Editor’s Note: Today we’re talking about the Top 5 Long Island FOGOs! If there is one place in the country that consistently produces some of the top face off specialists in the country, it has to be Long Island. There is a ton of talent, lots of coaches who know their stuff, and an opportunity to play and improve year round.
This Spring, Matt Schomburg of FoGoLax.net will be bringing you the Top 5 Long Island FOGOs , so you can keep tabs on the next great draw men! The future is here now!
The Top 5 Long Island FoGos is something I’ve thought about doing for a long time. Along with my Fogolax Face off crew, I have been training Long Island Face off athletes since 2005, and over that decade of training, what has always set the Long Island kids apart from the rest of the country is Repetition and Competition.
I tell everyone who will listen that no coach can wave a magic wand and make you an all American. We are all teachers and instructors that provide you with feedback and instruction to get you where you desire. What separates the Long Island athletes to me, however, is competition.
Top 5 Long Island FoGos
https://youtu.be/FnLPrssO2IM
The Fogolax Face off Academy trains with Face off athletes twice a week all year long and these repetitions are keys. It’s the competition that shows up at the sessions that creates an environment which breeds success in the end.
We also foster the development of a superior technique through progression repetition. We learn to crawl before we run. Our whole curriculum is designed about progression and developing muscle memory. Once the technique is in a place where it can be called upon under duress, we transition the athletes into competitive situations.
In my opinion, it is here that the Long Island kids have an advantage over the rest of the country. On any given Wednesday or Saturday you may have 6 or 7 of the top ten Face off athletes in the country competing and making each other better. We have encouraged throughout the years that these sessions are sowing the seeds for not just their HS careers but more importantly their collegiate careers.
Often these Athletes are the black sheep of the team , in a sense that they may not have the skills or tools to contribute to their varsity teams without the ability to face off. It’s a real credit to the perseverance and dedication these young men have for their craft that separates them. “14 minutes to fame” is a saying that Fogolax athletes hear on a regular basis. We preach time management and understanding your responsibilities as a student athlete and we ask each and every athlete to dedicate at least 14 minutes every day to “getting your reps in” it is a proven formula that every Fogolaxer is aware of and adheres to.
[fvplayer src=”https://youtube.com/watch?v=hSnNi7GEWSY” splash=”https://i.ytimg.com/vi/hSnNi7GEWSY/hqdefault.jpg” caption=”The Beauty of the Face Off Battle”]
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We welcome any lacrosse player to join us and add the skill of facing off to their repertoire. At every session we spend at least 20 mins on lacrosse skills such as dodging, shooting, and passing so that the Face off athletes can contribute in a many ways as possible to their teams.
The Top 5 Long Island FoGos idea is to give these athletes some credit and exposure, while talking about the importance of draw control, and what YOU can do to get better!
[fvplayer src=”https://youtube.com/watch?v=nJAu8TyXZBk” splash=”https://i.ytimg.com/vi/nJAu8TyXZBk/hqdefault.jpg” caption=”Better Behind the Back Face Off”]
We can be reached at- www.fogolax.net or matts@fogolax.net
