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TWO TEAM USAS


Gilbert’s relentless commitment to fitness helped her excel at the grueling three-day U.S. U19 tryout in Baltimore, after which she made the 25-member training squad as a defender. Her transferrable midfield skills and fearless playing style helped put her over the top. “Defense is my strength,” Gilbert said. “Being fit allows me to play super aggressive, push out all the time and disrupt the offense.” There’s a precedent of midfielders switching to defense when playing internationally for the U.S. Four of the five defenders on the 2013 U.S. World Cup team were midfielders in college (Kristen Carr, Gina Oliver, Holly Reilly and Jenn Russell).


Former U.S. U19 midfielder, Princeton All-American and Cal coach Theresa Sherry, who runs the BearLax program and joined the U.S. U19 staff this year, has watched Gilbert evolve into an assertive two-way threat since she picked up a stick in middle school. “As a defender for the U.S. team, you don’t expect to be on defense for long because the system is so predicated on pressure,” Sherry said. “Jackie brings next-level speed, plus the


ability to comfortably handle the ball under pressure after a caused turnover.” High school players like Gilbert who enter the U19 program are accustomed to being the best player on their teams or in their area. Similar to the college transition, they are asked to evolve from “all- everything” to a more specialized role with Team USA. Gilbert, who will play at USC


for Team USA’s Lindsey Munday and Devon Wills next fall, hopes the Trojans can become the first West Coast team to reach NCAA championship weekend. “One way to learn to be the best is by being around the best,” Gilbert said. “I love watching Lindsey and Devon play for the U.S. team. It was a pretty clear choice to follow my role models.” Gilbert would like to pave the way for more California women to play lacrosse at an elite level. “Kids are now starting younger, and we’re getting to the point where we can compete with teams back east,” she said. “I’m excited because I can represent that growth.” LM


Garrett Thul, a three-time All-American attackman at Army who plays professionally for the Philadelphia Wings (NLL) and Florida Launch (MLL), has embraced his role as the resident military man on the U.S. national team


“I play on two Team USAs right


now,” Thul said in “Road to the Rockies,” a web video series produced by The Lacrosse Network. An aspiring Army Ranger, Thul, now in training at Fort Benning, Ga., is just the sixth player in U.S. history to have that dual distinction. Five coaches also have ties to the military academies.


»PLAYERS Garrett Thul (Army ’13, Team USA ’14)


Adam Fullerton (Army ’08, Team USA ’10) Andy Ross (Navy ’97, Team USA ’98, ’02) Glen Miles (Navy ’86, Team USA ’90) Jeff Long (Navy ’77, Team USA ’76, ’86) Bob Miser (Army ’60, Team USA ’67)


»COACHES Richie Meade (Navy coach 1995-2011, Team USA


coach 2014) Mike Pressler (Army assistant 1984-85, Team USA coach 2010) Joe Alberici (Army coach 2006-present, Team USA assistant 2010) Jack Emmer (Army coach 1984-2005, Team USA coach 2002) Fred Acee (Air Force coach 1998-2008, Team USA assistant 1994)


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7 YDS


10 YDS 5 - CONE PATTERN


X 5 - CORNERS (40 YDS) BUTTERFLY (56 YDS)


5-CONE SPEED AND AGILITY DRILLS


X X X T-TEST (40 YDS) X M-DRILL (44 YDS) X TRIANGLE (34 YDS) X


Choose three drills. Do each drill twice in each direction with a 45-second recovery between.


X X BOOMERANG (53 YDS) laxmagazine.com X 360’S (40 YDS) X L-DRILL (40 YDS)


SPRINT BACKPEDAL


LATERAL SLIDE CARIOCA


November 2014 » LACROSSE MAGAZINE 23 X


Get up to speed with the U.S. U19 individual training program Begin with an easy 30-minute run.


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©MICHELE DEJULIIS/ULTIMATE LACROSSE; ©DEBORAH ECK (GT)


10 YDS


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