Safety is the main goal of every official. At Atlanta Youth Lacrosse, we believe that if we keep the games safe and fair, that players will naturally have fun. For youth sports there is a strong emphasis on safety. In fact, here is how we want every official to focus on:

1. Safety
2. Safety
3. Safety
4. Fairness
5. All of the above when maintained = Fun!

So with my safety speech taken care of, lets dig into some previous posts regarding personal fouls. The following are all videos that I put together along with a few AYL players to teach everyone what the various personal fouls look like, particularly at the youth level.

• Illegal Body Check
• Unnecessary Roughness
• Tripping
• Slashing
• Crosschecking
• Warding Off - not a personal foul, but a good explanation of what a ward is versus what it is not.

Hopefully the videos above, and the posts associated with them, will help inform any new players and parents, and reinforce the information that some of our more experienced players know.

Next up are some posts I’ve written about avoiding penalties, what to expect from an official in youth games, and how to behave on a lacrosse field.

• Avoiding Penalties
• Retaliation
• Brush versus Slash

If anyone has any comments or questions, feel free to post them below. Or, you can find me at the field between games.

Featured Image Credit – www.laxallstars.com

Cheers,
Gordon

The first time I watched this video I was astonished at how hard the young man (high-schooler) was working to become a better running back. The second time I watched this video, I was amazed at the content of the speech. It is truly an inspirational and motivational talk that should make anyone contemplating being successful think about how badly they want it.

Here is the full transcript of the above speech. Lacrosse players – I ask you – how badly do you want to make your school’s team? How badly do you want to play in college? How badly do you want to reach your goals?

The following text was provided by Lybio.net

There was a young man, you know, who wanted to make a lot of money and so he went to this guru, right. And he told the guru you know I wanna be on the same level you are and the guru said if you wanna be on the same level I’m on, I’ll met you tomorrow at the beach.

So the young man got there 4 A.M. he already to rock n’ roll. Got on a suit should of wore shorts. The old man grabs his hand and said: How bad do you wanna be successful? He said: “Real bad”. He said: Walk on out in the water. So he walks out into the water. Watch this. When he walks out to the water he goes waist deep and goes like this guy crazy.

Hey, I wanna make money and he got me out here swimming. I didn’t ask to be a lifeguard. I wanna make money he got me in – so he said come on a little further – walked out a little further – then he had it right around this area – the shoulder area – so this old man crazy – he making money but he crazy. So he said come on out a little further – came out a little further, it was right at his mouth – my man, I’m not about to go back in this guy is out of his mind. And the old man said: “I thought you said you wanted to be successful?” He said: “I do.” He said: “Then walk a little further.” He came, dropped his head in, held him down, hold him down, my man (kept scratching) hold him down, he had him held down, just before my man was about to pass out, he raised him up. He said: “I got a question for you.” He told the guy, he said: “When you want to succeed as bad as you wanna breathe than you will be successful.”

I don’t know how many of you all got asthma here today? If you ever had a asthma attack before your short of breath S.O.B shortness of breath, you wheezing (breath sound) the only thing you trying to do is get some air. You don’t care about no basketball game, you don’t care about what’s on T.V., you don’t care about nobody calling you, you don’t care about a party. The only thing you care about when you trying to breathe is to get some fresh air. That’s it! And when you get to the point where all you wanna do is be is successful as bad as you wanna breathe then you will be successful. And I’m here to tell you that number one, most of you say you wanna be successful but you don’t want it bad, you just kind of want it. You don’t want it bad than you wanna party. You don’t want it as much as you want to be cool. Most of you don’t want success as much as you want sleep. Some of you lost sleep more than you lost success. And I’m here to tell you today, if your going to be successful you gotta be willing to give up sleep. You gotta be willing to work with 3 hours of sleep – 2 hours of sleep, if you really wanna be successful. Some day your gonna have to stay up 3 days in a row. Because if you go to sleep you might miss the opportunity to be successful. That’s how bad you gotta (inaudible).

You gotta go days without – LISTEN TO ME! You gotta want to be successful so bad that you forget to eat. My ( ) said say, once she was on the set doing her thang, three days had gone by and she forgot that she didn’t eat. Cause she was engaged. I never forget, I went, 50 Cent was doing his movie, I did a little research on 50 and 50 said: that when he wasn’t do the movie he was doing the soundtrack. And they said: “When do you sleep?” 50, and 50 said: “Sleep, sleep is for those people who are broke. I don’t sleep.” See I got an opportunity to make my dream become a reality. Don’t cry to quits. You already in pain, you already hurt. Get a reward from it. Don’t go to sleep until you succeed. Source: LYBIO.net Listen to me, I’m here to tell you today you can come here and and you can jump up – you can do flips and you can be excited when we give away money but listen to me, you will never be successful, I don’t have to give you a dime if you ( ) You won’t be successful until you say I don’t need that money cause I got it in here.

Only The Strong Survive.

Featured Image Credit – www.jobtrakr.com

Cheers,
Gordon

On the officials side, I was once again swamped and inundated by the amount of experience in the rooms. I got to attend Al Blau’s presentation on “How to Handle the Difficult Situation,” which was absolutely fantastic. He gave great advice for every official on how to handle difficult coaches, players, fans, and even fellow officials that may prove adversarial. I gained a lot of new techniques that will hopefully make me a better official this year.

Jerry Markbreit

The best part on the official’s side of things was the very first keynote address for officials. The keynote speaker was Jerry Markbreit a long-time NFL referee, who is now in charge of NFL officials training. He related hilarious story after hilarious story, including one where he nearly got into a fight on the field with a player! It was one of those speeches that you could hear 100 times and still be entertained by it. It was a great way to wrap up the day.

While the presentations and speeches ended, that was not the end of the second day. The coaches and I relaxed in the hotel for a bit, and then got together with a few other friends to one of the oldest family-owned restaurants in the United States – Ralph’s. I have never seen veal parmesan as large as a loaf of bread. I got a tremendous ziti with mushrooms and shrimp. Word of the day on the food? Strong! After the truly exceptional meal at Ralph’s we all headed back to the hotel lobby where we hung out with fellow coaches and officials. I went back to the room a little early to study, and prepare for the Level 1 training that I was going to teach on Sunday night.

For Day 3 there was not too much going on. The convention was winding down, and the Philadelphia Convention Center was being turned around to host another event. I did attend the “Train the Trainer” presentation, which detailed everything that US Lacrosse is working on to improve the development of new and experienced lacrosse officials. I gained a few useful bits of information before having to head back to the airport for our one o’clock flight. Only, thanks to Andy, we didn’t have to wait till one o’clock. We got through security so fast that Coach Andy asked the attendant if we could get on the 11:40am flight. They had plenty of room on the flight, and we were stoked that we did not have to wait in the airport lounge at all.

All of us made it back safely on an uneventful flight. Satisfied in a great weekend full of lacrosse and lacrosse knowledge. As I did last year I highly recommend attending the convention for any aspiring coach or official. On top of seeing a lot of cool lacrosse swag, there is an abundance of knowledge for everyone who attends the presentations. I would like to thank Coach Lou for taking Shaun Lux, Andy Halperin, and I to the convention, and I want to thank all three of those guys for making this year’s convention an absolute blast.

Cheers,
Gordon

After spending a little time on the Convention floor, it was time for me to go to a variety of officiating sessions. I will not bore you with the details, but I learned a tremendous amount of new techniques that will make me a better official, and hopefully, make our youth refs better as well.

Herm Edwards

After all of the classes were over it was time for the keynote address by Herm Edwards. I must say I was incredibly excited to listen to this man speak, and I was not disappointed. From my perspective, Mr. Edward’s address focused on three main things:

• How to coach
• How to let the kids play
• How to grow and honor the game

His entire presentation asked every coach and official in the building to ask ourselves – “When I leave this game, will I leave it better than I found it?” That was the center of his speech. What will we leave behind to our children as our legacy in this sport? Will we improve it for the better, or just go through the motions? Will we play and coach passionately, or will we be content to let someone else do that?

I believe Mr. Edwards hit the bullseye with his speech, when he said “it starts with the little ones.” Atlanta Youth Lacrosse is a great youth organization because we do our best to focus on the kids, and their development as stewards of the game. Mr. Edwards spoke about sports reflecting life, and how life will be both good and bad. Just like sports. He said he wants his own children to hear the word no from a coach. He wants his own children to get benched by a coach if necessary. Essentially, he wants his children to experience adversity through sports. So they can deal with adversity when it comes in life.

After his passionate speech came to an end, he opened things up for audience questions. We were very fortunate, as there were some excellent questions. One of the questions went along the lines of “how do you motivate players who feel they are entitled?” Mr. Edwards gave a brief chuckle at the question, but his response was poignant.

He said that sports is about inconvenience. I will repeat that. Sports is about inconvenience. He told a story where he got his entire team up at 3:00am, herded them onto the bus for a five hour drive to play the New York Giants in a practice. He had the entire sleepy team dress in a cold gym, and get taped up on a freezing floor. Then he huddled everyone up. He said “are you tired?” Yes, came a weary reply. Mr. Edwards said guess what? In ten minutes you are going outside to play the New York Giants, and they got to sleep in late in their comfortable dorms, eat a full breakfast, and dress in a warm locker room. They are comfortable, and if you go out and play the way you sound right now – you are going to get the bejeezus knocked out of you. Mr. Edwards said that he created some inconvenience because he wanted his players to experience unpleasantness, but play through it. He didn’t want any excuses or rationalizations – no. He wanted his players to deal with inconvenience. Here’s a short clip about excuses that I found while searching for some motivational videos. If this doesn’t make you realize that your inconveniences are not that great I don’t know what will.

Well, I hope you are enjoying the Convention live blogging, as I am having a blast writing about these experiences. Stay tuned later today or early tomorrow for Day 2!

Cheers,
Gordon

Pat's King Of Steaks

Upon arriving in Phillly, Coach Lou made good on his promise and had our cab driver make a beeline to Pat’s King of Steaks. An unbelievably good spot for an authentic Philly cheesesteak. I had a Pepper Cheesesteak. The first, last, and middle bites were all heaven. I’m hoping that we have a few more opportunities for quality cheesesteaks while we’re here.

After our cheesesteak excursion, we checked into our hotel and proceeded towards the Convention registration. Here we all got the goodie bag, which included a myriad of lacrosse publications, a lanyard for our ID tag, gloves, and, for some reason, a frisbee.

With our registration complete we headed towards the hotel lobby to share drinks and hilarious story after hilarious story. As usual, Coach Lou had all of us dying with some clever jokes. Being in the lobby, we ran into a lot of friends and acquaintances. That is by far the best thing about the lacrosse community, it is so close knit. We couldn’t go ten minutes without someone going “Louie!, Shaun!”

Eventually though, your trusty blogger had to call it a night and get some studying done. Make sure to tune in tomorrow night for a write up on the first official day of the convention!

Cheers,
Gordon

I have always wondered about toughness, as there are many forms of it.  We say the word a lot and sometimes it’s meaning is lost.  You can stand up for someone and that can be a form of toughness.  You can be a big imposing player or small scrappy player that sticks his nose into every play.  You can just will yourself to do something above and beyond your physical and mental limits.  While this article relates to basketball both sports (basketball and lacrosse) are very similar.  I have made some points in this article to alert you to things that we expect from you.

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You may be born tough, but I believe that toughness is a skill, and it is a skill that can be developed and improved. Michigan State coach Tom Izzo always says, “Players play, but tough players win.” He is right. Here are some of the ways true toughness is exhibited in basketball:

Set a good screen: The toughest players to guard are the players who set good screens. When you set a good screen, you are improving the chances for a teammate to get open, and you are greatly improving your chances of getting open. A good screen can force the defense to make a mistake. A lazy or bad screen is a waste of everyone’s time and energy. To be a tough player, you need to be a “screener/scorer,” a player who screens hard and immediately looks for an opportunity on offense. On the 1984 U.S. Olympic Team, Bob Knight made Michael Jordan set a screen before he could get a shot. If it is good enough for Jordan, arguably the toughest player ever, it is good enough for you.

Set up your cut: The toughest players make hard cuts, and set up their cuts. Basketball is about deception. Take your defender one way, and then plant the foot opposite of the direction you want to go and cut hard. A hard cut may get you a basket, but it may also get a teammate a basket. If you do not make a hard cut, you will not get anyone open. Setting up your cut, making the proper read of the defense, and making a hard cut require alertness, good conditioning and good concentration. Davidson’s Stephen Curry is hardly a physical muscle-man, but he is a tough player because he is in constant motion, he changes speeds, he sets up his cuts, and he cuts hard. Curry is hard to guard, and he is a tough player.

Talk on defense: The toughest players talk on defense, and communicate with their teammates. It is almost impossible to talk on defense and not be in a stance, down and ready, with a vision of man and ball. If you talk, you let your teammates know you are there, and make them and yourself better defenders. It also lets your opponent know that you are fully engaged.  Having a goalie gives the defense an advantage as he is their eyes and see where the ball is at all times.  If the Goalie and the entire team talks they will be hard to score on.

Jump to the ball: When on defense, the tough defenders move as the ball moves. The toughest players move on the flight of the ball, not when it gets to its destination. And the toughest players jump to the ball and take away the ball side of the cut. Tough players don’t let cutters cut across their face — they make the cutter change his path.

Don’t get screened: No coach can give a player the proper footwork to get through every screen. Tough players have a sense of urgency not to get screened and to get through screens so that the cutter cannot catch the ball where he wants to. A tough player makes the catch difficult. This is what we talk about when we tell defenders to take away the top side or force a offensive player to where they want him to go.

Get your hands up: A pass discouraged is just as good as a pass denied. Tough players play with their hands up to take away vision, get deflections and to discourage a pass in order to allow a teammate to cover up. Cutters and post players will get open, if only for a count. If your hands are up, you can keep the passer from seeing a momentary opening. Keep your stick in the passing lane and you may get a nugget (intercepted pass or knocked down pass. Make the feeder work for every pass.

Play the ball, see your man: Most defenders see the ball and hug their man, because they are afraid to get beat. A tough defender plays the ball and sees his man. There is a difference. Head on a swivel.

Get on the floor: In my first road game as a freshman, there was a loose ball that I thought I could pick up and take the other way for an easy one. While I was bending over at the waist, one of my opponents dived on the floor and got possession of the ball. My coach was livid. We lost possession of the ball because I wasn’t tough enough to get on the floor for it. I tried like hell never to get out-toughed like that again. The first player to get to the floor is usually the one to come up with any loose ball. Close out under control: It is too easy to fly at a shooter and think you are a tough defender. A tough defender closes out under control, takes away a straight line drive and takes away the shot. A tough player has a sense of urgency but has the discipline to do it the right way. See the similarities…get to the ground ball first and you will win most ground ball opportunities.

Post your man, not a spot: Most post players just blindly run to the low block and get into a shoving match for a spot on the floor. The toughest post players are posting their defensive man. A tough post player is always open, and working to get the ball to the proper angle to get a post feed. Tough post players seal on ball reversal and call for the ball, and they continue to post strong even if their teammates miss them. Keep moving 1 thousand 1 and then get out and create space.

Run the floor: Tough players sprint the floor, which drags the defense and opens up things for others. Tough players run hard and get “easy” baskets, even though there is nothing easy about them. Easy baskets are hard to get. Tough players don’t take tough shots — they work hard to make them easy. Transition and playing between the whistles.

Play so hard, your coach has to take you out: I was a really hard worker in high school and college. But I worked and trained exceptionally hard to make playing easier. I was wrong. I once read that Bob Knight had criticized a player of his by saying, “You just want to be comfortable out there!” Well, that was me, and when I read that, it clicked with me. I needed to work to increase my capacity for work, not to make it easier to play. I needed to work in order to be more productive in my time on the floor. Tough players play so hard that their coaches have to take them out to get rest so they can put them back in. The toughest players don’t pace themselves.

Get to your teammate first: When your teammate lays his body on the line to dive on the floor or take a charge, the tough players get to him first to help him back up. If your teammate misses a free throw, tough players get to him right away. Tough players are also great teammates.

Take responsibility for your teammates: Tough players expect a lot from their teammates, but they also put them first. When the bus leaves at 9 a.m., tough players not only get themselves there, but they also make sure their teammates are up and get there, too. Tough players take responsibility for others in addition to themselves. They make sure their teammates eat first, and they give credit to their teammates before taking it themselves.

Take a charge: Tough players are in a stance, playing the ball, and alert in coming over from the weak side and taking a charge. Tough players understand the difference between being in the right spot and being in the right spot with the intention of stopping somebody. Some players will look puzzled and say, “But I was in the right spot.” Tough players know that they have to get to the right spot with the sense of urgency to stop someone.

The toughest players never shy away from taking a charge. Get in a stance: Tough players don’t play straight up and down and put themselves in the position of having to get ready to get ready. Tough players are down in a stance on both ends of the floor, with feet staggered and ready to move. Tough players are the aggressor, and the aggressor is in a stance. Pressure Defense never giving an inch. Same with riding the ball.

Finish plays: Tough players don’t just get fouled, they get fouled and complete the play. They don’t give up on a play or assume that a teammate will do it. A tough player plays through to the end of the play and works to finish every play. Finish your check, make a safe and clear the ball.  Score when you are one on one with the goalie.

Work on your pass: A tough player doesn’t have his passes deflected. A tough player gets down, pivots, pass-fakes, and works to get the proper angle to pass away from the defense and deliver the ball. Move your feet and pass on the run.

Throw yourself into your team’s defense: A tough player fills his tank on the defensive end, not on offense. A tough player is not deterred by a missed shot. A tough player values his performance first by how well he defended. Again how hard will you ride and will allow your opponent to beat you.

Take and give criticism the right way: Tough players can take criticism without feeling the need to answer back or give excuses. They are open to getting better and expect to be challenged and hear tough things. You will never again in your life have the opportunity you have now at the youth , high school college level: a coaching staff that is totally and completely dedicated to making you and your team better. Tough players listen and are not afraid to say what other teammates may not want to hear, but need to hear.

Show strength in your body language: Tough players project confidence and security with their body language. They do not hang their heads, do not react negatively to a mistake of a teammate, and do not whine and complain to officials. Tough players project strength, and do not cause their teammates to worry about them. Tough players do their jobs, and their body language communicates that to their teammates — and to their opponents.

Catch and face: Teams that press and trap are banking on the receiver’s falling apart and making a mistake. When pressed, tough players set up their cuts, cut hard to an open area and present themselves as a receiver to the passer. Tough players catch, face the defense, and make the right read and play, and they do it with poise. Tough players do not just catch and dribble; they catch and face.  Everyone can cradle. Can you dodge and draw a man or force a double team so you can get an assist.

Don’t get split: If you trap, a tough player gets shoulder-to-shoulder with his teammate and does not allow the handler to split the trap and gain an advantage on the back side of the trap. Don’t let an opponent out of a double team.

Be alert: Tough players are not “cool.” Tough players are alert and active, and tough players communicate with teammates so that they are alert, too. Tough players echo commands until everyone is on the same page. They understand the best teams play five as one. Tough players are alert in transition and get back to protect the basket and the 3-point line. Tough players don’t just run back to find their man, they run back to stop the ball and protect the basket.  See the similarities – get in the hole, play defense inside out, ECHO the call.

Concentrate, and encourage your teammates to concentrate: Concentration is a skill, and tough players work hard to concentrate on every play. Tough players go as hard as they can for as long as they can. Don’t take players off, know the situation, play fast and between the whistles.

It’s not your shot; it’s our shot: Tough players don’t take bad shots, and they certainly don’t worry about getting “my” shots. Tough players work for good shots and understand that it is not “my” shot, it is “our” shot. Tough players celebrate when “we” score.

Box out and go to the glass every time: Tough players are disciplined enough to lay a body on someone. They make first contact and go after the ball. And tough players do it on every possession, not just when they feel like it. They understand defense is not complete until they secure the ball. We can’t clear the ball unless we put it on the ground or make a save.  Don’t let someone come inside and score without paying for it.

Take responsibility for your actions: Tough players make no excuses. They take responsibility for their actions. Take James Johnson for example. With 17 seconds to go in Wake’s game against Duke on Wednesday, Jon Scheyer missed a 3-pointer that bounced right to Johnson. But instead of aggressively pursuing the ball with a sense of urgency, Johnson stood there and waited for the ball to come to him. It never did. Scheyer grabbed it, called a timeout and the Blue Devils hit a game-tying shot on a possession they never should’ve had. Going after the loose ball is toughness — and Johnson didn’t show it on that play. But what happened next? He re-focused, slipped a screen for the winning basket, and after the game — when he could’ve been basking only in the glow of victory — manned up to the mistake that could’ve cost his team the win.”That was my responsibility — I should have had that,” Johnson said of the goof. No excuses. Shouldering the responsibility. That’s toughness.

Look your coaches and teammates in the eye: Tough players never drop their heads. They always look coaches and teammates in the eye, because if they are talking, it is important to them and to you. Everyone is important on the team so give everyone respect.

Move on to the next play: Tough players don’t waste time celebrating a good play or lamenting a bad one. They understand that basketball is too fast a game to waste time and opportunities with celebratory gestures or angry reactions. Tough players move on to the next play. They know that the most important play in any game is the next one.  Same in lacrosse.

Be hard to play against, and easy to play with: Tough players make their teammates’ jobs easier, and their opponents’ jobs tougher.  Go hard on every play in practice so your teammates get better.  Don’t take plays off.

Make every game important: Tough players don’t categorize opponents and games. They know that if they are playing, it is important. Tough players understand that if they want to play in championship games, they must treat every game as a championship game. This is an awesome point.

Make getting better every day your goal: Tough players come to work every day to get better, and keep their horizons short. They meet victory and defeat the same way: They get up the next day and go to work to be better than they were the day before. Tough players hate losing but are not shaken or deterred by a loss. Tough players enjoy winning but are never satisfied. For tough players, a championship or a trophy is not a goal; it is a destination. The goal is to get better every day. Do something special every time you are on the field.

When I was playing, the players I respected most were not the best or most talented players. The players I respected most were the toughest players. I don’t remember anything about the players who talked a good game or blocked a shot and acted like a fool. I remember the players who were tough to play against.

Anybody can talk. Not anybody can be tough.

Featured Image Credit - trailheads.runnersworld.com

See you on the field,
Coach Lou

To all of the players out there reading this – you’ve likely heard the drug speech. Which entails something like drugs aren’t cool, there is a reason people call it dope, and drugs will rot your brain. I remember taking a pledge in elementary school during D.A.R.E. week, sponsored by Drug Abuse Resistance Education. It went something like this:

I know who I am and I know that I want to stay healthy and happy. 
I can stand up for myself and stick to my decision to live a drug-free life. 
I can ask for support from my family, friends, teachers and even the police. 
I pledge to say “No” to offers to use drugs and alcohol. 
I can help others say “No” to drugs and alcohol.

While the avoiding drugs arguments are good, and the pledge is quite empowering I do not believe any of it works unless a child has a passion.

That passion can be anything. Maybe it is lacrosse, skateboarding, writing, painting, running, singing, dancing, archery, fishing, or any of a million other things. The point here is to latch onto an activity that moves your soul, and defend it from drugs and alcohol at all costs. I’ll give you a personal anecdote about how I abstained from all of these vices as I went through my younger years and teens.

I loved martial arts. In fact, there is a picture of me as a baby wearing a karate uniform – it goes that far back. Without Tae Kwon Do in elementary and middle school, and kickboxing and jiu-jitsu in high school, I can tell you unequivocally that I would have tried drugs, alcohol or cigarettes at least once. Yet I steered clear of all of them because I was ridiculously passionate about my martial arts training.

Through martial arts I made friends that were similar to me, and were very good people. It was these people that constantly kept me on the straight and narrow path. I never had to worry about a friend saying, “hey you want to try some weed,” because my friends were all too busy trying to get better at martial arts. I never tried cigarettes because I didn’t want to negatively impact my conditioning in kickboxing. I never tried alcohol or drugs because if my parents ever found out they would stop paying for my martial arts classes.

My passion became a shield that kept drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes away, but also had a very positive side-effect: I became more discerning when choosing friends outside of my martial arts academy. If someone I knew was involved in something foolish, I knew to not associate with them. Players, you may not realize it now, but the friends you keep say a lot about you. Your friends will either try to get you do to good, productive things or stupid, ill-advised things. Pick the good ones.

So to all of the players out there let me ask you – do you have a passion? Are you willing to defend it from anything that would take it away from you? In short, are you Above The Influence?

Featured Image Credit – www.brandon123.deviantart.com

Cheers,
Gordon

Lacrosse, like every other sport, is a game of emotions. Good and bad emotions rise up on every sound of the whistle, and at higher levels of play the onus is on the player to behave like a good sport and not retaliate when slighted. Going back to the video above, lets look at a few different actions the defender could have taken:

• Inform an official during a dead ball that his opponent should be watched for unsportsmanlike behavior
• Walk away (a smart option, in my opinion)
• Resolve to get a great stick check against his opponent on the next possession (best option because it focuses the mind on positive action for his team)

One objective of youth lacrosse is teaching kids how to channel their emotions into something positive. I firmly believe that young players learn best through their mistakes, but only if they are called out on their mistakes in a way that creates positive action. Take for instance a young player who gets slashed during a game. This player decides to turn around and punch his opponent in the helmet in full view of the official. That player does not have full control over their emotions. He did not think through his actions, and as a result cost his team the ball, a three-minute penalty, and an expulsion for punching another player.

What counts in this situation is the reaction by the coach, who must now call his young player out on his behavior. The best line I ever heard was from a youth coach that said, “Johnny, I love that you play this game so passionately, but the official is always going to see you retaliate. I want you to promise me that if another player wrongs you that you come to me first, and let me handle it.” This statement is perfect for a youth player to recognize that they made a mistake, but also give them a tool to handle future problems on the field.

Notice also what the coach did not do to his player. He did not yell, scream, or berate his player in any way. He took a big negative that hurt his team, but turned it into something positive. Remember coaches, if your player retaliates against an opponent, don’t make the mistake of retaliating against your player. Coach him up, and give the young kid a tool to better handle a rough situation in another game.

Featured Image Credit - www.youtube.com

Cheers,
Gordon

An interesting survey was done in 1999. It found that only 35% of Americans followed through with their New Year’s Resolutions. That is just over one third of all Americans! One of the biggest problems with New Year’s Resolutions is they are gigantic and overwhelming. For instance,  many people will resolve to lose 30lbs. This is a great goal, but it will take time, effort, and sacrifice to be successful. Often, no matter what the goal, people fail at attaining it because they did not plan out the goal.

So how can our players be successful in attaining their lacrosse goals for this year. Maybe they want to score ten goals during the season, run a sub-six mile, or just become a better passer. How will you reach your goals. This list from PsychCentral.com is a really great start for keeping your resolution to become a better player:

1. Keep your resolutions simple. Sometimes people find themselves aiming for an overhaul of their entire lifestyle, and this is simply a recipe for disappointment and guilt. It may be understandable at this time of year, when self-improvement is on your mind, but experience shows these things can’t all be achieved at once. The best approach is to focus clearly on one or two of your most important goals.
2. Choose carefully. But which to choose? Well, you might like to concentrate on those that will have the greatest impact on your happiness, health and fulfillment. For example, giving up smoking will obviously improve your health, but it will also give you a sense of pride and will make you happy (but perhaps not immediately!)
3. Be realistic. Don’t aim too high and ignore reality – consider your previous experience with resolutions. What led to failure then? It may be that you resolved to lose too much weight or save an unrealistic amount of money. Remember, there will always be more opportunities to start on the next phase, so set realistic goals. Or if you don’t want to hold back, set clear short-term goals on your way to a big achievement. Which leads to tip number four.
4. Create bite-sized portions. Break goals down to manageable chunks. This is perhaps the most essential ingredient for success, as the more planning you do now, the more likely you are to get there in the end. The planning process is when you build up that all-important willpower which you will undoubtedly need to fall back on along the way. Set clear, realistic goals such as losing 5 pounds, saving $30 a month, or going for a run once a week. Decide exactly how you will make this happen.
5. Plan a time-frame. In fact, the time-frame is vital for motivation. It is your barometer for success, the way you assess your short-term progress towards the ultimate long-term goal. Buy a calendar or diary so you can plan your actions for the coming weeks or months, and decide when and how often to evaluate.
6. Make notes. Having made a note of your time-frame, you will have a physical reminder of what you’re aiming for. Now go further and write down the details of your resolutions in a notebook, remembering to add your motivations. You could keep a scrapbook for this purpose, and fill it with photos of your slimmer self, pictures of sporting or hobby equipment you are saving for, or even a shocking credit card statement to spur you into action! If your resolution will directly benefit your partner, children, colleagues or friends then add their photos too – anything to remind you of your initial motivation.
7. Treat yourself. When making your plan, a vital feature should be the rewards and treats you will give yourself at those all-important milestones. But be warned, don’t fall into the trap of putting your goal in danger – it’s too easy for a dieter to say “I’ve been so good, I deserve a few candy bars”, or a saver to throw caution to the wind with a new purchase. One slip, and it could all be over.
8. Receive support. It is at such times, when you’ve temporarily fallen off the wagon, that your support network is crucial. Carefully choose those people around you who have shown themselves to be trustworthy, supportive friends and explain your plans. Let them know of ways they can help when the going gets tough, and if they’re truly caring they’ll know the right things to say during the hard times.
9. Don’t give up! Do bear in mind that a slip-up is almost inevitable at some point, and you must not let this become an excuse to give up. When it happens, you will need to draw on your reserves of self-belief and strength, so build these qualities as often as you can. Really feel proud of your past achievements and don’t become critical of yourself. People with higher self-esteem and confidence are in a much better position to succeed, so immediately forgive yourself and say “I’m starting again now!”
10. Put yourself in charge. These achievements are under your control – other people can advise and support you but it’s your actions which need to change to see the results you want. Having a strong sense of control over your life is necessary to stick with your plans. Those who blame everyone and everything apart from themselves will not have the resources needed to change. Yes, it’s scary to take responsibility for your future, but surely it’s better than the alternative?

What are your goals for 2012? Players and parents are welcome to comment their resolutions or goals below. Here are mine to get the conversation going:

• Get all A’s this semester in my major classes
• Become a better lacrosse official, and reach the semifinals at the end of the season

Featured Image Credit – www.blog.timesunion.com

Cheers,
Gordon

Queen Elizabeth once declared, “I take a bath once a month whether I need it or not!” I think everyone in our modern age goes “ewwwww” after reading that sentence, but in the Elizabethan era she was considered the epitome of cleanliness because most people bathed less than ten times a year, if they bathed at all. Then in 1605, Francis Bacon wrote that “cleanness of body was ever deemed to proceed from a due reverence to God.” That quote became the oft-repeated, “cleanliness is next to godliness” line that we have all heard since childhood. Ever since then, being clean was very much the thing to do.

So why, oh why do athletes love their stinky gear? They know it is harboring bacteria. They know how unpleasant it feels to put on cold, sweaty equipment. They know it is unhygienic, and can cause staph infections. So why do they do it? Simple – there is something about stink.

I challenge you to find one high schooler who will go to school in stinky clothes, but they will go to practice and open up an equipment bag that is so rancid smelling that passing birds fall dead from the sky. Then they put on that foul smelling gear and play! They know it stinks to high heaven yet they still put it on. Why? Because there is something about stink.

Bring the Battle to your Bag!

As a former lacrosse player I know all too well the allure of stinky gear. It is a badge of honor, a right of passage, and an on-field weapon. I used to brag that my gear smelled so bad that opposing players would not try to dodge against me, for fear of the stench. One day I went to get my gear bag out of the garage and it was gone. My mother had had enough. She took my shoulder pads, arm pads, gloves, and the bag and stuffed them into the washing machine. I was devastated. Plus, all of my gear felt weird on my body after being pummeled in the dryer, which just added insult to injury.

The next day I dragged my bag to practice, extremely unhappy that all of my gear felt alien on my body. I dressed for practice, started moving, and then something strange happened. I forgot that I was wearing clean, non-smelly, and ill-fitting gear. Eventually the equipment conformed to my body again, and I was playing as well as I usually played. The lightbulb clicked on in my head, I could play with clean gear and still be comfortable!

However, it took some trial-and-error before I figured out the golden rule of equipment washing: air-drying. There is something about putting gear in a dryer that makes it feel funny, especially the gloves. I have found that I can put my shoulder and arm pads in the dryer without ill-effect, but my gloves need to be air dried in order to preserve their “feel.” Last is the helmet, which usually got either a healthy helping of Febreze or wiped down inside and out with Lysol disinfectant wipes.

Over time, practicing and playing with clean equipment became the normal thing to do. I just had to overcome my initial resistance to the idea before realizing that wearing nasty gear made about as much sense as walking the school hallways in clothes from the bottom of my hamper.

To the parents - If your child is hesitant about cleaning their equipment, reiterate to them that playing sports is a privilege, not a right. In order to play they must also be able to keep their own gear clean and smell-free.

To the players - Is it a pain to wash your equipment? Yes. I’m not going to try and spin that chore as being pleasant. Want to know what is more unpleasant? A six-week staph infection that will not go away and requires you to shave your leg to keep the medicated bandage in close contact with your skin. That happened to me my junior year of high school and that really stunk.

Cheers,
Gordon

P.S. – Customize your own Odor Gladiator at www.odorgladiator.com. Once you get your very own OG, check out Mike’s video on how to prepare it for battle!