Building your Lacrosse IQ is an important bucket to become a better lacrosse player or coach.

This is accomplished by listening to people who know the game, watching games, attending clinics, reading about lacrosse… stuff like that.

Another way to build your Lacrosse IQ is what I call “Focused Film Study”.  

Focused Film Study is its own animal.

(I plan to write a series of articles related to focused film study, and in the process… watch more film...

It’s hard being a defenseman

Mostly, cuz it's boring practicing on your own.

Unlike an offensive player… you can’t just roll out a bag of balls and start rippin’ shots.

The best lacrosse defenders have a full set of skills.

This includes...

Solid stick skills to 1.) throw & catch and 2.) get the ball off the ground.

Good mobility and quickness to keep offensive players in check.

Acute Lacrosse IQ to execute team defensive strategies

Good conditioning & ...

Coach Starsia emphasizes that all lacrosse players need to be great passers. 

He wouldn’t recruit players that couldn’t pass exceptionally well.

Not every basketball player can play center.

Not every football player can play nose guard.

Lacrosse is special…

Why?

Because any player can become a great passer.

It simply requires dedication to your stickwork.

The dedication part is the most difficult...

Most lacrosse players want to eat junk food and play video...

In 2019 I went to the Tufts lacrosse Alumni Game.

The game was on a Saturday, but I went up early to golf with my buddy, Mal.

(Mal lives south of Boston… the town next door to my other buddy, Chris.)  

Chris loves to workout.

(Whenever I travel, I make sure to organize my workouts.  It’s a must to get 'em in!) 

Chris had a great itinerary for us...

He picked me up and took me to his boxing gym.

I went twice.  

(Rich was the instructor. ...

Cal Newport is a big fan of time-blocking.

It’s a strategy for organizing your time to be exponentially more productive.  

It’s different from a traditional “to-do list” because it encourages more focused work.

Oftentimes with “to-do lists”, tasks get jumbled and this can lead to what Cal calls “attention residue.”

Attention residue is a metaphorical layer of dust that coats your “focus muscles.”  This is a BIG...

Arnold’s autobiography is over 1,000 pages.

If you miss it, I'll summarize some parts for ya... 

Arnold’s best friend (and training partner) was Franco Columbo.

Arnold says that Franco was pound-for-pound the strongest person he ever met.

Here’s an excerpt from the book...

One afternoon years later we were taking turns doing squats at Gold’s Gym in California. I did six reps with 500 pounds. Even though Franco was stronger than me in the squat, he did...

I was a late-bloomer.

At Tufts, I had a decent freshman year.  

I began the season dead last on the depth chart.

Ouch.

However, I kept showing up and by season's end, I started our lone playoff game.

I had a poor sophomore season.

My junior year was below average.

My senior year was solid.

I had decent stick skills, but should have drilled them more.

At one point I really struggled catching clearing passes.

(That was a big deal because I was a defenseman.  I wish I knew Bath's...

Westside Barbell is located in Columbus, Ohio.

Louis Simmons is the owner… (you can go for free.)

...but you gotta get after it to get invited back.

There’s a documentary called “Westside vs. the World.”

I loved the beginning and the end.

The middle was kinda dry.

Simmons is tight with Mark Bell.

Bell was a famous powerlifter, and now he’s dabbling in bodybuilding.

He also invented the Sling Shot.

I use it every time I bench.  It’s WAY more fun. ...

I recently read Arnold Schwartzeneger’s biography, Total Recall.

I really loved the part about his training habits.

This stuff can 100% help you become a better lacrosse player, a better athlete, and get you stronger...

(This will be one of many posts on Arnold by the way…)

I want to talk about three people that were very influential in Arnold’s development.

Arnold knew he wanted to be world’s best body builder when he was 15 or so.

He started lifting for hours...

Each week I consume various content — a collection of newspapers, magazines, and books.

I supplement my reading with podcasts and Sirius radio programs…

There's no set schedule, and I enjoy it all for a few reasons.

• The different material provides cognitive fitness (a Cal Newport term... it's basically strength training for your brain.)
• I discover life hacks and develop creative ideas
• I laugh at a lot

Back in the day, I organized a club where fiends would...