Question: Hey Jonathan- I'm new to lacrosse im 5-2 and 120 pounds I love lacrosse and i love your awesome answers you give to people when i got my lacrosse stick the first night i started by grabbing a can of green beans and pounded it for like two hours in all and it was working find the next day for 1 hour but it started to then when i threw the ball it started to go staright down! So can you please tell me if im throwing my ball wrong or if its my head/mesh. Can you also tell me how i can throw the lacrosse goalie ball better.
Answer: Gino, tighten the sidewall laces a bit. Also, make sure the top shooting string is as tight as possible. It should be two diamonds away from the plastic. Then make the next shooting string a little looser. And the third one looser than that. There should be a gentle lip from the mesh to the shooting strings so that the ball releases higher. You'll have to mess around with this a bit as it comes with practice getting to know your stick. You may also have to move the lace at the throat, up a bit. So that the overall pocket is just a bit tighter. This should help.
As far as throwing better, it all comes with practice and strength. The stronger you get in your hands, forearms and legs (ironically) the further your passes will go. It will come with time if you work at it. Also, by fixing the head of your stick the balls will fly further.
Hope that helps buddy. Good luck! Let me know how it goes.
Jonathan - The Goalie Guru
www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com (Sign up for the free e-zine!_
www.yourbestlacrosse.blogspot.com
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Box Lacrosse Goalie Gloves for My Ten Year Old?
Question:
Jonathan, my ten year old son has started playing goal in box lacrosse and is looking for a good quailty glove for this position. I can find field gloves or very expensive eagle gloves. Is there a make and model you would recomend?
Answer: Mike the challenge at this age is that you need a glove that will protect from the shot, but inherently that means the glove is so stiff and bulky it's hard for the goalie to move his hand. Kids at that age can shoot hard enough to hurt a goalie with a soft glove, and because in box the shots come from so close I'd be wary to go with a field glove that is soft.
The Eagle gloves, in my opinion, are very protective but might be restrictive for a small hand. You can look for a used pair that have been beaten up in the palm and are easy to bend, or you can buy a new pair that he will probably get a few seasons out of and just work the heck out of them. Twist, pull, bend, warp, whatever. This way you will still have the protective outside but they will be more bendable. It all depends on the strength of your sons hands.
Couple years ago I was getting my hands really beaten up in field lacrosse. I actually found a pair of Nike hockey gloves at Sport Check that had a thumb with a hinge on it. They worked great. Hockey gloves in general tend to be more protective on the outside. They just don't hinge real well to cradle the stick. You may be able to find a really nice pair of hockey gloves with a short enough cuff that you son can throw and catch easily enough in box.
Bottom line: Any brand. Short cuff. Hard outer shell. Work them to see if the body of the glove is flexible enough for your son to close them and cradle the stick, a bit.
Hope that helps Mike. Let me know what you go with. I know those Eagle brand gloves are "cool" and all to the young guys, but personally I think they are great for the pro's who have strong hands and guys shooting at them at 160Kph. But for the little guys, there are other options.
Good luck and keep me posted. Where do you live? I spend most of my days between Calgary and Massachusetts.
Jonathan - The Goalie Guru
www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com
www.yourbestlacrosse.blogspot.com
Jonathan, my ten year old son has started playing goal in box lacrosse and is looking for a good quailty glove for this position. I can find field gloves or very expensive eagle gloves. Is there a make and model you would recomend?
Answer: Mike the challenge at this age is that you need a glove that will protect from the shot, but inherently that means the glove is so stiff and bulky it's hard for the goalie to move his hand. Kids at that age can shoot hard enough to hurt a goalie with a soft glove, and because in box the shots come from so close I'd be wary to go with a field glove that is soft.
The Eagle gloves, in my opinion, are very protective but might be restrictive for a small hand. You can look for a used pair that have been beaten up in the palm and are easy to bend, or you can buy a new pair that he will probably get a few seasons out of and just work the heck out of them. Twist, pull, bend, warp, whatever. This way you will still have the protective outside but they will be more bendable. It all depends on the strength of your sons hands.
Couple years ago I was getting my hands really beaten up in field lacrosse. I actually found a pair of Nike hockey gloves at Sport Check that had a thumb with a hinge on it. They worked great. Hockey gloves in general tend to be more protective on the outside. They just don't hinge real well to cradle the stick. You may be able to find a really nice pair of hockey gloves with a short enough cuff that you son can throw and catch easily enough in box.
Bottom line: Any brand. Short cuff. Hard outer shell. Work them to see if the body of the glove is flexible enough for your son to close them and cradle the stick, a bit.
Hope that helps Mike. Let me know what you go with. I know those Eagle brand gloves are "cool" and all to the young guys, but personally I think they are great for the pro's who have strong hands and guys shooting at them at 160Kph. But for the little guys, there are other options.
Good luck and keep me posted. Where do you live? I spend most of my days between Calgary and Massachusetts.
Jonathan - The Goalie Guru
www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com
www.yourbestlacrosse.blogspot.com
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Should I Take My Shin Guards Off?
Answer: Hey there Tori. Thanks for writing.
Are you wearing large shin guards? For, let's say, a hockey player? Or are you wearing soccer style shin guards? When you say they are hard to run in I'm guessing they are hockey style shins guards. Or maybe baseball catchers shin guards?
The way I break it down is this: If, by not wearing them, you feel like you will get hurt you should wear them. By hurt I don't mean injured and can't walk. I mean, Oh-my-lord-that-really-hurts-and-that-might-even-leave-a-really-big-bruise-there-that-won't-go-away-for-a-month sort of thing. Basically, if your brain sends a signal that the shot is going to hurt instead of one that focuses on saving the ball you want to wear them.
Even when I play today, getting hit with the ball is not fun. It hurts. And bruises are bad. Something to consider is that boys don't wear them because they want to look cool. That's it. And most of them, if they are new, are stupid not to wear them for some period of time. Also, you have to consider the level of player that you are playing against. If you are getting hit with the ball and not moving to it then the shooters aren't that good and you're eventually going to get hurt with a shot or two. If you are moving to the ball and your leg is getting to the ball but not your stick, that is a little better. It tells me you are aggressive enough and not fearful of moving to the ball and getting yourself in the way. Finally, if you are moving well enough but maybe missing a couple with the stick you are really close to breaking through to the next level and stopping a bunch of balls and not getting hurt that often.
When I was starting out I put my shin guards under a pair of light sweatpants. No one saw them. And no one asked if I wore them. It kept me from feeling weird if I had them on. But for a while they helped me be a better goalie and I'm thinking that's the category you fall in. They make you feel safe, but your noticing others who aren't wearing them and are maybe feeling that "tug" to take them off.
Many men's goalies will wear a shin guard of some sort on their off-stick leg. I'm a righty goalie so the furthest point to have to move my stick to make a save is to my left leg. Many times my left leg gets there but not my stick and I tend to get a bruise on the inside of my left calf. When I played a lot I would put on the pad after I got nailed there a few times. Now I just leave it on most of the time. It's preventative.
I know they are hard to run in but how much do you really run in a game? Not much. Here's a suggestion. Wear them in your warm ups. Try and take them off for games.
But...if we were sitting across from each other here is what I'd tell you. I'd say, "Tori, your brand new and your doing a great job. I really see you progressing and you obviously love the game. Now I want you to continue to love the game and I would hate to see you get hit with a ball that really hurts and then that sticks in the back of your head for a while every time a shot comes. Leave on the shin guards for now. I want you to feel safe and secure in the cage. We've got plenty of time for you to shed equipment. If you are feeling self-concious throw on some sweats. Take them off when we do line drills and sprints and put them on when you are in the cage." How's that.
Good luck Tori. Let me know how things go and keep me posted on what you decide. You're going to do great.
Jonathan - The Goalie Guru
-
Are you wearing large shin guards? For, let's say, a hockey player? Or are you wearing soccer style shin guards? When you say they are hard to run in I'm guessing they are hockey style shins guards. Or maybe baseball catchers shin guards?
The way I break it down is this: If, by not wearing them, you feel like you will get hurt you should wear them. By hurt I don't mean injured and can't walk. I mean, Oh-my-lord-that-really-hurts-and-that-might-even-leave-a-really-big-bruise-there-that-won't-go-away-for-a-month sort of thing. Basically, if your brain sends a signal that the shot is going to hurt instead of one that focuses on saving the ball you want to wear them.
Even when I play today, getting hit with the ball is not fun. It hurts. And bruises are bad. Something to consider is that boys don't wear them because they want to look cool. That's it. And most of them, if they are new, are stupid not to wear them for some period of time. Also, you have to consider the level of player that you are playing against. If you are getting hit with the ball and not moving to it then the shooters aren't that good and you're eventually going to get hurt with a shot or two. If you are moving to the ball and your leg is getting to the ball but not your stick, that is a little better. It tells me you are aggressive enough and not fearful of moving to the ball and getting yourself in the way. Finally, if you are moving well enough but maybe missing a couple with the stick you are really close to breaking through to the next level and stopping a bunch of balls and not getting hurt that often.
When I was starting out I put my shin guards under a pair of light sweatpants. No one saw them. And no one asked if I wore them. It kept me from feeling weird if I had them on. But for a while they helped me be a better goalie and I'm thinking that's the category you fall in. They make you feel safe, but your noticing others who aren't wearing them and are maybe feeling that "tug" to take them off.
Many men's goalies will wear a shin guard of some sort on their off-stick leg. I'm a righty goalie so the furthest point to have to move my stick to make a save is to my left leg. Many times my left leg gets there but not my stick and I tend to get a bruise on the inside of my left calf. When I played a lot I would put on the pad after I got nailed there a few times. Now I just leave it on most of the time. It's preventative.
I know they are hard to run in but how much do you really run in a game? Not much. Here's a suggestion. Wear them in your warm ups. Try and take them off for games.
But...if we were sitting across from each other here is what I'd tell you. I'd say, "Tori, your brand new and your doing a great job. I really see you progressing and you obviously love the game. Now I want you to continue to love the game and I would hate to see you get hit with a ball that really hurts and then that sticks in the back of your head for a while every time a shot comes. Leave on the shin guards for now. I want you to feel safe and secure in the cage. We've got plenty of time for you to shed equipment. If you are feeling self-concious throw on some sweats. Take them off when we do line drills and sprints and put them on when you are in the cage." How's that.
Good luck Tori. Let me know how things go and keep me posted on what you decide. You're going to do great.
Jonathan - The Goalie Guru
-
Thursday, March 12, 2009
How Do I Stop Those Players Coming From Around The Back of The Cage?
Question: > Hey Jonathan! Just wanted to reply to your email! I tried to get
> lower in tryouts yesterday and it helped. I'm not very tall and I play
> field hockey. I totally forgot about shots coming from behind the cage
> when the attack runs it back and then does a roll around the crease.
> Are there any pointers about that? It seems like they have a way
> bigger chance of getting it in the cage then.
-Abby
Answer:
Hey Abby. Great to hear things went better. Proud of you. Keep it up.
Quick tips on those players coming from the back of the net:
1) Understand what is going through their head. "Oh my GOD I"M ALL ALONE!!!" to "Oh my GOD I"VE GOT TO GET THIS SHOT OFF QUICK!!!" With this in mind, you know that they are excited and that they are going to want to get rid of the ball quickly. So stay close to the pipe with your stick up and a little straighter than your normal stance.
2) The tendency as a goalie is to start to step away from the pipe way too soon. Don't. Work on this in practice with someone walking around the cage. Better yet. You do it as the offensive player and have someone else stand in the cage. Sometimes the best way to work on your game is to act like that offensive player.
3) Instead of stepping OUT at the shooter, step laterally. If you come out from the cage it is very easy to shoot over and around you so don't do it. Same rule applies on one on ones from the top.
4) Because you are vertically challenged like myself the shooter sees a lot of net upstairs as she comes running around the side of the cage. So because she is in a rush that's the first place she's going to look to shoot. If you stay low in your stance, and be prepared to explode up to the ball, you should have a great chance to saving the ball. They will either shoot right in your stick if it is on your near pipe. Or they will try to go far side and you will explode up with the stick. Just try to keep your eyes on the head of their stick and be ready. No blinking.
5) Lastly, if the player is pretty skilled she may try to fake high, and shoo low. By faking high she trys to get you to jump up at the fake. It's very hard to reverse yourself in mid air, so as you are going up, she puts the ball down low. If the skill of your games is high this may happen. But if it's low it probably won't. You'll probably see more girls try and shoot high than shoot low.
Ok. That should do ya. Let me know how it goes, k?
Jonathan - The Goalie Guru
> lower in tryouts yesterday and it helped. I'm not very tall and I play
> field hockey. I totally forgot about shots coming from behind the cage
> when the attack runs it back and then does a roll around the crease.
> Are there any pointers about that? It seems like they have a way
> bigger chance of getting it in the cage then.
-Abby
Answer:
Hey Abby. Great to hear things went better. Proud of you. Keep it up.
Quick tips on those players coming from the back of the net:
1) Understand what is going through their head. "Oh my GOD I"M ALL ALONE!!!" to "Oh my GOD I"VE GOT TO GET THIS SHOT OFF QUICK!!!" With this in mind, you know that they are excited and that they are going to want to get rid of the ball quickly. So stay close to the pipe with your stick up and a little straighter than your normal stance.
2) The tendency as a goalie is to start to step away from the pipe way too soon. Don't. Work on this in practice with someone walking around the cage. Better yet. You do it as the offensive player and have someone else stand in the cage. Sometimes the best way to work on your game is to act like that offensive player.
3) Instead of stepping OUT at the shooter, step laterally. If you come out from the cage it is very easy to shoot over and around you so don't do it. Same rule applies on one on ones from the top.
4) Because you are vertically challenged like myself the shooter sees a lot of net upstairs as she comes running around the side of the cage. So because she is in a rush that's the first place she's going to look to shoot. If you stay low in your stance, and be prepared to explode up to the ball, you should have a great chance to saving the ball. They will either shoot right in your stick if it is on your near pipe. Or they will try to go far side and you will explode up with the stick. Just try to keep your eyes on the head of their stick and be ready. No blinking.
5) Lastly, if the player is pretty skilled she may try to fake high, and shoo low. By faking high she trys to get you to jump up at the fake. It's very hard to reverse yourself in mid air, so as you are going up, she puts the ball down low. If the skill of your games is high this may happen. But if it's low it probably won't. You'll probably see more girls try and shoot high than shoot low.
Ok. That should do ya. Let me know how it goes, k?
Jonathan - The Goalie Guru
Monday, March 9, 2009
Lacrosse Goalie Wonders, "Is it my goalie stick? Or is it me?"
Question: Hi Jonathan,
I'm a sophomore goalie in Northern California and I play for my girls varsity team. I was the starting goalie last year, but now I am battling a senior for the position. I had a pretty good rookie season last year, but I had a lot of trouble keeping the ball in my stick after making saves. I got a brand new stick halfway through season last year because I broke my first two, and I never had it restrung. I think it is hard mesh, but not knowing much about goalie sticks I don't know. I have three questions: 1) Should I have it restrung (there is literally no pocket), 2) How do I break in my mesh (I've played with it for a season and it still looks like new, I have taken it in the shower, I've stepped in it, I've pounded it, nothing works), and 3) Is there even anything wrong with my stick or is it me?
Thanks
Answer: Ok, answers to your questions in order. Then some comments.
1) Get it restrung. If it has no pocket it's useless for you. Only goalies with incredible hands, and extremely strong hands and forearms can use a shallow pocket and then it's not recommended.
2) I've got a couple of articles at AllExperts.com and on my blog at www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com where I describe how I break in a stick. Sorry to make you search but it's too involved to type here. Short story: You've got to soak the hard mesh prior to putting it in the stick and then stick a weight in it overnight while it dries. This should work wonders for you.
3) Thank you for even admitting the problem might be you! If your stick is that shallow it's definitely not helping you. It's like playing golf with bad clubs. Golf is frustrating enough to play without having bad clubs and that's you right now. The you part is just hand/forearm strength. Most women I've worked with have very weak hands. It's just how you guys are made. Unless you have "man hands" like in that old Sienfeld episode. But even then, most women just don't have the hand strength to hold the stick softly yet firm enough. What ends up happening is that you have to grip the stick so hard so that it doesn't spin when the ball hits your stick. Now that being said, I don't know for sure if that is your problem specifically. As a generality I can recommend that you do what you can to strengthen your hands and forearms. There is a great book called The Mastery of Hand Strength. You can find it at www.Ironmind.com I recommend it to all my goalies. It's cheap and will help you tons. I can tell you this, every woman I have every coached, no matter what the sport, when we worked on their hand strength her whole game improved.
Get two sticks on the go. With pockets you like in both of them. That way you are never without a stick that you don't like. You will always have your "A" stick and your "B" stick but if one goes down you're not scrambling to try and break in a stick while playing in meaningful games.
Good luck! Where do you play? I had a goalie from Novato write me a while back. You playing them this year? I went to Stanford for a summer and have friends in Sausalito. One of our favorite places on the planet. Keep me posted. I love to know how things go for all my goalies.
Jonathan- The Goalie Guru
PS. If this helped you I'd love to get some feedback that I can post on our new website. I'm compiling a list of testimonials and would love to have you guys on there.
I'm a sophomore goalie in Northern California and I play for my girls varsity team. I was the starting goalie last year, but now I am battling a senior for the position. I had a pretty good rookie season last year, but I had a lot of trouble keeping the ball in my stick after making saves. I got a brand new stick halfway through season last year because I broke my first two, and I never had it restrung. I think it is hard mesh, but not knowing much about goalie sticks I don't know. I have three questions: 1) Should I have it restrung (there is literally no pocket), 2) How do I break in my mesh (I've played with it for a season and it still looks like new, I have taken it in the shower, I've stepped in it, I've pounded it, nothing works), and 3) Is there even anything wrong with my stick or is it me?
Thanks
Answer: Ok, answers to your questions in order. Then some comments.
1) Get it restrung. If it has no pocket it's useless for you. Only goalies with incredible hands, and extremely strong hands and forearms can use a shallow pocket and then it's not recommended.
2) I've got a couple of articles at AllExperts.com and on my blog at www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com where I describe how I break in a stick. Sorry to make you search but it's too involved to type here. Short story: You've got to soak the hard mesh prior to putting it in the stick and then stick a weight in it overnight while it dries. This should work wonders for you.
3) Thank you for even admitting the problem might be you! If your stick is that shallow it's definitely not helping you. It's like playing golf with bad clubs. Golf is frustrating enough to play without having bad clubs and that's you right now. The you part is just hand/forearm strength. Most women I've worked with have very weak hands. It's just how you guys are made. Unless you have "man hands" like in that old Sienfeld episode. But even then, most women just don't have the hand strength to hold the stick softly yet firm enough. What ends up happening is that you have to grip the stick so hard so that it doesn't spin when the ball hits your stick. Now that being said, I don't know for sure if that is your problem specifically. As a generality I can recommend that you do what you can to strengthen your hands and forearms. There is a great book called The Mastery of Hand Strength. You can find it at www.Ironmind.com I recommend it to all my goalies. It's cheap and will help you tons. I can tell you this, every woman I have every coached, no matter what the sport, when we worked on their hand strength her whole game improved.
Get two sticks on the go. With pockets you like in both of them. That way you are never without a stick that you don't like. You will always have your "A" stick and your "B" stick but if one goes down you're not scrambling to try and break in a stick while playing in meaningful games.
Good luck! Where do you play? I had a goalie from Novato write me a while back. You playing them this year? I went to Stanford for a summer and have friends in Sausalito. One of our favorite places on the planet. Keep me posted. I love to know how things go for all my goalies.
Jonathan- The Goalie Guru
PS. If this helped you I'd love to get some feedback that I can post on our new website. I'm compiling a list of testimonials and would love to have you guys on there.
Unhappy Lacrosse Goalie Needs Some Tips
Question: Hi Jonathan,
My school just started a new lacrosse team at the start of the this season. Only 1 girl has ever played before, and the team has practiced together for about 4 weeks. There was so much interest that Coach decided to make two teams, a varsity and a JV. I offered to play Goalie, because I had never played any kind of goalie before, and it is, after all, pretty fun. While we are playing established Varsity Teams, our girls are pretty athletic.
Anyway, I guess my question is this: as a brand new varsity goalie, with less than 1 week experience before the first game, having never played before, how many should I be expecting to save? In a typical half, I am taking 20-25 shots on goal, and the other team is scoring 16-18 points. Our typical game score is 16-0. Our team doesn't yet have the ability to complete and score. Some of the team members are claiming that the only reason I made varsity is because no one else wanted to play in the goal. When I remind them to stay out of the crease, they give me a lot of attitude. I am trying my best, but the only "goalie drill" we ever do is to line everyone up and have them take shots on me. Am I just a really bad goalie? At first, I really liked it, but now I am very unsure of my decision to play goalie right now, and I wonder if I made a big mistake.
Any advice you give me is highly appreciated,
A brand new, rather unhappy, goalie.
Answer: Hey there Unhappy. I've attached an article that I think may be of help to you.
Couple things:
1) You guys are all learning. No one is in a position to be criticizing anyone else on your team so my first bit of advice is to not enter into any chatter about how poorly anyone else is doing. Especially you. No one else volunteered. If you'd rather play out go for it. Those girls will either be bummed that you decided not to play goal, OR it may be best for everyone.
2) The great thing about playing goal is that your "grade" isn't the one on the scoreboard. That is everyone elses grade. My favorite saying is that "If your team was so good they wouldn't even need a goalie." So for now, just focus on playing and enjoying the challenge of stopping as many balls as you can.
3) As far as expectations on how many shots you should be saving? That's a little premature to do that now. But I understand that you are on a Varsity team and it's tough not to find out what "good" is. For most goalies a save percentage anywhere between 60-70% is excellent. So I'd say you're right on track.
4) Playing lacrosse is a team game. If all those shots are coming from five yards away from the cage, your defense needs to step it up and play better. If you are letting in goals from 20yards away you'd probably agree that you should have those. So within that save percentage there are "good" goals and "bad" goals. You'll know which ones you should be saving as you gain more experience.
Don't get discouraged. It's a useless feeling and not productive at all. Instead, focus on being better every day. And encouraging others. There is a term the Japanese use called "Kaizen" It means constant, and never ending improvement. You can't expect to be world class right away. But after many days of improvement, world class comes quickly.
Stay positive. Stay focused. Remind yourself of why you wanted to play goal and get back to that.
Let me know how you fare and keep me posted on your progress. Enjoy the article.
Jonathan - The Goalie Guru
My school just started a new lacrosse team at the start of the this season. Only 1 girl has ever played before, and the team has practiced together for about 4 weeks. There was so much interest that Coach decided to make two teams, a varsity and a JV. I offered to play Goalie, because I had never played any kind of goalie before, and it is, after all, pretty fun. While we are playing established Varsity Teams, our girls are pretty athletic.
Anyway, I guess my question is this: as a brand new varsity goalie, with less than 1 week experience before the first game, having never played before, how many should I be expecting to save? In a typical half, I am taking 20-25 shots on goal, and the other team is scoring 16-18 points. Our typical game score is 16-0. Our team doesn't yet have the ability to complete and score. Some of the team members are claiming that the only reason I made varsity is because no one else wanted to play in the goal. When I remind them to stay out of the crease, they give me a lot of attitude. I am trying my best, but the only "goalie drill" we ever do is to line everyone up and have them take shots on me. Am I just a really bad goalie? At first, I really liked it, but now I am very unsure of my decision to play goalie right now, and I wonder if I made a big mistake.
Any advice you give me is highly appreciated,
A brand new, rather unhappy, goalie.
Answer: Hey there Unhappy. I've attached an article that I think may be of help to you.
Couple things:
1) You guys are all learning. No one is in a position to be criticizing anyone else on your team so my first bit of advice is to not enter into any chatter about how poorly anyone else is doing. Especially you. No one else volunteered. If you'd rather play out go for it. Those girls will either be bummed that you decided not to play goal, OR it may be best for everyone.
2) The great thing about playing goal is that your "grade" isn't the one on the scoreboard. That is everyone elses grade. My favorite saying is that "If your team was so good they wouldn't even need a goalie." So for now, just focus on playing and enjoying the challenge of stopping as many balls as you can.
3) As far as expectations on how many shots you should be saving? That's a little premature to do that now. But I understand that you are on a Varsity team and it's tough not to find out what "good" is. For most goalies a save percentage anywhere between 60-70% is excellent. So I'd say you're right on track.
4) Playing lacrosse is a team game. If all those shots are coming from five yards away from the cage, your defense needs to step it up and play better. If you are letting in goals from 20yards away you'd probably agree that you should have those. So within that save percentage there are "good" goals and "bad" goals. You'll know which ones you should be saving as you gain more experience.
Don't get discouraged. It's a useless feeling and not productive at all. Instead, focus on being better every day. And encouraging others. There is a term the Japanese use called "Kaizen" It means constant, and never ending improvement. You can't expect to be world class right away. But after many days of improvement, world class comes quickly.
Stay positive. Stay focused. Remind yourself of why you wanted to play goal and get back to that.
Let me know how you fare and keep me posted on your progress. Enjoy the article.
Jonathan - The Goalie Guru
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Advice For a First Year Lacrosse Club?
Question: Hey John
I am a goalie for California University of PA. This is our first year as a club team and have our first Tournament (and game) against WVU this weekend. We do not have a coach and well over half the team has ever even played lacrosse before. So i will be busy! I am also the Captain, and soon the President next semester just as a sophomore... Any suggestions on how to get this Club in a very small town really hit the ground running?
Thanks
Eddy
Answer: Hey there Eddie. Congrats. You do have your work cut out for you that's for sure.
My best advice is to keep it fun. It won't be long till you've got a ton of people coming out of the woodwork to play. There are a lot of people out there who have played at some point in their lives. Some still play. Some really want to play. Some haven't played in ages. So start with your club at school, but I would suggest doing something in addition where other people can join you.
I used to drive three hours from just south of Boston to some random farm in the middle of Somers, Connecticut for Sunday club games. Every Sunday, 1pm. Guys would pack up their wives and kids and camp overnight. It was a blast. We'd play the game and then barbecue. I think if you can do something like that you will have a ton of people, in addition to your teammates to play with, and to learn from.
Get a website up. Go to Aweber.com and set up an newsletter list to spread the word. Pretty soon you'll have a bustling club with a ton of fans.
Check out the US Lacrosse website for clubs and leagues that are near you. There might be some you're not aware of.
Have a blast! Bring beer.
Let me know how it goes. What is the exact name of your school and club? Send me your contact info and I'll put it on my blogs so people can find you. And if you print up some t-shirts be sure to send me one! I'm a Large. :)
Jonathan - The Goalie Guru
I am a goalie for California University of PA. This is our first year as a club team and have our first Tournament (and game) against WVU this weekend. We do not have a coach and well over half the team has ever even played lacrosse before. So i will be busy! I am also the Captain, and soon the President next semester just as a sophomore... Any suggestions on how to get this Club in a very small town really hit the ground running?
Thanks
Eddy
Answer: Hey there Eddie. Congrats. You do have your work cut out for you that's for sure.
My best advice is to keep it fun. It won't be long till you've got a ton of people coming out of the woodwork to play. There are a lot of people out there who have played at some point in their lives. Some still play. Some really want to play. Some haven't played in ages. So start with your club at school, but I would suggest doing something in addition where other people can join you.
I used to drive three hours from just south of Boston to some random farm in the middle of Somers, Connecticut for Sunday club games. Every Sunday, 1pm. Guys would pack up their wives and kids and camp overnight. It was a blast. We'd play the game and then barbecue. I think if you can do something like that you will have a ton of people, in addition to your teammates to play with, and to learn from.
Get a website up. Go to Aweber.com and set up an newsletter list to spread the word. Pretty soon you'll have a bustling club with a ton of fans.
Check out the US Lacrosse website for clubs and leagues that are near you. There might be some you're not aware of.
Have a blast! Bring beer.
Let me know how it goes. What is the exact name of your school and club? Send me your contact info and I'll put it on my blogs so people can find you. And if you print up some t-shirts be sure to send me one! I'm a Large. :)
Jonathan - The Goalie Guru
Thursday, March 5, 2009
What Kind of Conditioning Should Lacrosse Goalies Be Doing? Same As The Midfielders?
Question: hey jonathan..my name is (witheld) and i'm a senior starting goalie
> for my hs varsity team. Practice starts Monday, and to be
> completley honest I am not in shape and haven't done much to
> prepare. My coach is sort of inexperienced and likes to kill us
> with a lot of running the first week because she thinks that's
> the way to go, but I strongly disagree. Last season I had shin
> splints that came close to a stress fracture from it and my
> trainer told me I couldn't run for a while, and I that prevented
> me from being able to do quick feet and other important drills
> good for being a goalie. What do you think is the best way for
> me to get in great goalie shape for this season, without an
> overload of running, that is more realistic? What drills should
> I tell her I can do while the midfielders run at practice?
Answer:First: Why are you out of shape? I mean c'mon. You're a senior. Whether you are a captain or not you are THE captain on the field. What kind of shape are you in exactly? Round is a shape. You're starting to worry me.
Now I don't know what your situation is so I don't want to sound harsh where there is some legitimate reason. Perhaps you had a bizarre coyote attack that chewed of your big toe on your left foot and you are finally able to walk. Or perhaps your arm was pinned between a freshman and their locker door as you stuffed them in there and you had to amputate using nothing but the uncovered end of your goalie stick. Whatever the excuse I'm sure you are now recovered and on your way to playing well.
I have to admit though that I am thoroughly impressed that you are looking for alternative solutions. That is outstanding. So because of that I can help you. So smile. My sarcasm gets the best of me sometimes but lets get you going.
First things first: You've got to get your stick in your hand and start throwing. And getting shots. ASAP. That is a given. Get going. No time to waste.
You're lucky because I agree with you on the long distance running stuff. That is a very old school mentality. Quite outdated. Long distance running can actually slow down a goalie who needs to be fast twitch. However, if you, or your teammates are just plain lazy then some hardcore running is probably a good idea.
In light of your shinsplints here is what I would do: Call your trainer and talk to him/her about preventative taping of your shins. Because you had them last season to the degree that you had them it's recommended to tape them now even if they feel ok. It will help you to get through the transition period where your body compensates to the new work load. You can slowly ease off the taping as the season progresses until your legs get into the shape they need to be in. I would also find a golf ball and make sure to roll your feet, the front of your shin (Anterior Tibialis) and your calves to make sure everything is good and loose PRIOR to playing. I would do this every practice. In fact I do do it before every practice. Did it today before a sprint session I had. Extremely helpful. It's a pocket massage therapist. You can talk to your trainer about soft tissue mobilization prior to practice sometimes called self-myofacial release therapy. Very helpful. By releasing the tissue around the shins your lower leg will be more shock absorbing which will relieve some of the stress the shins get. If you wear any type of a shoe with a heel this can really affect the flexibility of your foot and calf which can throw the stress on areas that just aren't ready. So stay loose.
That should give you a little buffer with the shins to get you through the first part of the season. As far as getting into shape I would recommend to your coach that you do sprints, or hill running. (You're going to hate me but it's true.) Every time you step your feet and shins take a multiple of your bodyweight in compressive forces. So if you run for long distances you get thousands of pounding steps on those shins that's just not good. And to be honest there are a lot of body types that just aren't good for running long distances. I would have you do sprints. In sprinting your shins don't take the pounding that they do in normal running because of where your foot hits in relationship to your body. The only place you get a ton of compression is when you decelerate or when you stop sprinting and start running. A better choice I would have you do is uphill running. Many injured athletes will run hills because it really takes away from the pounding on the feet. The other alternative is to run in the pool. Waist high water or higher depending on how much the shins hurt. The water lessens your bodyweight impact on the legs which can get you through those rough stages.
If you want I can totally talk to your coach for you with some suggestions. I do that for a number of goalies if you feel it would help. As a coach I would appreciate if one of my players had sought out information that differed with my thinking. I know not all coaches are like that but let me know if you need that.
To be honest, I used to always get shot on while the midfielders ran. It was a great time to get more appropriate work in. I would do that and have you run hills and you'd be pretty bagged. If you were really out of shape I'd shoot on you, and have you run hills at the end of practice. Nothing crazy. Two hills today. Three tomorrow. Wednesday off. Two hills, three hills. Weekend off. Next week: Three hills and then four, etc.
Meghan I hope that helps you. Let me know if you need any clarification. You're one of my girls now so stay in touch and let me know how it goes. What state do you play in?
Jonathan - The Goalie Guru
www.lacrossegoaltending.com
www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com
www.lacrossegoaltendingforum.com
> for my hs varsity team. Practice starts Monday, and to be
> completley honest I am not in shape and haven't done much to
> prepare. My coach is sort of inexperienced and likes to kill us
> with a lot of running the first week because she thinks that's
> the way to go, but I strongly disagree. Last season I had shin
> splints that came close to a stress fracture from it and my
> trainer told me I couldn't run for a while, and I that prevented
> me from being able to do quick feet and other important drills
> good for being a goalie. What do you think is the best way for
> me to get in great goalie shape for this season, without an
> overload of running, that is more realistic? What drills should
> I tell her I can do while the midfielders run at practice?
Answer:First: Why are you out of shape? I mean c'mon. You're a senior. Whether you are a captain or not you are THE captain on the field. What kind of shape are you in exactly? Round is a shape. You're starting to worry me.
Now I don't know what your situation is so I don't want to sound harsh where there is some legitimate reason. Perhaps you had a bizarre coyote attack that chewed of your big toe on your left foot and you are finally able to walk. Or perhaps your arm was pinned between a freshman and their locker door as you stuffed them in there and you had to amputate using nothing but the uncovered end of your goalie stick. Whatever the excuse I'm sure you are now recovered and on your way to playing well.
I have to admit though that I am thoroughly impressed that you are looking for alternative solutions. That is outstanding. So because of that I can help you. So smile. My sarcasm gets the best of me sometimes but lets get you going.
First things first: You've got to get your stick in your hand and start throwing. And getting shots. ASAP. That is a given. Get going. No time to waste.
You're lucky because I agree with you on the long distance running stuff. That is a very old school mentality. Quite outdated. Long distance running can actually slow down a goalie who needs to be fast twitch. However, if you, or your teammates are just plain lazy then some hardcore running is probably a good idea.
In light of your shinsplints here is what I would do: Call your trainer and talk to him/her about preventative taping of your shins. Because you had them last season to the degree that you had them it's recommended to tape them now even if they feel ok. It will help you to get through the transition period where your body compensates to the new work load. You can slowly ease off the taping as the season progresses until your legs get into the shape they need to be in. I would also find a golf ball and make sure to roll your feet, the front of your shin (Anterior Tibialis) and your calves to make sure everything is good and loose PRIOR to playing. I would do this every practice. In fact I do do it before every practice. Did it today before a sprint session I had. Extremely helpful. It's a pocket massage therapist. You can talk to your trainer about soft tissue mobilization prior to practice sometimes called self-myofacial release therapy. Very helpful. By releasing the tissue around the shins your lower leg will be more shock absorbing which will relieve some of the stress the shins get. If you wear any type of a shoe with a heel this can really affect the flexibility of your foot and calf which can throw the stress on areas that just aren't ready. So stay loose.
That should give you a little buffer with the shins to get you through the first part of the season. As far as getting into shape I would recommend to your coach that you do sprints, or hill running. (You're going to hate me but it's true.) Every time you step your feet and shins take a multiple of your bodyweight in compressive forces. So if you run for long distances you get thousands of pounding steps on those shins that's just not good. And to be honest there are a lot of body types that just aren't good for running long distances. I would have you do sprints. In sprinting your shins don't take the pounding that they do in normal running because of where your foot hits in relationship to your body. The only place you get a ton of compression is when you decelerate or when you stop sprinting and start running. A better choice I would have you do is uphill running. Many injured athletes will run hills because it really takes away from the pounding on the feet. The other alternative is to run in the pool. Waist high water or higher depending on how much the shins hurt. The water lessens your bodyweight impact on the legs which can get you through those rough stages.
If you want I can totally talk to your coach for you with some suggestions. I do that for a number of goalies if you feel it would help. As a coach I would appreciate if one of my players had sought out information that differed with my thinking. I know not all coaches are like that but let me know if you need that.
To be honest, I used to always get shot on while the midfielders ran. It was a great time to get more appropriate work in. I would do that and have you run hills and you'd be pretty bagged. If you were really out of shape I'd shoot on you, and have you run hills at the end of practice. Nothing crazy. Two hills today. Three tomorrow. Wednesday off. Two hills, three hills. Weekend off. Next week: Three hills and then four, etc.
Meghan I hope that helps you. Let me know if you need any clarification. You're one of my girls now so stay in touch and let me know how it goes. What state do you play in?
Jonathan - The Goalie Guru
www.lacrossegoaltending.com
www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com
www.lacrossegoaltendingforum.com
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