One of the most important parts of lacrosse is how you string the lacrosse pocket. Unfortunately, not every player understands the importance of what it takes to string and maintain a quality lacrosse stick. In a sport where consistency is king, the way in which you string your stick can be everything.

A couple of weeks ago in my home town of Huntington, New York, I stumbled into a lacrosse store on a side street called String It Up. As I walked inside, I was greeted by co-owner Leyland Davis. After chatting with Leyland, it was apparent he was an experienced, knowledgeable, lacrosse fanatic who truly understands the importance of properly stringing lacrosse heads. Leyland and his String It Up company customize string jobs for specific players based on their body type, age,  position, and preference. They listen to the customer who knows what they want and string the perfect pocket for those who have not idea.

As a kid, there was only 1 lacrosse shop in my town. In that store, they would string-up the same type of stick no matter what. Customers ranged from beginners to all-americans. If you wanted a lacrosse head strung, then it was going to be done the exact same way. Today, that is no longer the case. It was refreshing to see how much thought, precision, and innovation Leyland and his team put into stringing lacrosse heads. String It Up is currently a small store with a big mission – which is to string the perfect lacrosse pocket for YOU.

If your the type of kid that aspires to play in front of thousands on ESPN, then I highly recommend you visit a store like String It Up and acquire a properly strung lacrosse head. In the words of String King “Consistency is King”, and it all starts with the crosse.

Special thanks to String It Up for working with FLG and having a great mission! #LoveTheGame #StringItUp #FLG

FLG May Newsletter

Be sure to check out FLG’s May Newsletter. This month we cover a spotlight article on our FLG Club Director Robyn Pastuch, we cover ways to showcase your skills in front of college coaches, and upcoming events that FLG is running!

Check it out here!

Happy Whiteboard Wednesday!

Whether you are in middle school, high school, or college, the summer is a great opportunity to experiment and follow your passions. Middle School studletes can utilize summer to experiment with different types of camps and figure out which one was the most fun and beneficial. High School studletes can experiment during the summer with different types of jobs. College aged studletes can experiment by traveling to different parts of the country or even the world! Regardless of your age, the summer is a great time to focus on your passions and experiment to find new ones. Below is a list of 5 ways to transition into your summer season:

1- Set up your resume so you can apply for jobs & internships. Be sure to set up your recruiting profile if your in middle school or high school. (Be sure to include a video if you have one!)

2- Create a list of ways to make yourself better. Everyone can use some fine tuning. Get better every day!

3- Set up meetings with your coaches, teachers, guidance counselors, and mentors. Utilize your resources to improve yourself and find direction.

4- SPRING CLEANING! Get yourself organized by cleaning your room, car, books, computer files, documents, and much more!

5- Have a day dedicated to REFLECTING! You’ve worked hard in school for 3 straight seasons. Be sure to take some time off and enjoy life.

#flg #flglax #flglacrosse #whiteboardwednesday #studlete #summersummersummertime

Lauren Procaccino is leading Washington and Lee through the DIII NCAA tournament! She just received IWLCA All-Region First Team honors as a sophomore! Follow Lauren and the Generals throughout the 2015 Division III NCAA Tournament.

Don’t forget to check out our #Whosinthenews each week! Lots of #FLGAlumni and current #studletes playing in some big playoff games.

#flg #flglax #flglacrosse #studletes #maymadness

Playoff time is here! If your team has earned the right to play in the post-season, make sure to stay focused on your goal at hand.

Don’t get caught up on your regular season record. Don’t look past your next opponent. Know your role. Do your job. Get better today! Winning will take care of itself.

#MotivationalMonday #FLG #FLGLAX #Today

Remember NYPD Officer Brian Moore by leaving a blue piece of tape on your left chin with the letters “BM-NYPD”

Read more about Officer Moore and his heroics here – http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/08/us/new-york-police-officer-funeral/

Check out the rest of the article “How Stony Brook -Yes Stony Brook – Became a Lacrosse Power” on ESPNW

You may just find some quotes from our very own girls director Robyn Pastuch!

#Flg #Flglax #flglacrosse #studlete #letsgostonybrook #seawolves #provepeoplewrong

http://espn.go.com/espnw/news-commentary/article/12834185/how-stony-brook-yes-stony-brook-became-lacrosse-power

Be seen by the best / Learn from the best

If you are serious about pursuing a path to college using your strength in athletics, showcases are a great way to get in front of those college coaches. It’s important to get this exposure early on and to get out there consistently. But, choosing the right showcases is critical. After all, you want a showcase to do exactly that: showcase your skills and talents.

Unfortunately, not all showcases are equal. Be sure to call the Showcase Director before registering and ask the important questions.

What do you need to know before signing up?

Find out the basics first: when and where is the event being held, how much does it cost and what does that cost include?

Then, learn more about the coaches: what coaches are going to be there, are they working the event or just recruiting and who is coaching the players?

Next, get a feel for the caliber of the players you’ll be competing against. For example, you’ll want to know if this is an invitation event, where do the players come from and how do they get picked for an event?

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Showcases offer tremendous advantages:

• Exposure to college coaches
• Growth as a lacrosse player
• Insight into the recruiting process
• Chance to meet other players
• Collegiate-level coaching
• A feel for your competition

You’ll get to see how you stack up against elite players locally and often nationally. You’ll travel to great venues and get to visit some colleges. Best of all, you can get a real taste of the college experience. That’s right, some of the best showcases have players stay in the college dorms, eat in the campus cafeterias and get coaching from college coaches!

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What to Avoid When Deciding on a Lacrosse Showcase

As we said before, not all showcases are equal. Be sure to steer clear of showcases that:

• Provide unequal playing time for participants at the event
• Don’t encourage passing, so that you may never get to touch the ball
• Don’t offer enough game time. If your team never wins a face-off, you may never get to touch the ball
• Enlist coaches to work their showcases who would rather not be there
• Make false promises. Showcases may advertise one thing, but provide another!
• Offer no or low-quality video highlight footage to capture your plays
• Allow any kid to sign up and play at the event. You want to be among serious quality players in order to show off your skills.

 

The bottom line: talk to the Showcase Director before you register. Get the answers to all your questions and make a smart choice that can really make a difference in your future.

Good luck!

 

Robyn recently joined FLG as director of our girls program. She’s an outstanding coach, a seasoned recruitment scout and was a solid student athlete. Having scored 366 pts during her four years as varsity starter in high school, she went on to receive a four-year scholarship to the University of Connecticut and played offense for the Huskies lacrosse team. But, who is she off the field? We sat down and had a chat with her to find out.

Who’s your Favorite Athlete of all time?

Mia Hamm.  I grew up playing soccer first and I’ll never forget watching that 1999 World Cup Championship game!  The U.S. team was amazing!

 

When you were younger, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to be a teacher for most of my life; I even taught for awhile. I loved working with kids and wanted to help people.

 

Who’s your Role Model?

I really look up to my brother. He has worked really hard to get to where he is today and he continues to make strides in his field and impresses me almost daily.

 

What’s your favorite motivational quote?

Hmm…I love quotes – “Do something today that your future self will thank you for.”

 

What was your favorite thing about playing college lacrosse?

I loved being a part of something amazing. We had some major ups and downs throughout my four years, but I loved every minute of it. The 6 am workouts bonded me with my teammates in ways that you can’t understand until you go through it. 

 

What one thing would you change about your college career?

I wouldn’t have been as hesitant as a freshman. I wish I came into UConn with more confidence and really stepped up. It took me longer than I would have liked to really get going.

 

What made you choose UConn?

I love that even now I get to watch UConn athletes play on TV. (UConn’s women’s basketball team was part of March Madness!) UConn is all about the athletics (and academics of course), and since there are no professional teams in Connecticut, the entire state roots for UConn.

 

What’s your favorite thing to do when you’re not playing or coaching lacrosse?

I spend most of my free time at the gym; but, I also love to paint/doodle and hang out with my 6-week- old niece Mackenzie!

 

What’s your guilty pleasure?

I love nail art and makeup.  It’s a problem. 

 

What is your best sports memory?

Playing in my senior game at UConn and hearing the crowd chanting my name every time I touched the ball.  There is no better feeling to me than playing in a big game.

 

Happy Whiteboard Wednesday

5 ways to COMPETE with CLASS:

1- Let your play speak for itself: keep your mouth shut

2- Look opponents in the eyes while shaking hands

3- Clean your bench after the game

4- Play clean – Play by the rules

5- RESPECT the game and it’s history

#whiteboardwednesday #wbw #flg #flglax #flglacrosse #studlete