The majority of respondents played D1 college lacrosse, but we had responses for D1, D3 and Club.
The offseason is the time to focus on developing skills and strength/speed! Once the season starts, it's too late to make gains! Players who are serious must do the work in the offseason.
"Seriously" means getting a training regiment, olympic lifts, paying attention to proper nutrition, etc. Not just gym class!!!
What are you doing to get better in the offseason? Get on a training regiment ASAP!
This includes going for runs, sprint workouts, ladder workouts and agility drills...
Your stick should be an extension of your arm. Get out there and hit the wall for 30 minutes. The results will be tremendous. Not just offensive players, defense and goalies too!
Playing another sport is vital to the development of every young athlete. By playing other sports one can develop their athleticism in other ways that are not necessarily possible by playing just one sport!
That being said, there needs to be balance in every high school athletes career. If they are playing ice hockey during the winter, then they don't necessarily need to be focusing on weight lifting/conditioning as much but might want to focus on their stick skills and keeping those sharp. It's all about balance, but if an athlete is just coming home and doing nothing 3-4 days in the offseason it is not a recipe for success!
"Studying film (YouTube clips, ESPN games) of those better than me"
"Staying up on schoolwork and getting good grades gave me more options to choose from when deciding on a school."
"Playing against more talented players than myself."
"Coaching and wanting to succeed and be the best."
"Chip on my shoulder and wanting to be the most prepared/best kid on the field."
"Going to every possible clinic, practice etc. that was offered by Coach Whitlow and Coach Green."
"While staying motivated in the classroom, other doors were opened for me."
"Ask coaches what it takes. Ask coaches how you can get better. Seek advice don't hide from it. Coaches know what it takes to go to play college ball."
"Coaching support."
"Competing with my friends to get better."
"You need to have a good strength and conditioning coach. Dusty and the guys over at Force Fitness have done it for a ton of people in Ridgewood. Obviously this is a bit of a stretch financially for some so trying to get group rates together for a team, or special discount package, put together for off season work outs would be a great angle / differentiator."
Blue Star Lacrosse Camps are designed to be fun for everyone involved (that includes counselors too!) There are a lot of reasons to go to camp but at the end of the day we want campers to leave feeling exhausted and excited for the next day. We strive to create an environment that cultivates a player's passion for the game - we have found over 25+ years of camps that passion and attitude are the biggest future drivers of success!