Here's a video from a few months back of Chris getting his surf on under the Golden Gate Bridge (yeah that's right). We both enjoy surfing and constantly have our eyes west towards the ocean. Checking tides, forecasts, cams and our favorite spots in Nor Cal in search of the best waves the Pacific Ocean has to offer.
For a defender, nothing feels better and impacts a lacrosse game more than a big, clean hit on an opposing player. Lacrosse is a game of momentum, hitting is a great way take care of business around the crease, in the riding and clearing game, and when sliding. A well timed hit can be the difference between winning and losing.
This clip from Under Armor and Paul Rabil (my Team USA and Washington Stealth teammate) hits the nail on the head when it comes to performance and the winning mentality.
Hard work and desire are two things that simply cannot be coached. Either you have IT or you don't. If you don't care about winning or getting better reconsider playing lacrosse. It's probably not the sport for you. You have to want to be something special. You have to set goals for yourself and for your team. This is something that few coaches teach, yet this is the most important aspect of any sport.
As some of you may or may not know - this is my sixth season in the NLL for the Washington Stealth, formerly the San Jose Stealth. We play in Everett, WA which is about 30 miles north of Seattle. This means for every weekend thru the end of May I fly somewhere in North America to play lacrosse. Got to hate the travel, but I love my frequent flyer status with United - I can practically sit on the pilot's lap, I have so many points/miles!
One of the best ways to learn how to play lacrosse well, is to watch the best players play, and copy what they do. Growing up in RI we searched far and wide to track down games. I remember 1995 watching the semifinals on tv with my friends, sam and shep. At half time of the maryland syracuse game, we ran out to the backyard and reenacted each goal that was scored. Not only was it a lot of fun, but it helped us get better, and without even knowing it we started doing those same plays in our own games. This season we are lucky to have great lacrosse on the tube.
Took a trip down to SD for a lax clinic with Kyle Harrison. Had a great time teaching shooting with Kyle. The guy loves lacrosse and his left hand is looking scary these days. The kids down in SD were stoked, and so were we. Here is a pic my friend nick took after the clinic. we were able to sneak in the water for a few hours and totally scored!
- chris
Parent
"I wanted to pass along that both Eric and Wade, tired as they have been after every day of camp this week, have nothing but good things to say about your camp. That is a huge compliment coming from these two players with 5 and 6 years of club + high school lacrosse. They say the coaching is outstanding, and even though they are sore, they are up and ready for the next day. "
- C. Van Norden, San Jose, CA
Coach
"Chris and Eric get it. This is a thinking mans game to be played with passion and controlled aggression. Their model is what camps should be...up tempo and stressing the fundamentals without sacrificing fun."
- Joe Thompson, U of Virginia Asst Coach
Player
"Experiencing Chris and Eric's camps, it is clear that they know the game of lacrosse and can successfully teach it to others. What impressed me the most and separated their camp from others was their caring attitudes for the kids and genuine interest in developing their campers skills"
- Brian McDermott, U of Virginia Midfielder
