and the lacrosse program that I spent four years with and it's something special he's created. As we waited for the team lunch to finish up prior to interviewing Joe it was a pretty neat listening to the pregame chatter and then saying hello to the current players on the squad as they left the room. It was an overwhelming feeling of pride and it's something that was missing before Bresch came back to Blue Heaven. The Heels have Bellarmine this weekend, then the ACC tourney, then Ohio State as the regular last season game. Good luck the rest of the way boys!
Training camp for the Boston Cannons is officially two weeks away, I'm looking forward to it as the season is right around the corner. We have one spot remaining on the roster to fill prior to next weekend. The coaching staff and I are meeting this week to discuss what we'll need to fill that spot, if you think you have what it takes let me know!! Yesterday we spent an hour on a conference call with ESpor, a company that produces software that breaks down and analyzes game film. It's something we're looking to pick up for the season as another way of game preparation for the guys. Now I have to convince our VP that it's a necessity.......and that we have to find room in the budget! Make sure you come out to opening day next week @ Harvard; season ticket holder event from 12-1 and then Princeton vs. Harvard @ 1:00......can't wait!
If you're in high school you've probably played 4-5 games already, if you're a youth player probably more like 1-2 games. Now's the time to take your game to the next level, you've had a few games under your belt to see what you need to fine tune. Hit the wall, get a bucket of balls and go shoot, work on your conditioning or your agility's.....whatever it may be now's the time to work....and work hard! How good do you want to be? Every time I speak at a clinic or to a client of mine I always ask that question. The answer is simple, you control your own destiny. How good you want to be is all about how hard you want to work to become a better player.
Have a question? Email me at bd@lax-school.com
Learn: lax-school.com
Connect: facebook.com/laxschool
Follow: twitter.com/laxschool
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Big City Classic
I'm looking forward to the weekend down in New Jersey as the top four ranked teams will all be playing on Saturday at the brand spanking new Meadowlands stadium. You can't ask for more at this point in the college lacrosse season with a little over a month left in the regular season. No matter what there's sure to be some shaking up in the rankings after this weekend's games. Plus.....being a Jets fan, I can't wait to see where the boys in green will be playing all of their future home games at.....we'll have to get some behind the scenes footage to show you on lax-school.com.
There are three college games on Saturday, the first game pits conference rivals vs. each other as #10 Hofstra faces Delaware. The 2nd game is the match up that I'm most eager to see as #1 Virginia plays #2 North Carolina. Both teams are 10-0 and honestly I can't wait to see this game. Last year UVA squeaked out a 1 goal victory against the Heels at the Big City Classic. It was a great game and what I remember most about it was the fact that Billy Bitter broke Ken Clausen's ankles not once but twice going to the cage for two big goals (the highlights made ESPN!). I'm sure Clausen remembers this as well which will make this match up one for the ages. The last game of the day has #3 Syracuse vs. #4 Princeton, which should also be another great match up. Chris Bates has Princeton playing a run and gun style of lacrosse similar to what you're accustomed to seeing with the 'Cuse so there should be some excitement in this high scoring affair. Inside Lacrosse has to be happy with the match ups as any lacrosse fan would be insane to miss this event. This year's Big City Classic has final four "flare" to it and could possibly be a preview of this year's big dance down in Baltimore......we shall see. You can still get tickets at www.bigcityclassic.com
Last night Jack Reid and I were over at Lexington Youth running a practice for the U13/U15 programs to help select their in-house all-star team. Every player there gave it 100% which as a coach you can definitely appreciate. Whenever you're trying out for a select or all-star team the most important thing you can do is hustle and give it everything you have in the drills. You may not have the best stick or be the fastest player or have the best "lacrosse IQ" but coaches look for players who work hard and show that they want to be on that team and fit in a specific role. There are always a few spots for players like this on every team.....keep that in mind.
Speaking of Reider, the Blazers have their last home game this weekend vs. the Minnesota swarm. If you're in town make it down there and give the hometown boys some support! Jack was telling me they have to basically win out (last 3 games) to clinch a playoff spot and a possible 1st round home playoff game. They still have a shot if they win two of their last three but they can control their own destiny with three wins. Go to www.blazerslacrosse.com and get your tickets.
Three weeks left until training camp opens up for the Boston Cannons, I can't wait and get more and more excited each day. Opening weekend at camp is our season ticket holder appreciation event. This is where the season ticket holders get a chance to mingle with players and cheerleaders and it's our way of saying thank you. After that Princeton plays Harvard and then we officially open up training camp. Hope to see you there!
Coaches, make sure you're spending enough time in practice on stick work. If you're pressed for time try combining your conditioning and stick work together. Players need to get used to handling the rock while they're tired, no better way to do this then with running. Need some tips or some drills? Email me at bd@lax-school.com
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There are three college games on Saturday, the first game pits conference rivals vs. each other as #10 Hofstra faces Delaware. The 2nd game is the match up that I'm most eager to see as #1 Virginia plays #2 North Carolina. Both teams are 10-0 and honestly I can't wait to see this game. Last year UVA squeaked out a 1 goal victory against the Heels at the Big City Classic. It was a great game and what I remember most about it was the fact that Billy Bitter broke Ken Clausen's ankles not once but twice going to the cage for two big goals (the highlights made ESPN!). I'm sure Clausen remembers this as well which will make this match up one for the ages. The last game of the day has #3 Syracuse vs. #4 Princeton, which should also be another great match up. Chris Bates has Princeton playing a run and gun style of lacrosse similar to what you're accustomed to seeing with the 'Cuse so there should be some excitement in this high scoring affair. Inside Lacrosse has to be happy with the match ups as any lacrosse fan would be insane to miss this event. This year's Big City Classic has final four "flare" to it and could possibly be a preview of this year's big dance down in Baltimore......we shall see. You can still get tickets at www.bigcityclassic.com
Last night Jack Reid and I were over at Lexington Youth running a practice for the U13/U15 programs to help select their in-house all-star team. Every player there gave it 100% which as a coach you can definitely appreciate. Whenever you're trying out for a select or all-star team the most important thing you can do is hustle and give it everything you have in the drills. You may not have the best stick or be the fastest player or have the best "lacrosse IQ" but coaches look for players who work hard and show that they want to be on that team and fit in a specific role. There are always a few spots for players like this on every team.....keep that in mind.
Speaking of Reider, the Blazers have their last home game this weekend vs. the Minnesota swarm. If you're in town make it down there and give the hometown boys some support! Jack was telling me they have to basically win out (last 3 games) to clinch a playoff spot and a possible 1st round home playoff game. They still have a shot if they win two of their last three but they can control their own destiny with three wins. Go to www.blazerslacrosse.com and get your tickets.
Three weeks left until training camp opens up for the Boston Cannons, I can't wait and get more and more excited each day. Opening weekend at camp is our season ticket holder appreciation event. This is where the season ticket holders get a chance to mingle with players and cheerleaders and it's our way of saying thank you. After that Princeton plays Harvard and then we officially open up training camp. Hope to see you there!
Coaches, make sure you're spending enough time in practice on stick work. If you're pressed for time try combining your conditioning and stick work together. Players need to get used to handling the rock while they're tired, no better way to do this then with running. Need some tips or some drills? Email me at bd@lax-school.com
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Saturday, April 3, 2010
Enjoy the Holiday Weekend
What a great day I had yesterday. The clinic Casey Powell and I put on at Waltham HS(with the help of Brett Queener and a few volunteer youth coaches) was awesome! We had over 90 kids who were all enthusiastic, very attentive and worked hard!! When you have a group who wants to learn and works their tails off during all of the drills, it makes the clinic that more enjoyable. Prior to the clinic we were able to catch up with CP and get his thoughts on what it takes to get your game to the next level, we'll have that up on the site soon so stay tuned. I also want to say thanks to all the coaches who helped out, thanks to my assistant coach Duff and the coach at Waltham, Mike Luccetti for providing us with a great facility to use.
Last night my staff and I went and scouted the Duke-Harvard game over at Harvard. Before that though we joined the tailgate the Cannon's front office put on and had a couple of adult beverages. There's nothing better than nice weather, lacrosse and tailgating.... the three just seem to go together so well. That's why Cannon's games are so much fun.....which I'm told by our fans. Back to the game, Duke looked pretty impressive last night, they were a lot faster than Harvard, unfortunately it looked like men against boys. I believe Duke has hit their midseason stride with their 3rd win in a row.
Two huge games today in Division one; my beloved Tarheels are at Johns Hopkins to take on the Blue Jays. With the Heels playing so well, there's a chance there could be easily 10-12,000 at Homewood field today. Despite Hopkins record, this will still be a great game. These two teams always seem to have battles and I'm sure today won't be different. It'll be interesting to see if both Billy Bitter and Sean Dulaney play or if they're both still nursing their injuries. Obvioulsy with them in the line up, the Heels are a stronger team but with the way the other players have been stepping up this year it's hard to tell on the scoreboard. It's funny, the Tarheels were definitely a big topic of conversation last night while coaches stopped by the Cannon's tent. When asked, I explained how this year's team reminds me so much of the 1991 team that I was on as a sophomore and went undefeated (16-0). The reason I say this is when you're able to play three midfields, five attackman and five longpoles you have depth. At the end of the year that is important and when it comes to crunch time in the playoffs all of these players have had the experience and are ready to step up. Hopefully this is the case with this year's team....we shall see.
The other big game is the Cavaliers vs. the Twerps from Maryland (Yes LB that's right!). Maryland is coming off of a heat breaking lost last week at the hands of North Carolina and Virginia is another team on a serious roll. Virginia is another team right now that has a lot of depth and is filtering through a lot of players. Although I do believe Maryland is very talented, I don't think they're as deep and cannot afford to get into an up an down game with UVA....if they do they will lose for sure. If both Carolina and Virginia win today it will set the tone for next weekend's match up with #1 & #2 at the Konica Minolta Big City Classic in the Meadowlands.....THAT would be sweet. Tickets are still available at www.bigcityclassic.com
Time to get the day going, lots to do before I head into the city and watch another great lacrosse game at the Boston Garden as the Blazers take on the Titans for 1st place in the Eastern Conference. Should be a battle, Casey and Brett Queener were talking smack at yesterday's clinic so it's on! Hope to see you there.
Need a little help with shooting, or playing defense or just trying to find your role? Shoot me an email, bd@lax-school.com
Learn: lax-school.com
Connect: facebook.com/laxschool
Follow: twitter.com/laxschool
Last night my staff and I went and scouted the Duke-Harvard game over at Harvard. Before that though we joined the tailgate the Cannon's front office put on and had a couple of adult beverages. There's nothing better than nice weather, lacrosse and tailgating.... the three just seem to go together so well. That's why Cannon's games are so much fun.....which I'm told by our fans. Back to the game, Duke looked pretty impressive last night, they were a lot faster than Harvard, unfortunately it looked like men against boys. I believe Duke has hit their midseason stride with their 3rd win in a row.
Two huge games today in Division one; my beloved Tarheels are at Johns Hopkins to take on the Blue Jays. With the Heels playing so well, there's a chance there could be easily 10-12,000 at Homewood field today. Despite Hopkins record, this will still be a great game. These two teams always seem to have battles and I'm sure today won't be different. It'll be interesting to see if both Billy Bitter and Sean Dulaney play or if they're both still nursing their injuries. Obvioulsy with them in the line up, the Heels are a stronger team but with the way the other players have been stepping up this year it's hard to tell on the scoreboard. It's funny, the Tarheels were definitely a big topic of conversation last night while coaches stopped by the Cannon's tent. When asked, I explained how this year's team reminds me so much of the 1991 team that I was on as a sophomore and went undefeated (16-0). The reason I say this is when you're able to play three midfields, five attackman and five longpoles you have depth. At the end of the year that is important and when it comes to crunch time in the playoffs all of these players have had the experience and are ready to step up. Hopefully this is the case with this year's team....we shall see.
The other big game is the Cavaliers vs. the Twerps from Maryland (Yes LB that's right!). Maryland is coming off of a heat breaking lost last week at the hands of North Carolina and Virginia is another team on a serious roll. Virginia is another team right now that has a lot of depth and is filtering through a lot of players. Although I do believe Maryland is very talented, I don't think they're as deep and cannot afford to get into an up an down game with UVA....if they do they will lose for sure. If both Carolina and Virginia win today it will set the tone for next weekend's match up with #1 & #2 at the Konica Minolta Big City Classic in the Meadowlands.....THAT would be sweet. Tickets are still available at www.bigcityclassic.com
Time to get the day going, lots to do before I head into the city and watch another great lacrosse game at the Boston Garden as the Blazers take on the Titans for 1st place in the Eastern Conference. Should be a battle, Casey and Brett Queener were talking smack at yesterday's clinic so it's on! Hope to see you there.
Need a little help with shooting, or playing defense or just trying to find your role? Shoot me an email, bd@lax-school.com
Learn: lax-school.com
Connect: facebook.com/laxschool
Follow: twitter.com/laxschool
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