Development

Sleep

Posted on December 15, 2017 by Corey Winkoff

Sleep is big.

Especially for those who want to grow big.

It recharges your batteries.

Gives you a deeper appreciation for Saturday’s.

Sleep restores.

Can take away the sore.

Give you the energy to do one more.

After knock-downs, helps you get off the floor.

Sleep is underrated.

It should be stated.

It’s for the educated.

Dont lose Sleep, gain it.

Embrace it.

Make time for it.

Sleep.

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Scoring Academy Session II RECAP

Posted on December 14, 2017 by Corey Winkoff

FLG Scoring Academy Participants,

Last night was another great session at our Scoring Academy in Northsport. We started the session with a quick recap of proper fundamentals for shooting on the run. We emphasized the big four: arms out and up, head of your stick above your head, establish pivot foot and kick the can foot, as well as knowing when to release the ball. We then had everyone establish some real estate next to the padded walls surrounding the facility. We started our warm-up on our knees so players eliminating any lower body movement. Instead, players simulated a shot using only their upper body. This is a great way for players to warm-up there back muscles and work towards perfecting the fundamentals for how to shoot on the run. We then had players do the same thing on 1 knee. Finally, our players were simulating a shot on the run on both feet. The warm-up went really well as players started to get more comfortable shooting with both hands. Perfecting the fundamentals makes shooting on an actual cage more fluid and effortless. Check out the video from our warm-up on our instagram page here.

The second half of our night consisted of different shot types. These shot types included:

Shooting coming upfield (away from the goal)
Shooting downhill (towards the goal)
Getting into your defender, stepping off, and re-attacking downhill
Getting underneath your defender from the low wing for a shot in front of the goal
Dodging downhill, rolling back to the middle, switching hands, and getting off a quick shot on goal
Hitch and goes. Catching coming up field, throwing a little pump fake or hitch, and re-attacking upfield

While we worked on several different types of shots last night, they all had one thing in common: Each shot finished “on the run.”

It’s a beautiful thing to see our player’s last night apply what they learned early in the session into the latter part of the session. There were 2 players in particular that stood out last night and were awarded String King Practice Player of the Day. Their names are listed below:

Girls: Kerrin Heuser, 2019, Hicksville High School, Stony Brook University Commit

“Kerrin is someone for the girls at Scoring Academy to look up to. Kerrin leads by example. She is proof that hard work and paying attention to the details will provide opportunities to play at the highest of levels.” -Coach Bob Schmitt

Boys: Jude Anton, 2021, Northport High School

“Jude is a detail guy. He focuses on how to do things right. Jude is becoming one of the most consistent shooters at the Scoring Academy.” -Coach Corey Winkoff

See everyone next week!

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Cheers!

Posted on December 13, 2017 by Rory Sadoff

You know FLG is getting their ☕️ intake in for a productive Tuesday here @ FLG HQ!

Did you guys know how effective caffeine can be!?!

🧠Coffee is known as a “stimulant” – which increases norepinephrine and dopamine in the brain. SAY WHAT?
🧠Coffee basically increases firing neurons in your brain, which in turn increases energy levels, mood, and brain function!
🏃🏽‍♀️🏃🏽‍♂️Coffee increases adrenaline, and studies show can increase physical performance 11-12% on average! FUEL UP
❌Coffee is rich in antioxidants- what are those???? Antioxidants disarm free radicals in our body.. which we are exposed too everyday from pollution, radiation and smoke- they are EXTREMELY harmful to our DNA and protein
🍽Coffee is rich in vitamins/minerals your body needs- such as
1. RIBOFLAVIN(breaks down nutrients from diet)
2. B5(helps to maintain the health of your digestive tract)
3. MAGNESIUM(contributes to production of energy within your cells)
4. POTASSIUM(crucial to heart function & muscle contraction)

CHEERS!😍✔️☕️

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The Calendar

Posted on December 13, 2017 by Corey Winkoff

For any studlete going thru “The Process” it’s important to follow some sort of timeline. We call this timeline “The Calendar.” Our recruiting calendar offers some basic insight on when players should email college coaches, visit schools, or focus on their school team vs. club team. Publicizing a timeline and following it proves to be an effective way to organize “The Process.”

Take a peek at FLG’s Recruiting Calendar by clicking here.

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The Process

Posted on December 11, 2017 by Corey Winkoff

When it comes to getting recruited, every player is different. One studlete wants to fly commercial airplanes one day, another wants to become a college coach. One studlete wants to be High School Social Studies teacher, another wants to be an entrepreneur. One wants a “DI Experience”, another wants to have the luxury of travelling abroad in the Fall.

While no two studletes are the same, they should still follow an intelligent route towards finding the perfect fit. At FLG, we call this path “The Process.” The Process offers our boys and girls a simple guide towards accomplishing the simple goal of finding the right fit after High School.

It’s important to note, the Process does NOT:

Guarantee.

Promise.

Compare.

However, The Process does:

Offer clarity.

Teach accountability.

Stimulate maturity.

Check FLG’s Process by clicking here.

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FLG Scoring Academy – Session I RECAP

Posted on December 7, 2017 by Corey Winkoff

FLG Scoring Academy Participants,

Thank you for joining us at Session 1 of FLG’s Winter Scoring Academy. For the families who couldn’t make-it, this recap will tell you exactly what we focused on last night.

In lacrosse, over 80 to 90% of the shots taken are on the run. Meaning, you are releasing the ball from your stick towards the goal while you are moving your feet. That being said, we feel it’s very important to work on this part of the game.

Before we did any shooting on goal last night, we worked on the fundamentals of shooting on the run around the out-skirts of the indoor facility. We discussed 4 BIG things that must be done in order to correctly shoot on the run:

Get the head of your stick above your helmet or head. This allows you to get more control on your shot, get more speed behind your shot, and hide the ball from the goalie.
Arms out and up! Keeping your hands close to your body might help you control your shot in the short-run, but will significantly diminish your speed and accuracy in the long run. Remember! Extend your arms and get those hands up towards the sky.
Now, we start thinking about the lower half of our body. Establish a “Pivot Foot” and “Kick the Kan” foot. Your inside leg should be established as your pivot foot, remaining on the ground, and your outside leg should be established as your kick the kan foot. The outside leg should swing around, coming off the ground, and allowing your hips to square up on cage. Your momentum to bring your body into a 180 degree turn, eventually finishing your shot with a back peddle.
Lastly, the release. We teach our shooters to release the ball as soon as their kick the kan foot (outside foot) hits the turf. Reason being, once our foot hits the turf, we know that our hips are now on cage, a crucial step for getting an accurate shot on net.

We spent a solid 30 minutes focusing on the fundamentals for how to shoot on the run. Instead of warming up on a cage, we warmed up on the netting around the indoor complex. We do this so players don’t focus on where the ball goes. They should be focusing on everything else. Hand positioning, where their eyes should be, foot work, body language, release point, etc. Being able to synchronize all of these ideas takes time to master and lots of repetitions.

Once our players started shooting on net, they looked great. Our athletes did a really nice job applying the fundamentals of how to shoot on the run. It allowed for more accurate and consistent shots on goal.

Moving forward, we plan on focusing on the fundamentals at the beginning of each session, and incorporating more advanced shooting drills towards the middle and end of each session. We want to get lots of reps. But, more importantly, we want to get lots of QUALITY REPS. Consistency is the goal of the scoring academy. We want to answer the very important question of “How can we become more efficient, consistent, and effective goal scorers?” To help find answers to that question and for video footage on how your son or daughter is progressing, be sure to follow us on Instagram & Facebook.

#LoveTheGame

Sincerely,

Coach Corey & Coach Bob

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Box Lacrosse Training Week 1 RECAP

Posted on December 5, 2017 by Corey Winkoff

FLG Box Lax Participants & Parents,

It was a wonderful week 1 of FLG’s 5th annual Winter Box Lacrosse Training Program. It was a site to see so many great young lacrosse players inside the rinks this past Saturday at the MultiSportime in Bethpage, NY.

FLG’s methodology leads both boys and girls indoors to the box rinks during the winter to focus on unique skills, concepts, and techniques. I love when athletes in our training programs acquire new skills and apply them in a competitive setting. Being that our training programs aren’t all about competition, athletes feel more comfortable trying new things with the fear of failure.

Each week, athletes will experience station work and game play. Station work is a great opportunity to get multiple repetitions, learn new skills, and start to think about the game in a different way. Game play offers an opportunity to incorporate the skills learned in station work. Some of the stations taught this past Saturday included:

Spotlight 1v1s – In this drill, offensive players are restricted in that they can’t switch hands when trying to beat their defender. This forces players to keep their stick to the inside. Players are forced to protect their stick by moving their body, taking 1 hand off the stick, and/or boxing out their defender to establish good position. Offensive players were forced to think about how to set-up their defender to take the best possible angle towards the goal. Defensively, players were taught to keep their stick in that up field hand. This allowed players to match stick-on-stick and learn the importance of taking away the middle of the field.

1v1 Box GBs – Players competed in a 1v1 GB game by the corner boards. Learning how to use the boards to your advantage, recognizing the angle in which the ball is coming at or away from you, and learning to box out earned players a better chance at winning the ground balls. Contested ground balls translate to the field game as well, which is why this is a great drill to work on for everyone.

2v2 Pass-down Shallow-cut Shooting – In box lacrosse, we are teaching players to attack from the back corners of the rink to maximize space when dodging, give oneself an opportunity to attack the middle of the floor, and have the option to throw back to a teammate. This drills teaches players to attack the middle of the floor, as well as give a pump fake back to a teammate. Shallow cuts are an effective way for off-ball players to get underneath the dodger and create space for your teammate.

Circle Passing – A great drill that players can do at home, between games, or at box! This drill teaches players the importance of communication, concentration, catching the ball behind the ear, getting the ball in and out of your stick quickly from your ear, and staying light on your feet. Circle passing requires players to call the name of the person they are throwing to before they throw it. Giving your teammate a heads up is crucial as the coaches work 2, 3, sometimes 4 balls into the circle at once! As soon as players get the swing of this game, we tell everyone their favorite command, “time to put the stick in your weak hand!”

2v1 Pass-down Pick-downs – The boys learned how and when to use a pick in the box rinks. The pick-down or down-pick is an effective movement to free up your teammate who is dodging from the low corners. The picker learned the importance of cutting the floor, being stationary on the pick, opening the door when your teammate who is dodging brushes shoulders and keeping your stick at your ear and to the inside. You never know when you might receive that pass! Dodgers learned to drag their defender, square up to the middle, attack the pickers top shoulder, and dodge with the head up.

The goal of FLG’s Box Training program is for players to use the concepts from Station Work and apply them to the scrimmages. I saw some incredible lacrosse on Saturday. The natural talent and athleticism was one thing, but the coach-ability and willingness to learn new concepts were another. It was a pleasure to see players applying what they just learned within a competitive setting.

I’m so excited to resume our program at Session II on the 16th of December. REMINDER! We are OFF next Saturday. In the meantime, FLG Trainers will be drafting up teams for players to compete towards the 5th annual Box Lacrosse Training Championship.

Lastly, be sure to follow FLG Lacrosse on Facebook & Instagram to see our athletes in action in the box rinks.

Have a great week!

Corey Winkoff

Program Director, FLG Lacrosse

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FLG Internship Opportunities – Fall, Spring, Summer

Posted on September 13, 2017 by Corey Winkoff

A little over a year ago, I started an internship program at FLG for High School, Collegiate, and post-graduate students. This internship works with young professionals who are looking to gain valuable work experience, contribute to a thriving company, and work with people who are extremely passionate in what they do. Below you will find a video blog on 2 different types of internships we are offering here at FLG Lacrosse, as well as quotes from some of the past rock-stars that interned with FLG.

Please note, you can apply for our internship programs by emailing me at [email protected] – Please include your resume, linked in profile (if you have one), and make note of which internship opportunity (Creative Media or Marketing) & season (Fall, Spring, Summer) you are looking to apply for.

When people think FLG, well at least when I heard the word FLG I thought “another summer travel lacrosse program” but after my experience of coaching and working as an intern in the office this summer, I have realized it is way more than that. It is a program that is run all year long consisting of various types of events and teams. I have learned so much through out my time here, not even just work wise, but life lessons to. -Kaitlyn (Adelphi University, Sports Management Major)

One of my favorite elements of my summer internship was the opportunity to utilize my creative abilities. I have had some experience with graphic design in the past and FLG allowed me to showcase my skills in creating several marketing campaigns to promote the company. These were all sent out via email or shared through FLG’s social media accounts, such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat. -Ryan (Stevens Tech, Business & Technology Major)

Every day was a different challenge and we all were able to be creative and open in solving them and producing an end product that we were all proud of. -Sarah (UMASS, Health & Sciences Major)

The FLG intern program was a great experience that has better prepared me for what lies ahead once I graduate from Siena College. The skills I have acquired have made me a better leader and with that, I would like to say thank you to the staff here at FLG. I still have much to learn, but the FLG intern experience has steered me in a direction where I know I can and will be successful. -Devin (Siena College, Environmental Science Undergraduate & Pre-Med @ Hofstra University)

Working for FLG this past summer has exceeded every expectation I had for my first internship. The work I had done was much more than filing documents and typing notes during meetings. The assignments my directors gave me were important to the outcome of whatever program or task we were trying to complete.I am extremely thankful for all that FLG has offered me these past four months and I will always remember not only the skills and lessons I have learned, but the memories I have made as well. -Alexa (UMASS School for Sports Management)

By far, this summer has been one of the best summers I have ever had thanks to FLG. Interning at FLG has given me the opportunity to meet new people/make connections and learn what it takes to run a leading company in the competitive lacrosse sports industry. FLG is a family business so you can see and feel the passion, love, dedication and commitment that is poured into work here everyday but make no mistake, it is also a company that is professional, innovative, and provides state of the art service to its clients. -Julie (UMASS School for Sports Management)

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The Inner You

Posted on August 2, 2017 by Louis Perfetto

Starting at a young age it is extremely important to have the right mindset and work ethic about everything you do. I am lucky enough to have 2 parents who constantly preach it so I am consistent with it. Growing up there was a kid I played with who was good enough to be the #1 recruit and go to play anywhere he wanted. He would always dominate everyone else and it started getting easy for him. The problem was his head started getting filled by everyone telling him how good he was and he stopped working hard. There started to be a slow decline in his performance. While all this was happening there were many other kids like myself who didn’t get the attention he did. The people with higher work ethics have a higher ceiling than those with lower work ethics even though they might have more talent than you. The best thing to do is use it as motivation and outwork the other kid. With the right attitude and work ethic, anything is possible. Don’t cheat yourself and practice all the time and good things will happen. My Dad always told me to treat everything you do like you are a horse running in a race. They all wear blinders so they don’t get distracted. In life block out all of the noise, keep working hard and good things will come.

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Play’s’ Make Players

Posted on May 22, 2017 by Corey Winkoff

Ever made a bad move?

Committed a flagrant foul?

Missed the game winning shot?

Dropped the ball?

Tripped over your own two feet?

Those are bad plays, but that doesn’t mean they have to define you as a player.

Your legacy as a player is an accumulation of your play while you train, practice, and compete. Don’t let one bad play define you. Don’t let someone else define you.

Make your legacy one built around the positive, the tough, the effort plays. Be the player you wish to become. Work towards it each day. Work at it, hard.

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