Tryouts!

Lacrosse tryouts are coming up! Wednesday November 5th and Saturday the 15th from 7-9 at Basin Recreation Fieldhouse. Tryouts consist of many different drills and tests, including a timed mile timed sprints, wall ball routines, and defense and offense drills.

Here are some great drills and practice things do to at home in preparation for tryouts...

1. WALL BALL

In my opinion, this is the most important aspect of lacrosse- stick skills (catching and throwing). All you need is a flat wall or bounce back, and you're set! 50 right, 50 left, see how high you can go! I also time myself and see how many I can get in a minute. Keep clear of windows, animals, and people all together while wall ball can get intense.

2. Shooting

Shooting is an important part of lacrosse for attackers. Most fields (City Park, Basin Rec, etc) have lacrosse goals, so bring some balls and work on placement and power. Just make sure nothing is behind the goal that you wouldn't want your ball to hit. I've had some bad experiences with balls running into people, glass, and well, things they shouldn't....

3. Ground balls

Get with a friend and roll some balls to each other. Mix it up and throw them to the side, bounce them, and more. If your friends are busy, you can always do this against a wall or to yourself. You can also invite your enemy and throw some "oops sorry my hand slipped" throws.

4. Go for a run!

Cardio is extremely important in lacrosse. Running back and forth across the field gets tiring, so build up your endurance and speed. Throw in some sprints and dodges while on your jog. A lot of coaches also tell you to bring your lacrosse stick to cradle while you run. This is a great way to become more comfortable with your stick in your hands.

Overall, your attitude during tryouts is most noticed. Stay positive, confident, and work well with your teammates and coaches.

Jeni Gordon, photo courtesy of parkcitylacrosse.org

Let's Get Physical, Physical

Working out. It's something we all dread yet know we need to do in order to get those bikini bodies and Channing Tatum abs.  Everyone thinks it takes hard work and time commitment, but a lot of the time you can fit it into your daily schedule seamlessly.

Most of the time, high school and club team sports contain some type of conditioning. For lacrosse, we run. Cardio cardio cardio. As for ski team dryland, work outs consist of anything to benefit our balance, endurance, and power while on skis. I've got my workouts covered, but if your'e struggling with getting active everyday, here are some tips to help you out.

1. Take the stairs

Yes, everyone has heard this before, but it can benefit you more than you think. Take the initiative to work your legs and lungs without having to go to the gym later. Other daily decisions can help improve your fitness, such as taking your bike or walking instead of driving.

2. Break it up

Doing homework? Baking a cake? Reading The Fault in Our Stars? Give your brain a break and take 30 seconds to do some push ups, crunches, or squats. "TV watchers" are a popular workout at dryland. They're just normal planks, but they're named what they are to motivate us to do them while watching TV. Even if you do them during commercials, your abs with thank you.

3. Toe taps and calve raises

These are some of my favorites. You can do these during class, waiting in line, almost anywhere. To do toe taps, keep your heels planted on the ground and raise and tap your toes as fast as you can. You can do these while sitting or while standing. Calve raises consist of starting flat footed, rising up onto your toes, coming back down, and repeating.

Trying out the drawing thing

Another important aspect of fitness is diet. Last year I took Journalism as an elective, and we published some of our articles onto an online newspaper, TMJH Park City Post. I happened to write a short article about sports nutrition, some tips about what to eat before and after working out. You can check it out here.