Grow the Game®

Virginia Beat Loyola
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College Lacrosse IS NOT for everyone, is it for you? – Part 1, Identification

Editor’s Note: A former two-sport DI athlete at Fairfield University, Kelly has dedicated his life to building better lacrosse athletes, on and off of the field. Sean contributes regularly from his state-of-the-art Sports and Mental Preparation Facility in New Jersey. Take it from here, Sean!

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Most kids that come through my lacrosse programs at SKPC tell me that their goal is to play Division 1 lacrosse.

My job as a their coach is to align their daily actions with their long-term goals and help them with their journey. We will sit and discuss their goals and formulate an action plan. Once I do that, they are usually surprised how much time and effort it takes to compete at the college level.

But…. Playing college lacrosse IS NOT for everyone!

If you think that college lacrosse is for you then these series of blogs will help you achieve your goal of playing lacrosse at the collegiate level.

You have identified your goal. Now let’s develop an action plan.

The system I have used in my life to create an action plan is simple and easy to follow.

#1 Success leaves clues

If you want to be great at something, then find somebody who is already successful at what you want to do and do what they do. Learn from the best.

People that consistently have success at something are NOT just lucky, they more than likely have a strategy that works. Find out what that strategy is and apply it in your life.

When I wanted to be a college lacrosse player I researched who was the best at what I did and found out their success strategies; what they did to get to the top of their game.

Then, I did what they did. I created an action plan and I implemented their success strategies into my action plan. It’s that simple!!!

To this very day, I live my life this way.

When my wife was pregnant, I went to the men in my life that I thought were the best fathers and I asked them what they thought were the most important things to do to be a great father. Then I did what they suggested.

When I started coaching, I found the best coaches in my field, and I found out what they did to get to the top of the coaching profession, and I started to do what they did.

#2 I didn’t listen when they told me I wasn’t good enough

I am sure we all agree that success does not happen over night in whatever you do; academics or athletics. It is a journey.

I was NEVER the best player on any team I played on. NOT in youth sports. NOT in high school. NOT in college.

How do you think I was able to play lacrosse and football at the Division 1 level then? How do you think that happened?

Luck? No. Natural ability? Maybe.

The biggest factor for me, was NEVER listening to someone who told me that I wasn’t good enough to play in college. I DIDN’T LISTEN TO THEM.

Instead of listening to their negative feedback and giving up on my goals, I asked what could I do to improve?

What do I need to work on? What do the best players in my sport do that I currently do not do?

#3 I studied fiercely for the final exam

Imagine an education system where children only took tests. There were no class or study groups, just tests.

If you failed the test the first time, the hope is that you would learn the subject matter simply by retaking the test over and over again.

Essentially that is what most teenagers do with the game of lacrosse. You cannot get better by ONLY playing games.

Let me say it again…. You cannot get better by ONLY playing games.

Paul Rabil did not become the best player in the world by playing games all year round.

I have asked many of the top players that I coach at SKPC what their success strategies are and not one single person gave me the following answer, “I PLAYED AS MANY GAMES AS I POSSIBLY COULD.”

Some of the most common success strategies they shared were:

  • Practicing their stick skills anywhere from 3 to 6 days per week. The common theme was constantly progressing the level of difficulty and intensity. This includes Wall Ball, Set Shooting, On the Run (O.T.R) Shooting, Ground Balls, Cross Field Passes (mostly for Defenseman and Goalies but good for everyone to practice) and Over the Shoulder Catches.
  • Working on improving strength in the weight room 3 to 4 days per week.
  • Speed, Agility and Conditioning work 2 days per week.
  • Nutrition: eating 6 to 8 meals per day and providing your body with the proper foods and supplements it needs to perform at its highest level.

So how do you begin your journey to playing college Lacrosse? Identify your GOALS and develop an ACTION PLAN.

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In my next blog in this series I will share with you how to train like a college lacrosse player to help you achieve your goal of playing collegiate lacrosse. I will give you insight on our programs at SKPC and how we prepare our athletes to play at the collegiate level.