Offseason Commitment

by Tony Gray

Great lacrosse seasons and performances begin in the off-season. It is the work done in the off-season that differentiates an average player from an All-American player. Conditioning, stamina, agility and stick skills should be developed in the off-season. "What can I do during the off-season?" you say. The first thing you should do is to start your off-season conditioning program with camps. Camps are a great way of drastically improving one's ability both physically and mentally. Some of the benefits of camps are:

OK, I understand how camps can help me improve. Now, how do I choose the right camp for me? There are several questions you should ask yourself.

  1. How much time do I want to play lacrosse?
  2. Do I want a camp that focuses just on lacrosse or a number of sports?
  3. Do I want to travel or stay in my region?
  4. Are the coaches/players attending important to me?
  5. Do I want a camp that specializes in my position (Goalie, Attack, Midfield, and Defense)?
  6. Are the facilities important?
  7. How much time does the camp spend scrimmaging versus instruction?
  8. Do I want to learn how a coach thinks about the game?

There are many more questions you can ask yourself, but this will give you a good start on picking the right camp for you. After you have picked your camp, signed up and are on your way to the camp, you must prepare for the camp itself. I would like to give you a little advice on being in camp. Being in a camp is a great experience; you get to meet other kids that share your passion and perhaps players or coaches that you admire. Just being involved in a camp does not mean that you will get something out of it.

I think to get the most out of a camp you must do the following things: experiment, work hard, concentrate, understand, and have fun. You are probably going to a camp because you want to improve a certain aspect of your game. Perhaps your off hand is weak and you want to improve it. Catch and throw with your off hand the duration of the camp. If this means pushing yourself to improve your weaknesses, then you do it. It will pay off down the road; I can almost guarantee you that. Pay attention to the drills and the coaches. They are performing certain drills for a reason. Maybe the drill is focused on shooting on the run. Don't stop, plant and shoot just because you know you can shoot the ball harder when you plant as opposed to on the run. The biggest thing I try to teach at my camps is to understand why we are doing something. If we run a drill that focuses on a formation or a defensive style, I don't want the camper to say, "OK, when he runs left, I drop step and move to the right." I want the kid to say, "when my man dodges to the left of me I am going to drop step and cut off his lane to the goal forcing him away from the middle of the field. When he is on the outside, his chances of scoring drop because his angle on the goal decreases, making it easier for the goalie to stop the shot." The final thing you should do is have fun. If you are having fun, chances are you will try harder, you will listen and concentrate better and you will run the drills more effectively.

An Offseason Perspective

What's the best way to sharpen your stick work?

Don Zimmerman, head coach at UMBC and one of the best teachers in the sport believes the wall is the key to sharper stickwork. "No doubt, the wall is the best way to sharpen stickwork. You can do it solo or with a partner. Do rapid fire work, throw, catch, control the ball, cradle, throw. Snap it! Repeat 100 times with each hand."

Todd Cavallero, assistant coach at the University of North Carolina states, "I firmly believe that passing and catching using a wall or racquetball court is the best way to increase your skills. A wall or racquetball court will give you 5 times the repetitions than playing catch with a buddy. The wall never drops the ball (only you do), and the ball will come back as fast as you want it to (which also increases reps). The keys to successful wall-ball is to create game-like situations with lots of reps. The four areas of concentration are passing, catching, accuracy and stick protection.

Dave Huntley, assistant coach of the NLL's Washington Power adds, "Come early to an NLL game and you'll see all the great players begin their warm-up by going straight to the boards and banging away." Huntley's technique is very similar to Cavallero's but he adds a few interesting wrinkles, "Try to hit the same spot and get a rhythm going, picking up the pace as you go. Switch hands, change your throwing motion to sidearm, underhand, behind the back. Use your imagination."

Jon Weston, 'Goalieman' and assistant coach at Towson University discloses a subtle hint, "Experienced players should wear their gloves when they practice against the wall. It's too easy to develop tricky moves without gloves. Wearing gloves changes the grip, make it more realistic."

Stick maintenance is crucial to early season performance.

Dave Huntley, former All-American midfielder at Hopkins reveals, "Players often overlook the condition of their stick. Is it in good repair? Is the pocket the way they want it? How about the shooting strings and sidewalls? Is it legal? Practice begins in cold weather and on muddy fields, not exactly ideal conditions for traditional (leather) strung sticks. You may want to start the season with a mesh setup."

What's the best way to practice shooting?

Bill Tierney, five-time NCAA Championship coach at Princeton University shares his thoughts. "Shoot with a partner. Get a lot of balls and find an enclosed environment. Repetition is the key, take chances and aim for corners...make it fun, experiment with sidearm, under hand, behind the back. By catching and shooting quickly from different spots, with different shots, players learn to catch and score much more effectively."

"Hot-Rod" Huntley was famous for his legendary shot. "Put the net in front of a large wall, fence or baseball backstop or on a tennis court. Work with a partner so you get used to shooting off a feed. Whether you are shooting on the run or stationary, always step towards the target. That is essential for a hard accurate shot. Practice the shots you'll get during a game.

Coach Cavallero says, "Use a lot of balls and create game-like situations. Concentrate on moving your feet and shooting out of a dodge or while cutting to the goal. The most important element of shooting is accuracy. Once accuracy is established, work on combining location with velocity."

Scott Marr, head coach at Albany adds, "Attackmen should work on shooting off the dodge. Come from behind the net, do your inside roll and shoot. Work on your outside roll with a shot and the rocker step with a shot. Put milk cartons in the corners of the net, and blast them to bits. Make it game like and fun."

What should defenders do to get ready for the season?

Dave Pietramala, head coach at Johns Hopkins says, "One of the best drills for defenders is jumping rope. Doing one-on-one's at half speed can be helpful. This provides the defender an opportunity to practice his footwork while also working on angles and technique at the goal line extended. Go slow, master the techniques first."

Brian Voelker, head coach of the MLL's Baltimore Bay Hawks recommends variety. "Jump rope, shuffle and agility are my favorites. Play hoops with a concentration on defense. And make sure you practice 'one-on-one's' out the wazoo."

What type of running do you recommend?

UNC's Todd Cavallero talked to us about conditioning in Chapel Hill. "I recommend a combination of endurance running (two mile runs) along with short quick timed sprints. Increasing your endurance will help you last four quarters and lacrosse is made up of short/quick bursts of speed. The combination of these two running styles along with a weight training program will benefit all athletes in preparing themselves for a rigorous spring season."

Mark Goers, assistant coach at Ohio State University advocates a similar program. "Runs should be varied. Three days a week do medium distance...two days a week should be spent on high intensity short runs."

Tony Seaman relates, "I don't believe that distance running above 1.5 miles does any good toward having you in shape for practice. I like jog sprints where you jog for 35 seconds and then sprint 8 seconds, then jog for 43 seconds, then sprint for 8 seconds. We do this over a 20 to 25 minute time span. It is more game-like than just jogging for 2 or 3 miles."

Scott Marr adds, "Lacrosse is a sprint and recover sport. Focus on sprint work. We do sprints of a varied distance from 440 yards down to 20 yards. It's important to time the runs, to make it competitive and to be able to chart improvement"

What sports are best in the off-season?

Todd Cavallero says, "The two sports that benefit young lacrosse athletes during their pre-season training are basketball and racquetball. Basketball is similar to lacrosse. Offensively: trying to find the open man, stepping into passing lanes, and moving the ball 'one more' to create a better shot. Defensively: trying to deny fast breaks, finding a man / checking up, and sliding to help a teammate. At the very worst it's excellent conditioning. Racquetball consists of short quick sprints and improves hand-eye coordination. Racquetball help increase your stop-start time and better prepare you for those situations in a lacrosse game."

InsideLacrosse's Bob Carpenter strongly suggests basketball too. "No two games in the world are more similar than basketball and lacrosse. None. Look at the footwork, and team concepts...they are identical. They have similar ebb and flow, breathing, communication." Easy for him to say as he's about six foot ten.

Bill Tierney thinks diversity is the best avenue for success, even in the era of specialization. "I still think that the best thing for young athletes is to play basketball or hockey during the winter season."

What skills should be focused on during indoor lacrosse?

Todd Cavallero played at JHU in the mid 1990's says, "Youngsters who play the indoor game should focus their skills on shooting, stick protection, handling the ball in tight, dodging, and ground balls. Don't forget team concepts like drawing-and-dumping to the open man and checking up, and sliding defensively. Indoor is played with all short sticks, which allows players to hang their sticks a little farther from their body. Be careful to maintain good stick position and protection."

Weightlifting is an essential part of any off-season training regimen.

Brian Voelker, former USA Team defender expresses his thoughts. "I don't think high school players can go wrong by doing squats or leg presses, cleans and bench press. If you concentrate on these basic 3 exercises and then branch out you'll get stronger. Focus on form first, don't worry about the amount of weight yet."

What's the best way for face-off specialists to prepare for the upcoming season?

Mark Goers, current star for the Columbus Landsharks of the NLL recommends wrestling. "I strongly believe that wrestlers make the best face-off men. Wrestling teaches balance, total body strength, quickness and desire. 

What weight lifting exercises should face-off men be concentrating on? 

Coach Goers, who dominated the face-off stripe while at Towson University says, "Total body exercises such as squats, cleans, dead lifts, dips and lunges. Start with a lightweight, perfect the technique before lifting Volkswagens. I also recommend working the forearms with reverse preacher curls and wrist rolls."

Jon Weston of Towson University relates, "Goalies don't often improve through playing in games and scrimmages. Most of their progress is based upon adding to or changing basic technique OR getting significant numbers of controlled repetitions involving a specific situation or type of shot. Just being shot on by a wide-eyed offensive player trying to show off can be a huge confidence bruiser. Keep the learning environment safe and positive."

Jon Weston Weston continues, "A lazy or tired goalie will lose games he should not in the early part of the season while he is 'playing himself into shape'.  Mentally the keeper has to be ready for each shot, be able to make routine saves, garner possession of the ball, and lead the defense from the goal. This is quite a challenge for any goalie and it helps if you are in shape, can breath easily while talking, and are confident with your assignments and defensive calls."

What do you do that's unique?

Bill Tierney has patented the formula for post season success says, "The only thing we do unique at Princeton is to not start too early or make the kids get up at 6:00am. We want them to be fresh in May; therefore we don't go too crazy with practice early in the morning. We also found that our players have late hours (studying), so getting up early is more physically harmful than beneficial."

Coach Pietramala likes to keep it simple. "Our athletes are given a strength and conditioning program that improves their strength, speed and quickness. It also helps prevent injuries. There is no secret to success. It takes hard work and dedication."

What do kids overlook prior to the season?

Coach Cavallero relates, "The most overlooked aspect of lacrosse is how much work some individual's put in during the off-season. Don't get passed by because somebody puts in more blood, sweat, and energy than you do. Don't underestimate what others can achieve and always work harder than your opponent.

Coach Goers replies, "Young players focus on distance running too much while neglecting sprints."

Coach Huntley agrees, "Players tend to spend too much time weight lifting and distance running and not enough time sharpening their skills and working on their speed. For many players the first couple of weeks of practice will determine whether they are starters...or get cut. Give yourself the best chance by tuning up your game before the season begins."

Coach Zimmerman knows how cold practice during February and March can be. "Don't overlook the importance of nutrition and staying healthy. All of the physical activity can wear down the body. Make sure you eat the right foods and take care of yourself. Wear the proper warm clothing to practice. If you get sick, you're hurting yourself and the team."

What should kids do not to get cut?

Leif Elsmo, who has televised the NCAA finals since 1983, says, "Once a coach gets an opinion of a player, it's very difficult to change that opinion, even if he's seeing that player in "pre-season" practices. Make a good first impression."

Coach Cavallero talks about intangibles, "When trying to make a team, I would recommend hustle, intense work ethic, and the desire to learn the game. These three aspects will go along way to the coaching staff making the final decision. Everyone does something well and contributes to their team. Play to your strengths."

Throwing the Weight

The following are the general areas that most lacrosse players will want to spend a little extra time developing: 

Pushing Motions 

Triceps and chest.  The pushing motions are key, especially for a defenseman.  Defenders must be able to keep attackmen off their body by pushing them away while moving their feet.  The pushing motions are also key for an attackman/midfielders securing elbow room on the crease, moving bodies around in a loose ball tangle, and for facing off.  Remember to stress the inclined press exercise here, because most of the time when you’re pushing off other people, you’re also leaning forward, which puts the burden on the upper chest and shoulders.  (Exercises – Bench, Incline Bench, Close Grip Bench, Tricep Extension)

Foundation Development 

Torso (Abdominal or Oblique) development.  A strong foundation is key, regardless of the position or the situation.  For offensive players, it is not as much arm strength as the twisting motion of the torso which will give you power on a whip shot.  For defensive players, a strong mid-section will allow to recoil and recover after throwing a hard wrap check.  (Exercises – Crunches are key to abdominal development.  Always be sure to protect your lower back and retain proper form.  And even more important than the up and down crunch motion is the twisting motion of the abdomen.  This is called working the ‘oblique’ muscles.  Standing shoulder to shoulder with a partner and passing an 8-LB medicine ball back and forth will work these muscles today. 

Shoulders and back.  Again, strong shoulders are a key to executing the diversity of the motions required by skilled stick work.  Shooting, checking, facing off.  In addition, shoulder exercises will make it less likely to put the arm in a compromising situation that could result in damage to the rotator cuff.  (Exercises – Military Press, Pull-Ups, Upright and Bent-Over Rowing)

Wrist Strength

Wrist strength benefits stickwork offensively, defensively, face-offs, as well as in the cage.  A good exercise is to sit upright on a flat bench, with 15-LB dumbbells in each hand, and let your arms hang straight at your sides.  Allowing your arms to hang straight down, simply rotate the dumbbells, turning your fists outward and then inward, starting and stopping the rotation using your wrist muscles.  Wrist curls with the 45lb weight bar are also very good (palms facing up and 

Summary

All attackmen want to be able to physically assert themselves as they confront defenders, whether they are intent on finding the cage or just looking to get a step and some room to feed.  And crease men, you need the ability to hold your own, because it can wear when you have everyone crashing in on your arms every time a feed comes your way.  Muscular arms will always stand up better to a season of stick and body checks.

For defenders, an ability to push with real force is critical, especially against the bigger attackmen.  You need the ability to keep an offensive player from bull dodging his way into your body.  You need the ability to push him back, to retain the buffer zone that will allow you to throw the checks and allow your feet to recover.  And then there are the times you need to slide with your body.

Agility and reaction drills are essential, but strength is also critical to being a strong cager.

Finally, middies need to work on all the above.  Not only will greater strength allow you to better assert yourself on the field in all the different faucets of the game, but it will also help you to withstand the physical exertion and pain tolerance that is a must for the midfield position.

Lacrosse Strength Program (Shooting)

An increase in shot speed can improve any offensive player’s game. It will not only improve the chances of more playing time, but it will create more goal scoring opportunities.  Shot speed is known as velocity. Velocity is a result of distance over time. Therefore, if the ball travels the same distance in less time, velocity (shot speed) is increased.

So how does one improve their shot speed?

First, shooting form is essential.  Practicing shooting technique daily from all positions will help improve shot speed. The second way to improve shot speed is to strengthen the major muscles used during shooting. These muscles are the legs, the shoulders, and the back.  The following are exercises that will strengthen the legs, the shoulders, and the back. Strengthening these muscle groups combined with practicing shot technique are two tools to improve shot speed.

Legs - squat, leg curls, power cleans, push press, glute ham raises, step-ups, leg extensions, lunges, calf raises, romanian dead lift”s (rdl’s) aka stiff legged deadlift

Shoulders - military press, shrugs, side raises, upright rows, front raises, high, pulls, lateral raises

Back - bent over row, single arm row, lat pulldown, v-bar pulldown, deadlift, back extensions, cable rows