With the summer lacrosse season ending, it is time to reflect on the past year. All the hard work, blood sweat and tears, the time and effort put into the game we all love. Did you get better? There’s an old saying that “champions are made when no one is watching,” however with the way competitive club lacrosse is going, training is the focus. So, we arrive at the question, are you training the right way? Is what you are doing when no one is watching the right way to do it? Are you fundamentally sound?
FLG as well as other competitive lacrosse clubs offer a variety of training packages, all of which aim to bring out the best player you can possibly be. But not only being a skilled lacrosse player, but rather specializing in your specific position and game like situations pertinent to your position. Repetition, building skills, developing IQ, it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert at something. Clearly you cannot invest 10,000 hours in your club. So, therefore you must train on your own. But training the right way is key.
Reflecting on and evaluating your skill is a great way to become a better player. Talk to your trainers and coaches. Ask them questions and find out, what areas of your game you are already good at and what areas you can be better at. Then don’t forget to follow up with the question “How do I accomplish or make that skill better.” The focus here is that you are developing a plan. Yes, shooting 100 lacrosse balls is great but are you shooting them the right way? Will shooting 100 lacrosse balls make you a better player? The quality of your reps is key. Before you go up to the field to train, develop your plan. Start off with a quick wall ball warm up. If shooting is the focus for the day, start off with some body mechanic drills that focus on proper hand and foot placement. Then go into shooting half speed where you are really dialing into what your body is doing and where the ball is going. Speed up that process to mimic game speed and begin to add dynamic footwork to work on dodging. A speed ladder is also a great tool to supplement footwork. Adding exercises like push-ups and pull-ups to make you a little more tired is a great way to develop the mentality of playing to your best when you are tired. Pick a spot on the field. Maybe we focus solely on the wing today and move to up top if we are a middie or down low behind the goal if we are an attackman.
The key here is that you are building skill while working hard and having fun. Take a few days and enjoy some time off. But remember while your hanging out, someone your competing against is getting better. If you have a vision or goal to take your game to the next level, you must train hard to reach that goal. Take advantage of the off season and work hard. Let’s change that old saying to “champions train when no one is watching.”
FLG Lacrosse would like to congratulate the following 16 baby bros for the FLG Town Championship All Baby Bro Squad. Great job this past weekend boys! You all have bright futures ahead.
The FLG Fusion Town Championships is a first-of-its-kind town tournament that will consist of a series of FLG’s Small Area Competitive Games & Drills, which we called Fusion Games. This Sunday, FLG will bring together some of Long Island’s most established lacrosse towns to compete in this unique event. Taking the tournament experience to the next level, FLG’s team of professional trainers will actually teach each team, as well as their coaches, 6 different Fusion games. After teams and coaches are taught the rules of a particular Fusion game, they will immediately walk to their field and compete against another town. This process will repeat until each town team has competed all 6 Fusion games. Teams will then be seeded and earn a chance to compete for the first ever FLG Fusion Town Championship. Only the winners of each grade will earn a special prize at the end, however, each team will walk-away learning something new. For LIVE updates, scores, pictures, promotions, and much more, be sure to follow FLG Lacrosse on instagram & twitter @FLGLAX
Below is a preview for each town competing in the Fusion Town Championships this Sunday:
Cold Spring Harbor
Adam Ghitelman is one the greats to come through the Cold Spring Harbor lacrosse program. His #8 jersey is retired and hangs in the rafters of the Cold Spring Gymnasium. An All-American, National Champ, MLL Star, and DI Collegiate coach, Ghitelman is one the CSH boys aspire to become.
CSH
Adam Ghitelman – Virginia & Pro
Johnny Orson – Hofstra
Jay Jalbert – Virginia
Guy Riccardi – Maryland
Rich Riccardi -Virginia
Colin Burke – Fairfiel
Greg Peyser – Hopkins
Stephen Peyser – Hopkins
Joe Boloukos – Cornell
Allen Winkoff – BU
Jordan Walter – Notre Dame
Jake Gennosa – Drexel
Ryan Winkoff – Binghamton
The 5th grade boys over In Cold Spring Harbor, young studletes look to write the next chapter in the program’s storied history by the time their senior season comes in 2024. All these young studletes aspire to become the next CSH legend, like Virginia standouts Jay Jalbert & Adam Ghitleman. The 2024 Seahawks hope to represent their community at the Fusion Championships by demonstrating a high level of skill, athleticism, and lacrosse IQ. Come to the Nassau Community College Field house this Sunday to witness these little baby bros strive to be known like the legends that came before them.
Long Beach
Some may not know, but the Gibson Brothers hail from Long Beach. Matt was a stand-out attackman at Chaminade and Yale. Gibby now competes for MLL Championships on the Long Island Lizards. Mesmerizing audiences with his famous Wall Ball videos on the Tube, Gibson is a great role model for young laxers everywhere.
Long Beach
Brendan Gibson – Yale
Matt Gibson – Yale
J.T. Forkin – Cuse
Peter O’Toole – Harvard
Long Beach has produced some serious studs over the last couple years, Brendan and Matt Gibson, J.T. Forkin, and Peter O’Toole to name a few. The Long Beach class of 2024 are pushing to make their mark on the program and prove they can continue to compete with the elite programs of Long Island. Head coach of the 2024 LB boys, Tony Greer, can be described as a family man, rocker for life, and avid supporter of his alma mater Cornell Big Red. Coach Greer will lead his LB group into the Fusion Arena with a slew of lacrosse knowledge. Tony’s passion for the game is infectious and it shows. FLG is really excited for the opportunity to get the Long Beach boys involved in our first Fusion Town Tourney.
Smithtown
Rob Pannell is one of the best stories to come out of Smithtown. From under the radar recruit to lacrosse super-star, this Cornell Big Red All-American recently led his MLL team to a Championship.
Rob Pannell – Cornell
James Pannell – Virginia
Dan Martinson – Siena
Gerard Arceri – FOGO – Penn State
Ryan Keenan – Penn State
Jason DeBenedictis – St. John’s
Brian Willetts – Notre Dame
Smithtown has emerged a lax factory, sending players to schools like Virginia, Penn State, Cornell, and Notre Dame year in and year out. Playing for Smithtown means you are expected to compete at a high level, keep getting better each year, and work towards one-day playing for Coach Moltisanti or Coach Lambert at the Varsity Level. Smithtown continues to prove they are a powerhouse in lacrosse and these young guns hope to keep it that way. Smithtown is bringing not one, but two teams in the same grade. They know, in order for a program to be successful the more boys that play lax, the better!
Manhasset
Jim Brown earned 13 letters during him time at Manhasset. Moving on to Cuse to excel at football and lax, Brown eventually earned a spot in NFL History Books because of his stand-out career. Brown continues to inspire the lacrosse community.
Manhasset
Tyler Dunn – UPENN
Connor English – Cornell
Chris Finn – Cornell
Gavin Petracca – North Carolina
Chris Peyser – Princeton
Jim Brown – Syracuse
Ryan Young – Maryland
James Farrell – UPenn
Drew Belinsky – UPenn
Manhasset has a bright future ahead of them and the Class of 2022 will attempt to find their next Tyler Dunn, Connor English, or Chris Finn. Manhasset has always been known for their rich lacrosse history and these young guns hope to carry on the legacy. The Fusion Town Championship this Sunday will be flooded with Manhasset Indians. From 5th grade to 8th, you’ll find a laxer from this community. Not only will Manhasset be bringing a 2022 team, free agents from the community will attend FLG’s Fusion event to take part in the action. With long time high school rivals like Cold Spring Harbor coming to the Fusion Town Championship, these games could get very interesting!
Sachem
Doug Shanahan was one of the greats to graduate from Sachem. Doug had a stand-out career at Hofstra, in the MLL, and for the US National Team.
Sachem
Joe Amplo-Head Coach at Marquette
Brian Brecht – Rutgers Lacrosse Head Coach
Randy Cox
John Calabria – Syosset Head Coach
Terry Mangan – St. John’s Assistant coach
Justin O’Connell-UPENN
Jay Mauro – Butler
Tommy Haun – Stony Brook
Doug Shanahan – Hofstra
Almost all the great alumni from Sachem have experienced playing and coaching at the collegiate level. With big shoes to fill, Sachem’s youth hopes to represent a lacrosse community filled big time coaches, big time players, and a rich history. Follow @FLGLAX on twitter for updates on how the Sachem boys far against some stiff competition.
Farmingdale
Matt Danowski is currently 3rd all-time in points for the NCAA. He was a 4 time all-american at Duke, played for several MLL franchises, and has competed for the US Men’s National Team. Matt continues to develop young men as a coach for the Duke Men’s Lacrosse team.
Farmingdale
Matt Deluca – Delaware
Tommy Mcpartland – Mercy
Steve Kunz – Albany
Joseph Ostrander-Towson
Sal Tuttle – Adelphi
Matt Danowski – Duke
Jonathon Engelke – Towson
Dennis Kelly – UMass
Farmingdale has one of the most renowned alumni base in the country. Matt Danowski, Matt Deluca, Steve Kunz, Joe Ostrander, and Sal Tuttle are some of the recent greats that the Farmingdale 2022 group has been able to look up to. Daler Nation Coach, Dennis Kelly, is a Farmingdale Alumni himself. He looks to bring a highly touted 2023 group to the Fusion Arena with the intention of winning it all. Follow FLG Lacrosse on twitter and instagram @flglax to see how the Dalers match-up to the competition.
Huntington
Shamel is the 3rd all-time in points for Virginia Cavalier midfielders. A two-time firs team all-american, Shamel is one of the best to graduate from Huntington. Shamel led H-ton to two back-to-back State Championships during his time at Huntington High School.
Huntington
Scott Kocis – Georgetown
Shamel Bratton and Ramel Bratton – Virginia
Steve Mock – Cornell
Zach Howell – Duke
Matt Howell – Notre Dame
This weekend, the Huntington Village Class of 2022 takes the field in hopes of showing other teams on the island what the Blue Devils are all about. These boys are looking to join some of the Huntington greats like Zach and Matt Howell. The Huntington Village Lacrosse program is growing in popularity and success. The Devils youth program has more and more laxers looking to take their lacrosse talents to the next level each and every year. This Fusion event will test these young athletes in different facets of the game. Do they have what it takes to be the first, Fusion Town Champs?!
Levittown
Devin Votta was a stand-out at Levittown and is currently the senior captain of Siena’s Lacrosse team. Devin coaches in the Levittown Youth Program and has worked with dozens of players throughout Long Island.
Levittown
Tom Davis-Princeton
James Davis-Princeton
Doug Hall-UNC
Eric Weeden-John Hopkins
Devin Votta-Siena Captain
With Levittown legends like Tom and James Davis, Dougie Hall, Eric Weeden, and Devin Votta, Levittown lacrosse is looking to find their next “Legend” in the 2021 class. Currently in 8th grade, it won’t be long before this Levittown group steps foot on the varsity grid-iron. With the hopes of competing for a county championship in the near future, the Levittown 2021 class will continue to focus on developing their game. Led by Ralph Votta, Levittown youth lacrosse coaching legend and founder of the TOGZ club lacrosse organization, this Levittown 2021 is in great hands. We welcome this group to our first ever Fusion Town Championship!
Port Washington – North
John Crawley is one of the best, if not, the best to come out of Port Washington. Leading his team to a County Championship in HS, Crawley is now working on leading his Hopkins team to a National Championship. Watch JC44 inspire the lax community with his all-around heads-up and selfless play this Spring.
Port Wash/North shore
Dan Grabher-Army
Joey Frocarro-Villanova
Jake Frocarro -Villanova
Jeff Frocarro-Princeton
John Crawley-Johns Hopkins
Ryan Aughavin-Brown
This weekend, athletes from both Port Washington and North Shore will take the field together. Port Washington and North Shore are both up-and-coming lacrosse towns with the resources and passion to become great at this game. Which boys from Port Washington North will step-up and show they belong on lacrosse’s biggest stage? Tune into @FLGAX on twitter and instagram this Sunday and find out!
Commack
Tim Trenkle was a great player for Commack High School. Trenkle moved on to contribute and play all four years for the SeasWolves of Stony Brook.
Commack
Commack has always been known as a baseball town. Since Jimmy Montana took over the men’s lacrosse program, Commack has transformed to being known to have quality lacrosse. This year, Commack High School will compete in one of the most competitive public school conferences in the country, the Suffolk Class A. This means Commack’s youth will need to keep getting stronger if they plan on contending at the High School level. Coach Montana himself will be marching into the Fusion arena with his Commack 6th grade group in hopes of capturing the first Fusion Town Championship.
Floral Park
Kevin Ford is one of the best to come out of Floral Park. Ford was a stand-out HS Lacrosse Player who went on to have a good career at Hofstra. Who will be that next stand-out from FP? Come to the Fusion Town Championships and find out!
Floral Park
Floral Park has an up and coming youth program with lots of talent. The Knights are developing a lacrosse culture by bringing together like-minded families that share a passion for the sport of lacrosse. The Fusion Town Championship will host the 5th grade Floral Park group that will be coached by Don Ferone. Don is heavily involved in Floral Park’s youth program and has contributed to the development of many players in the community. We look forward to hosting the Knights this Sunday at our Fusion Town Championships!
Harborfields
Mark Millon, known for his low to high cannon, continues to educate youth today. His camps have gotten a stick in the hands of thousands of kids around the country. He remains the greatest to come out of Harborfields.
Harborfields
Harborfields is a community that is desirable for many reasons. Many successful families seek the community for it’s quality schools, athletics, and club programs. The boys youth lacrosse program has a lot of quality athletes who hope to one day play for Coach Glen Lavey’s varsity team. Bill Yorio, father of the current starting goalie for Harborfields, will lead an 8th grade Harborfields group into the Fusion Town Championships this Sunday. FLG is excited to welcome a great program, great mentor/coach, and quality group of young men!
Oyster Bay
Brian Soper, Adelphi All-American and Oyster Bay Head Coach, is the reason Oyster Bay Lacrosse has been on a steady upward trend over the last several years. His passion and knowledge for the game has allowed him to take a program that was non-existent, to one that will compete this year for a Class D Long Island Championship.
Oyster Bay
As a rising lacrosse program on the island, Oyster Bay hopes to make noise in the coming future. The Oyster Bay Baymen Lacrosse Program is lead by FLG coach, Brian Soper. Coach Soper is a committed teacher and coach within the Oyster Bay community and looks to continue building a program that’s seen nothing but consistent improvement. A stout 6th grade group will walk into Nassau Community College’s field house with the intentions of proving they can run with the best towns on the island. Come watch Coach Pat Lough’s 6th grade Oyster Bay group compete for a chance to be crowned Fusion Town Champs!
Next Sunday, FLG will be launching a first of its kind, Small Area Games Town Team tournament. Below is a sneak preview for one of the drills we will be playing at this event!
For more information on our FLG Fusion Town Championships, click here.
FLG Lacrosse is evolving the youth team tournament experience by introducing Fusion to Town teams this March. FLG Fusion is a hybrid training system that incorporates multi-sport concepts, rules, and techniques. Fusion teaches lacrosse players through fast-paced play, unique rules, multiple repetitions, and playing in tight spaces.
At the Fusion Town Championships, the emphasis is on competition, high-level play, and most importantly, development. Players will experience between 6 and 8 unique small area games all created by FLG Lacrosse. Players will learn the rules of these games, how they work, why we play them, and tips on how to succeed in them.
This event is a great opportunity for coaches to learn a little something too. Coaches of each team will leave with an FLG Small Area Competitive Games & Drills book. This will consist of FLG’s favorite small area games that are hand-picked for youth coaches. Also, these are great drills to run during PAL practices in the Spring.
As 2016 draws to a close, I have been reflecting on this past year, which for me was a year of change to say the least. And most of that, “change”, has centered on lacrosse. This time last year, I was finishing my 24th year in the same job and looking forward to a winter of College Wrestling and a spring of College Lacrosse, as I planned to get to as many of my kids’ events as possible. By the end of January, I had accepted the Assistant Coaching Position at SUNY Old Westbury and by the end of February, I had retired from my job of 24 years.
I was able to see almost all of my son’s wrestling events including the NCAA Regional at Washington and Lee, in Lexington, VA. I became fully engrossed in O.W. Women’s Lacrosse and we enjoyed a great season, qualifying for the Skyline Conference Playoffs for the first time in the program’s four year history.
I was fortunate enough to attend Senior Day at Coker College, in South Carolina, to see my former player and close family friend, Shane Wilson played in his final Home Game.
My coaching duties at O.W., limited my ability to see my daughter’s lacrosse games. However, I was able to attend the PSAC Championships at Mercyhurst University in Erie, PA. The Lady Lakers won their first ever Conference Championship. I then solo road tripped to Lindenwood University in St. Charles, MO, to see them compete in the NCAA Playoffs.
On Memorial Day Weekend, I was thrilled to see another former player, Brendan Caputo, playing for Brown. His late goal sent their NCAA Semi-Final game into overtime, before ultimately falling to Maryland in an epic game.
I coached the Long Island TOGZ 2019/20 Team through the summer tournament season. But, by early August, the TOGZ which had been a huge part of my life for almost a decade, would no longer exist. As summer began to wane, I began coaching and working for FLG Lacrosse.
Throughout the fall, there were FLG Practices, Fall Recruiting Tournaments and then various Training Sessions . There were more road trips to see Mercyhurst during their fall ball season.
This past year marked some big changes for me. It has not been easy, but I have tried to embrace it. I am busier than I thought I would be in “Retirement”. But, I am very happy with my present life. I love both of my jobs, and the people I get to work with. 2016 was a great journey. I am looking forward to a great year in 2017. Practice at O.W. starts on January 23. I am anxious to begin!
Tonight is the first night of our Positional and Fusion Clinic series. The first night of any clinic is big because we want to set the tone early. We want player’s coming in excited and energetic. We want parents to be impressed with our organization, enthusiasm, and execution by our staff and coaches.
How will we succeed tonight?
Make sure all coaches are on the same page. Curriculums were fired out to all coaches with ample time to read and know what they are expected to teach.
Get to the facility nice and early to set it up. A lot goes into setting up clinics to maximize flow and player development. When player’s get to the facility, everything should be ready to go!
Make sure everyone gets lots of touches! Reps, reps, and more reps. That’s how player’s can learn and develop.
Demonstrate. Teach. Reinforce. Reflect. That’s how we teach at our clinics.
Tonight we train with the same intensity of a big rivalry game. #LoveTheGame
Golf is one difficult sport. Anyone that has swung a golf club should have an appreciation for what the golfers on the LPGA & PGA Tours do on TV. Every time I tune into the best in the world, I’m in awe by what they can do with a club and ball.
Despite their athleticism and obvious skill, one thing that’s always intrigued me about golfers is what makes them unique:
Some are tall and thin.
Others stocky and short.
Some lefty.
Others righty.
Some sponsored by Arby’s.
Others by Sweet Green.
Some rock the freshest Nike gear.
Others rock Polo by Ralph Lauren.
Some golfers celebrate with a dramatic fist pump.
Other with a tip of the cap.
Some young.
Others approaching middle age.
With all those differences, it’s important to understand that there are several fundamental skills at work here. As I watch these incredible athletes, I couldn’t help but sharing a few of these athletic characteristics that remain consistent amongst the best of the best:
Hand eye coordination. An incredible skill giving golfers the ability to swing a club super fast, and still make great contact with the ball.
Perception. Golfers need to be able to judge how far away they are from the hole, choose the correct club, and swing with the right speed to get the ball on the green.
Visualization. With so many distractions and boundaries on a golf course, golfers must be able to visualize the perfect shot before it happens.
Read, react. In golf, every single shot is different than the last. Golfers must develop the ability to read the course and react with the appropriate shot.
Listen. Golf allows athletes to get tips and suggestions from their traveling coaches aka caddies. Before and after each shot, golfers can get important information from their caddies to help engineer the best possible round. The golfers who have the ability to listen, adapt, and apply their caddies message, tend to be on TV towards the end of the tournament.
If you got nothing going on during this calm before the storm that is Hermine, check out the Deutsche Bank Championship on CBS. What other characteristics do you notice that are consistent amongst golfers? How about other qualities that make them different? Would love to hear your comments below!
Cheeeeeck out one of FLG’ favorite Fusion games that will be sure to be an absolute hit with your lacrosse team. We call it doubles. We call this type of game, Fusion. Enjoy!
