Real Advice for Athletes and Parents from FLG’s Father/Son Duo
Lacrosse Recruits, a company that publishes recruiting profiles and helps college coaches find and follow the recruits they’re looking for quickly and easily, is teaming up with FLG to bring you a series of podcasts that are not to be missed. During sports-style interviews, Mike and Corey give studletes and their parents an insider’s look at both the game of lacrosse and the end game: getting recruited by the right college.
Who are Mike and Corey? They are FLG’s own father/son team. Mike Winkoff is a father, coach and businessman. Corey is Mike’s son, an athlete, graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and FLG’s program director. During these spirited podcasts, father and son bring their passion for the sport to hot topics that impact today’s young athletes. The duo hands out straight talk and down-to-earth advice on the recruiting process, the sport and what it takes to be a real winner at life.
Mike and Corey field some tough questions. Their answers give insight on: whether it’s better to wait for the best fit when it comes to choosing a college or jump on the bandwagon early, how to impress coaches, why to build an online profile for college recruiters to tap into, plus many topics that transcend the world of youth sports.
CLICK NOW TO LISTEN.
Meanwhile, Corey’s dad, a former coach and FLG lacrosse club owner, talks about the tremendous stress families with teenage athletes experience when it comes to college decision making:
“The pressure put on these kids, being recruited so young, is unfortunate. If it was up to myself and Corey, they would only recruit rising seniors. But we can’t change that landscape. So what we have to do is tell parents and help them realize. We once had a player get 11 DI offers his rising senior year. So there is always opportunity. At the end of the day, the kid who commits later is in a better spot. They are finding the right fit. An eighth or ninth grader cannot find the right fit. They are just trying to figure out where their homeroom is located.”
The interview series is hosted by Lacrosse Recruits, a division of Sports Recruits, which operates an exclusive software platform that allows players to manage and execute the best recruiting process (www.sportsrecruits.com).
CLICK NOW TO HEAR COREY & MIKE.
Morabito vs. Fressle
When #FLG teammates become opponents in the HS seasons.. @kendallfressle and @allymorabito faced off this passed week in a battle of the 2018s.
It’s Lights, Camera, Action: FLG Lacrosse in the Limelight
What’s the best way to share exciting info with young lacrosse players on a regular basis? Why webinars of course! So, we’ve turned the spotlight on our team here at FLG to talk about topics that interest you and bring them to you live each month right on your computers, tablets and cellular devices.
All of our webinars are FREE, FUN and INFORMATIVE!
We’ll discuss topics like how to choose the right lacrosse program and exactly how to get the most out of your club lacrosse experience plus you’ll learn more about what FLG has to offer you. We’ll even have celebrity appearances by coaches.
The FLG WebSeries programs are for everyone and are aimed at keeping parents and players informed and involved. We’ll share news about upcoming showcases, update the latest stats on which colleges are actively scouting at these events and how many players will be participating. We’re even building in a chat box so you can ask questions live and get answers on the spot. Be on the lookout for email announcements from FLG so you won’t miss our next WebSeries program.
For those who are registered for an FLG Showcase, we have more free monthly webinars exclusively for you! Our FLG WebExclusive web talks discuss topics in depth that will give you a considerable leg up on the competition. We’ll offer tips on how to prepare for a showcase, run video clips that highlight specific plays that make a big impression on college coaches and tell you how to land on their recruiting radar. If you are already registered for an FLG Showcase, watch your email for a link to join in on our next scheduled WebExclusive.
FLG Select team players will gain even more knowledge as we put the world of virtual coaching in your hands during our monthly FLG WebSelect webinars. Topics range from setting yourself up for success to following an organized approach to getting recruited. You’ll have full access to the FLG film room with video clips that help you learn the smart plays and put a wealth of information at your fingertips. If you’re an FLG Select team member, we’ll automatically send you the links you need to access WebSelect training online.
We look forward to stepping up to camera and helping you on the road to success!
FLG WebSeries 2. Plan for Success
Tonight we will be airing our second WebSeries, Plan for Success.
In tonight’s public webinar we will be discussing how to plan for a great practice, we’ll discuss some of FLG’s favorite drills, and give you the keys to planning for success!
FLG WebSeries 2. Planning for Success
Wed, Apr 13, 2016 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM EDT
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Please join my meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.
- You can also dial in using your phone.
United States +1 (312) 757-3121
Access Code: 626-610-309
Trouble logging in? Email – [email protected]
Green Jacket, Gold Jacket.
We talk all the time about the difference between being a series of club lacrosse teams and a club lacrosse Program. We take pride in calling ourselves a Program for a variety of reasons. Now, the same goes for a High School team vs a High School program OR a college team vs. a college program. From FLG’s perspective of what it takes to be ‘successful’, I’ve listed some necessities that make for a successful HS & College Program.
Green jack, gold jacket. College program, High School program.
Successful High School Programs
- Have a Youth and Middle School program built around the same philosophies as the High School Program.
- Have lots of coaches who know the game
- Have lots of enthusiastic and positive people involved in the Program
- Varsity coach who is involved in all age levels
- Varsity coach who is willing to educate other coaches and players within the lacrosse community
- Strong sense of community
- Varsity players who want to help the youth and serve as good role models
- Opportunities for players to give back to the sport or their community
- A focus on development of character, athleticism, skills, and knowledge for the game, not winning or losing
- Help players in the program with the college recruiting process
Successful College Programs
- Recruit from High School Programs that have the same philosophies as the college program
- Have lots of coaches who know the game
- Have lots of enthusiastic and positive people involved in the program
- Have a Head Coach that is involved in every class on his team, from freshmen to seniors
- Have coaches who are willing to educate other coaches and players within the lacrosse community
- Strong sense of school pride
- Have Varsity players who want to help the youth and serve as good role models
- Opportunities for players to give back to the sport, their college, or are surround their colleg.
- Primary focus on development of character, athleticism, skills, and knowledge for the game, not winning or losing
- Help players in the program with the job recruitment process
What are some similarities you see between these two lists?
The other half of the battle
If showing up is half the battle, what do you need to do during that other half to find success. In our program, we have a simple rule, everybody plays equal. Only catch, you need to consistently:
Show up (HALF the battle)
Give effort, enthusiasm, discipline, and focus every time you show up (the other HALF of the battle)
The second part is left out because it’s much harder to accomplish consistently. However, the cornerstones mentioned in that ‘other’ half will make you a more successful athlete, student, employee, and all around person.
What do you do to win those daily battles?
‘Bad’ Weather
It’s no surprise that the weather this season has been wacky, wet, and cold. As peers sit in the comfort of their homes, watching live streams of college lacrosse games, they fire texts and posts complaining that, “this isn’t lacrosse weather.” I definitely see how this Spring weather can turn-away spectators from going outside to watch some great lacrosse, but I can’t help but think how the elements are beginning to affect the players on the field.
Being that both teams have to play in whatever weather exists on game day, I feel that both teams playing in bad weather have a choice:
1. Do they embrace the elements and stick to the game plan?
or
2. Do they harness the mal weather and let it negatively affect their play?
Snowy, rainy, or windy weather can give players an opportunity to rise up, embrace a challenge, and have fun. It can also give players an opportunity to complain, whine, or focus on the fact that it’s not 75 and sunny. What’s it gonna be? Today, the answer seemed to be the former for America’s top ranked teams.
Some say that poor weather gives the under-dog an opportunity to even the playing field and capture a win. What’s interesting is after checking the scores of both men’s and women’s NCAA DI games today, not a single ranked team tallied a loss. How could that be? Coincidence? Luck? Or did those top teams make the right choice?
The Missing Link
4 years and Eastport South Manor High School women’s lacrosse has risen to unprecedented heights. Coach Becky Thorn has not only notched a State Championship onto her belt in just her fourth season as Head Women’s Varsity Coach, but she’s established one of the most polished programs in all of Suffolk County. From the bottom UP, ESM has an abundance of driven girls who want to be a part of the lacrosse program. The dream of competing for the varsity team starts young for the girls in ESM, as High School coaches run summer camps, year round clinics, and training sessions for the youth in the community.
Young girls fill the stands at Varsity games to root for players they personally know and aspire to be.
Parents in the community battle the changing elements of Spring to get skills and drills sessions in after the 9 to 5 grind.
Girls lacrosse at the Middle School level is spreading like a virus.
By the time girls from ESM get to High School, they’ve developed skill, speed, and a clear understanding for the rules of the game.
Eastport South Manor were the 2015 NYS Champions :: photo-credit newsy.com
Now, in most High School Programs on the island, elite athletes leap from Middle School athletics to playing at the Varsity level. Varsity lacrosse coaches cringe at the thought of having their elite freshmen and sophomores spend an entire Spring playing under someone in the district looking to collect a paycheck or simply spend a season “coaching” for the sake of trying something new. At ESM, things are run a little different. Most players entering High School avoid the massive leap towards Varsity Athletics. Instead, they go through a buzz-saw of great coaching, position specific development, lacrosse IQ building, a creative approach towards learning about the game, and a quality introduction to the High School ESM program.
For the past six years, Greg Graziano has led the ESM women’s Junior Varsity team. His quiet, calculated approach to coaching the game, gives his girls an opportunity to think beyond their years and prepare them for the next level. “I don’t just want our girls to put their stick in their outside hand when their clearing the ball up the sideline, I want them to know why they’re putting their stick the outside,” said Graziano in an interview after his team topped Comsewogue 14 to 4. Coach Graziano is a big ‘Why Guy.’ “If the girls don’t know why they are doing what we ask of them, it’s going to make it difficult for them to understand the game on a deeper level. We want the girls to play with a purpose.”
Head Coach Greg Graziano and Assistant Coach Jenna Brocking serve as the last link before the girls get to the varsity level. Running a team that has athletes who are a year or two from playing on and competing for State Championships may seem pressure packed, accompanied with crazed parents, but Graziano says, “I’ve had two negative experiences in six years. Coach Thorn supports me, the families support me, and I really enjoy being a part of this Program.”
Head girls Junior Vasity Coach, Greg Graziano (above), has been helping build the ESM Program for 6 years and counting
Being that so many parents get caught up with the wins and losses, I asked Graziano what his primary role was as Head Coach of a JV team. Also, how important those wins really are?
“My primary goal is to teach the girls about work ethic. They need to develop an understanding of what it takes to be successful in this program and in life. We have great girls coming through our Program. The discipline piece is important, but seems easier and easier to teach considering the quality of kid coming through each year. Secondly, I want our girls to get better. I want them to develop their IQ for the game, I want them to develop their decision making skills, develop their athletic abilities, and develop their preparedness for the next level. The wins will come if we stay true to or goals, and they have, we’ve won a lot of games in a short period of time.”
Overall, it’s apparent Coach Graziano is an important cog in the ESM girls lacrosse machine. “This program is successful because of all the passionate people who have helped develop the girls in the community,” said Graziano “…and Coach Thorn’s willingness to develop coaches and girls within the ESM program.”
The importance of qualified Junior Varsity coaches is underrated and undervalued. As more teams start to figure out the importance of properly guiding middle school athletes to the Varsity, more Head Coaches will find themselves competing for County, Regional, and State Championships. A special thanks to Coach Graziano for his time, perspective, and positive influence on the game of lacrosse.
