offi cials’ education clinic in Burlington with his oldest son, Nate, who also offi ciates at the youth level. “I had pretty low expectations because
I like to think that I know the game pretty well at this point,” Brown said. “But I was pleasantly surprised. I learned a lot.” The in-depth offi cials training typically
splits time between the classroom and the fi eld. Trainers spend time outlining mechanics and discussing rules in addition to presenting various game scenarios as learning tools. FBI features separate clinics running simultaneously for men’s and women’s game offi cials. “It’s a very well thought out curriculum
and there’s a logical progression through the topics,” Brown said. US Lacrosse focuses FBI on geographic areas with limited exposure to lacrosse, but display strong enthusiasm for the sport.
“The training was powerful, motivating and very
comprehensive.” — Annie Ehler of Viera, Fla.
Finding local chapters that want to work with US Lacrosse to grow the game responsibly also is crucial. “We put a lot of time and thought into considering which area of the country we will be targeting,” said Meghan Mulford, programs manager at US Lacrosse. “It’s a collaborative effort with signifi cant input from our chapters staff, because we need strong local support from the host chapter.” Barb Hoeft of the Minnesota Chapter
served as the point person when FBI came to Minnesota in 2010. She said the effort she and the other local
The US Lacrosse Fast Break Initiative (FBI) ventured to Vermont in March for a weekend of coaches and officials training. FBI has reached 11 states in nine years.
volunteers committed to the event were substantial but worthwhile. “We knew we had to get things moving
to have the sport grow,” she said. “We knew we needed more coaches and more people. Fast Break was very impactful. It was worth every minute of the time we spent.” Similarly, Dee has noticed the immediate impact that the event has made in Vermont. “The instruction level was very high
and almost everyone has noticed the difference during the season, as participants used skills and knowledge gained from the workshops,” he said. Ehler, who led her Rockledge squad to
a 6-6 record in its fi rst season, points to last December’s Fast Break workshop as an important developmental steppingstone. The skills training — which included stick skills, fouls, goalie instruction and safety, among other topics — proved extremely benefi cial for somebody new to the game. “The training was powerful, motivating
and very comprehensive,” she said. “We defi nitely felt more confi dent in our abilities to coach our student-athletes. Our program benefi tted immensely from this professional development experience.” LM
LAX INFUSION ‘12 ‘11
‘06 ‘07
‘10 ‘10 ‘08 ‘05 ‘12 A Publication of US Lacrosse ‘09 ‘10 ‘13
2005 – Louisiana 2006 – Nevada 2007 – Nevada 2008 – Alabama 2009 – Chicago 2010 – Kansas City 2010 – San Diego 2010 – Phoenix 2011 – Wisconsin 2012 – Minnesota 2012 – South Florida 2013 - Vermont
USLacrosse.org/FastBreak September 2013 >> LACROSSE MAGAZINE 29
A look at the geographic impact of the Fast Break Initiative
©BEN SARLE (ALL)
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