Spring lacrosse tryouts may seem like something you don’t need to worry about right now, but try out preparation is paramount to success, and being ready to roll on Day 1 doesn’t happen by itself. Below you will find a useful guide on how to prepare for tryouts, starting NOW!
I am NOT a personal trainer, nor am I certified in any way, shape, or form. I simply have a good deal of experience, have seen what works and what doesn’t, and want to help. Before beginning any workout routine or try out prep, be sure to consult with your doctor and trainer.
Try Out Preparation – Getting Warmed Up
Try Outs are not for another couple months for most youth and high school lacrosse teams. Some college teams even host try outs in the spring. While the calendar says you have time, you really don’t. It’s time to start getting warmed up immediately!
Warm ups should focus on getting back in a very basic level of shape, specifically for lacrosse. Maybe you’ve been playing soccer, football, basketball, or hockey this fall, and you’re “in shape”. But are you in shape for lacrosse? Is your body prepared for the grind that lacrosse forces on you? Or are you just in shape for the sport you’re playing now. For example, if you’re playing soccer, the chances are that you can run all day… but you might not be as strong in your upper body as you need to be for lacrosse. If you’re playing football, your strength might be up, but your endurance may be down.
Take a look at where you’re strongest right now and also where you are weakest. If your legs are like tree trunks, do more pull ups and keep running. If you’re bulky, keep hitting the gym, but also pick up the road work. You don’t need to be working to exhaustion, but you do need to warm your body to a new type of grind.
Another important aspect of the training warm up has to do with stick work. Start slow, hitting the wall for 10 minutes a day. Shoot around once or twice a week but stay away from power and velocity, and work on getting your fundamental form back in swing. Don’t overtrain your throwing muscles right away. Ease into it and get to know your lacrosse stick again on a personal level.
My high school wrestling coach used to say it’s hardest for conditioned athletes to start slow, and build up from there. They always want to start fast and keep going fast. But you need to build a good base before anything else is done. The man knew what he was talking about!
Areas of Focus: Building up endurance, building up muscle, plenty of basic stick work
Try Out Preparation – Time To Grind
Now that you’ve spent a couple weeks getting back into the swing of things, and your body is loose and pain free, you can start to pick up the pace. Track your progress here, eat right, get plenty of sleep, and commit to getting better. Run faster, lift more weight, and keep hitting the wall and shooting, etc. Find a way to combat the cold if you live up north and get it done. Don’t get lazy because it’s dark after school!
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Areas of Focus: Talk to your coach or trainer. Find out what YOU need to work on the most. Work on everything, but give those areas of need special attention.
Try Out Preparation – The Danger Zone
Be ware of winter breaks and vacations. You just spent a month or two grinding and then you get hit with time off from school, a change in schedule, and lots of holiday foodfests. While it’s great to see family and eat delicious meals, don’t overdo it. If you come back from break 10 pounds heavier than when you left school, you may have overdone it.
I remember that we had a long break in college between the first semester ending and the second beginning. We got something like 30 or 32 days. Some players came back in better shape after break, and others came back larger and slower. It got to the point where even had a word for it. Poached. Guys who got fat over break were poached. Don’t be poached. While you can take it a little easy, and rest up the old body, it’s important to maintain your level at the very least. 10 pounds can be a difference maker when it comes to speed, and we all know how much of a premium is placed on speed these days!
Poached = slow = sitting on the bench.
Areas of Focus: Don’t get poached. Keep working. Recover from any nagging injuries.
Try Out Preparation – The Final Steps
If you’ve followed the above ideology, you should be in good shape when you’re a couple weeks away from try outs. If you’re not, you’re probably trying to cram all of the above into a short window of time. Have fun with the injuries you’ll probably suffer.
Assuming you are in good shape, keep at it. Start going a little harder than you would in a game once or twice a week, then go through your other days like they were practice. Prepare yourself for marathon hard days of work and other days with a lighter load. Allow your body and mind to adjust to the up and down pattern the season presents.
Focus on wall ball, fundamental skills and techniques, keeping your legs loose, eating right, and staying hydrated. Push yourself on certain days and make others lighter, but always focus on doing the fundamental things right whether it’s wall ball or training. Find other teammates in the same shape range as you and begin working out in small groups. Get into the flow of the team attitude.
Areas of Focus: Team, Team, Team. Stick to fundamentals, begin to mimic the grind of the season. Stay healthy.
Try Outs may not start for a couple of months, but if you’re not putting in the work NOW, you’re hurting yourself THEN. Get after it.
