Boyle Point // editorial
THE REAL SEASON OF RENEWAL
Fall ball brings new opportunities for players and coaches alike
S
pring is supposed to be the season of rebirth, revival and re newal. But I always viewed fall as having more
phoenix-like qualities. So when a Trilogy intern bemoaned going back to college, I could not understand. He loved lacrosse and played for a high- profi le program perceived as being extremely fun. What gives? His reply cut right to the bone: “We start practice fi ve days a week the second day of school at 7 a.m.” Ouch.
Focus on skill development,
performance and IQ. Princeton’s Jesse Hubbard could
be found late at night shooting by himself at “the pit,” a multi-purpose court behind Dillon Gym. He didn’t just show up to campus as the greatest shooter of all time.
Develop your physical make-up. Duke’s Jordan Wolf and Brown’s
Dylan Molloy had big scoring seasons in 2014 and 2015, respectively, after big offseasons in the weight room. As attackmen, they were the strongest players on their team, allowing them to run by and through their defenders. Focus on footwork and explosiveness (with jump-rope, speed-ladder and plyometric exercises), fl exibility and injury prevention (with yoga and other stretching-based techniques).
Spend ample time with your coordinators. Film and strategic whiteboard sessions enable greater comprehension of core tenants and terminology.
laxmagazine.com
Coaches should establish a vision and culture while using consequence-free practice time to explore new strategies. Bill Tierney won six NCAA titles
at Princeton despite the Ivy League cap on fall practices (12). I’ll never forget my fi rst practice, when we set up a classic fast break (4-on-3) drill. As I took the typical point-attack position, coaches moved me to the low-left spot. The midfi elder was to throw “down the side” regardless of the situation for a give-and-go, leaving the remaining two attackmen on the backside in unique skip lanes. We didn’t use it in the spring, but it was worth trying in the fall. Sunday night practices at Princeton typically concluded with a game of “Baggataway,” which featured all players on the fi eld at the same time with multiple balls. Virginia replaced a portion of its
C M Y CM MY CY CMY K
offseason conditioning sessions with other sports. Imagine playing basketball, fl ag football or dodgeball instead of running suicides. Dom Starsia wanted to put his players in a position where they constantly competed and see which leaders emerged across various activities. It also fostered team chemistry. Towson coach Shawn Nadelen has
an elaborate fall-ball scoring system where mini-teams across classes and positions compete in a series of tests and games for points and deductions. The winners eat steak dinners. The losers eat hot dogs. Look forward to fall ball with these
things in mind — unless it’s a 7 a.m. practice on the second day of school. In that case, I’d dread it too.
RECRUITING
CAMPUS TOURS
TRAINING
— Ryan Boyle Founder and CEO, Trilogy Lacrosse
Experience Apply Today:
Intensive Club
2016
www.trilogylacrosse.com October 2015 » LACROSSE MAGAZINE
27
©JOHN MECIONIS
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