blog #22- benefits to universities.

Todays post is about how lacrosse as a sanctioned sport would benefit college universities. Some ways that it would be good for college universities is that is has great potential to; attract more kids, the newness creates excitement, adds different demographic to the school, the fans love the sport so more people to college events, and could possibly fix title 9. The more athletes attending a university the merrier. With lacrosse growing as rapidly as it is in Utah, the chances of players wanting to attend a school in the state and play their sport is very high. I know from personal experience that I was drawn to the idea of playing at the college level in this state, but was quickly shot down because of the costs of playing, if I wanted to go on scholarship I would have to leave the state for sure! So this would benefit the universities majorly! Lacrosse players would be running in left and right to attend the schools here. The newness of the game creates excitement! We all know how fun it is when something new is added to the norm, and in college it is nothing but tradition and norm. If lacrosse was added it would attract several new fans because they would be so interested in what the sport is, and because it is such a fun, fast paced game, the fans would keep on coming! It is a great opportunity for the university to get advertising out again and reboot the love that previous students had at the school, new upcoming students, and simply just fans. It would create popularity to the school, and it could be really beneficial if the teams did good in their conference and won a lot of games, it could add trophies and records to that school. Adding a new sport would create a lot of attraction, therefore it would add diversity to the campus. It could attract all sorts of races, different types of athletes, etc. One of the biggest benefits that would occur would be the potential to fix the title 9 issue in colleges. Title 9 is when there is not an equal amount of men's and women's sports at a university. There is men's football and there needs to be another girls team, so women's lacrosse could fix the issue. There are several benefits to adding lacrosse in utah and then in university's.

Blog post #21- use of facilities

Todays post is about the use of facilities for lacrosse players. As a player in the game of lacrosse, and because it is not yet a sanctioned sport in the state of Utah, finding places to play games and practice can be really difficult. High schools do not let athletes play on the fields at the school because they are for other sports, so if we wanted to play on their field we would have to pay a pretty heavy, quite outrageous fee. An article from the Daily Herald, addresses the subject, “The Utah House of Representatives passed a bill Thursday that would allow high school club teams to use high school fields for their practices and games. While some schools allow club sports or non-UHSAA sanctioned sports, such as lacrosse, to use school facilities for free, others are charging clubs a fee. Rep. Stephen Sandstrom, R-Orem, would like to get rid of those fees. "What we are finding is that many schools are restricting the use of the playing fields," Sandstrom said. "These kids deserve access to their fields. "Sandstrom noted that some high school club lacrosse teams are being charged $1,000 a game to use the school's facilities and felt that was unfair treatment when other clubs in the school can use the facilities for no charge. The clubs would not have priority over UHSAA sanctioned practices or games, meaning a club lacrosse match could not take priority over a UHSAA girls soccer game.” (http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/legislature/house-passes-bill-to-allow-club-teams-to-use-high/article_8e5da8e3-226c-52bc-a9e9-5947e213f25a.html.) This article explains how lacrosse is not a priority to high schools. Other club teams are allowed to use the field without a great cost, so why is lacrosse so different? As lacrosse has been debating being sanctioned over the past few years, this specific problem has come up as well, “Thatcher said finding some of the same resources that sanctioned sports receive as school-sponsored activities has posed the greatest challenge. Those struggles include access to school weight rooms as a team, traveling on school buses, having enough knowledgeable officials, and even finding a place to play. “Finding fields is a constant struggle,” Thatcher said. Elder agreed, saying: “The growth of the sport has even been slightly inhibited by the lack of green space.”Cuff stated that, by being a member of the UHSAA, schools are often more apt to support teams with facilities. However, not even all sanctioned events take place on school grounds. Many soccer and softball teams, for example, compete at fields not located on school property. Thatcher added that, as the club sport has grown in popularity, support from the Olympus administration and Titan community has also increased. As the new Olympus High was being built, he was part of a parent group that successfully lobbied for lacrosse field lines to be added to the turf football field.” (http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865583648/High-school-lacrosse-UHSAA-lacrosse-proponents-debate-sanctioning-the-sport-in-Utah.html.) Lacrosse is growing rapidly all over the state, and it is sad to think that the playing of games and practicing for the teams would be restricted because there was nowhere for these athletes to go. Although some high schools are adding lacrosse lines, not all high schools have been. People are starting to realize how big this sport is getting and so the administration is benefiting the players by adding lines to their field. If lacrosse were to get sanctioned I believe that this would be one of the biggest benefits. I am not saying that lacrosse expects everything to be free, of course we would pay the fees and taxes for a field, it would be quite cheaper in the long run anyway, but at least we would have access to a field.

blog #20- benefits of lacrosse

Todays post is about how sanctioning lacrosse would benefit college universities and high school campuses. Before we have talked about why lacrosse should be sanctioned, and we have talked about why it isn't. So today will be interesting to see what we can find out about the benefits specifically that will come for the schools. Campuses would benefit from adding lacrosse to their school because it would create push and academic drive for the athletes. In high school athletics there is a certain grade point average that needs to be met in order to be eligible to play in the games. This would make it so the students were motivated to get better grades they need to play. With this rule the students become student athletes. They figure out how to keep up the best grades they need and therefore reflects on the school for their academics. Another way that it would be beneficial for schools would be because it increases school spirit! Another sport being added is exciting! That is a whole new fan section, more supportive friends and even parents. School pride is what makes a great school a great school. In other more serious terms, school pride creates more support, more sponsors, more money going into the school from gear and team fee’s, etc. There also is the aspect of the benefits that come from winning games. It creates a winning reputation for your school, and that is another trophy potentially in your hall. A website talks about the basic benefits of lacrosse, and it fits well with todays post. “Lacrosse is a fun and high energy game that is growing quickly in the United States. Interest is starting at a young age. girls and boys alike are lining up to play this sport. The athleticism, skills and finesse needed are pulling kids from all over to engage in Lacrosse. There is a misconception of danger related to this sport however, and that raises parents concerns regarding their child participating. There has been a lot of work to help Lacrosse be a safe sport and these concerns can be put to rest. Besides, the benefits far out weigh the potential risks. Benefit #1: Increase Mental Health Children participating in Lacrosse are benefited in their mind as well as their body. Depression is taking over many people's lives. Children are among the rising numbers effected by this disease. Although medication may be needed, activity considerably decreases the amount needed. Some studies have shown that sixty minutes of physical activity each day is as effective as a low dose of antidepressant. Although activity is not meant to replace medication it can help reduce symptoms. Exercise also releases endorphins and tension in your muscles along with improving attitude and clearing the mind. All of these things together mean a happier kid, and more able to handle the challenges of life now and develop a method of reducing stress that will benefit them their entire life. Your child doesn't suffer from depression? The same benefits apply. Youth experience stress and anxiety regardless of specific health conditions. Benefit #2: Prevents Obesity Child obesity on the rise with many youth just watching, cheering, and idolizing sports and athletes. The television is on and the chips are out. Not only are they increasing caloric intake, but the lack of activity lowers their overall metabolism and makes putting on the weight easier and continual throughout the day and night. Because there seems to be a trend of across the board of inactivity and weight gain among children and adolescence the U.S. government has even established programs to help kids move and make activity a daily part of their life. Physical education programs are cut back and even cut out in some schools. Children's physical activity is limited to that which they get on the playground and high school students are not opting to take as many P.E. classes as even 10 years ago. Lacrosse is a challenging and engaging sport that motivates children and teens to want to get the exercise they need. Benefit #3: Build Endurance Lacrosse combines the skills of basketball, soccer and hockey into a fast paced, high endurance test of strength and agility. With a playing area roughly the size of a football field there is a high demand for speed and strength. The training is rigorous and focused. Dedication is required to succeed. Struggling physically also helps build a person mentally. Pushing through and making a goal builds confidence and commitment. The hard work that goes into this sport helps develop a strong character, one that will benefit a person for years to come and help them endure other things in life unrelated to the game. Benefit #4: Social Interaction One of the great things about team sports is that you are part of a team. The players work, sweat, plan and play together. The time spent focused on a goal bonds the players together. Childhood and adolescense is a time for searching and learning to relate to peers and form friendships. Playing together allows for positive shared experiences with others and a setting to develop social skills. Children and teens who can be together and have a common purpose will have a greater chance at success in life, as much of what people do for work and community involves associating and working with others. If your child is interested in playing lacrosse, these are only a few benefits they will experience. With the popularity of this sport growing more each year, and with leagues and teams set up all over the country, it is a past-time that can continue on throughout their life.” Even though this isn't directly about high school and colleges it applies completely to high school students and college students. When you look deeper lacrosse is more than just basic benefits, it goes deeper into the players.

Blog #19- The challanges of club lacrosse

Today's blog is a real life example of the struggle in scholarships for lacrosse players in Utah. Specifically the University of Utah. “Rumors have been swirling the past few days that the University of Utah was considering adding Men's Lacrosse as an official NCAA division I sport. Utah already has a men's lacrosse team, however it is not an official division I sanctioned team at this time. Then today reports began to surface that Utah had indeed decided to add Men's Lacrosse in either 2019 or 2020. Lax Sports Network tweeted this: @LaxSportsNet BREAKING: Sources confirm to LSN @utahathletics official announcement about adding DI lacrosse is expected Thursday http://goo.gl/iZociu 11:43 AM - 12 Jul 2016 12 12 Retweets 28 28 likes However almost as soon a Lax Sports Net sent out that tweet, the University's official athletic department twitter account refuted the report. Utah Athletics ✔@utahathletics @LaxSportsNet @UUtah There is no plan by Utah Athletics to add lacrosse or any NCAA sport at this time. 11:46 AM - 12 Jul 2016 26 26 Retweets 38 38 likes So what's going on? Is Utah really considering men's lacrosse as an official sport? While the twitter can be less than reliable at times for factual information, it is strange that so many reports about Utah adding lacrosse would come out of thin air if there was indeed nothing in the works. Adding to the speculation was the recent news that Seth Neelman, a former Loyola Maryland recruit would be joining Utah as member of the 2020 class and August Colonna was transferring to Utah from Wagner, a division I program back east. The thought was why would these players choose to give up playing division I lacrosse to play for a club team at Utah? If the speculation is true, Utah would be the first Pac-12 school with division I lacrosse and also the westernmost division I program in the country. Currently the University of Denver and Air Force are the westernmost division I programs. Currently division I lacrosse is primarily an east coast sport, with 85% of the programs being located on the eastern seaboard between New Hampshire and Maryland. Obviously the sport is becoming more popular every year out west and the sport would love to see expansion into the Pac-12 market. As of now the University has denied they are adding lacrosse, so this is all speculation at this point. We will keep an eye on this topic and update if anything changes.” I looked farther into the Utah Utes men's lacrosse club program and found this article from the daily chronicle. “Practicing from 10 p.m. until midnight isn’t ideal, and neither is the alternative — practicing at 6 a.m. That’s the hand the majority of the club sport teams on the U campus have been dealt, and one they make the best of. To put it bluntly, it’s a hand they have to get over if they are going to find success on field. The lack of scholarships also isn’t ideal, so the players who participate are primarily doing it for the love of the game and not much else. These programs often get overlooked, however; in these club sports are people dedicated to not only performing well on the field, but also academically. Although they are dealt a tough hand, it’s one they live with, and one that’s better than the alternative — not competing at all. Women’s and men’s lacrosse, men’s soccer, and rugby are just a few club sports at the U. PAYING TO PLAY Typically when the words “pay” and “play” go together, it’s associated with the debate over whether or not college athletes should be paid to play. But for some club sports at Utah, it means having to pay to play — as in students who participate with these club sports are often paying their own money so they can continue playing a sport they love. While the thread of paying to play isn’t a theme with all the club sports, it is the hardship some have to overcome. The women’s lacrosse team recently hosted tryouts and while the girls were competing for a spot, the coaches were not sure there was even going to be a team. Club president Janessa Milne said they had to decide whether or not having a team would be worth it. It was something she hated saying out loud because she thinks the girls on the squad out-work most anyone else and she did not want to let them down. But the team is alive and well. While this is certainly the best outcome they could have hoped for, it seems to be something that probably wouldn’t have taken the players off guard. Head coach Tracy Pati mentioned that a few of the girls from last year decided to focus on their schoolwork and others decided they would rather save their money for a study abroad. The girls who stayed committed to the team would do anything to continue competing though. “As soon as a few players started changing their priorities and commitment, it changed the team dynamic,” Pati said. “It was nerve-wracking, because they could have picked not to be there and we wouldn’t have had a team. But they have chosen to be there and I think we are going to have an a amazing season.” This year, Pati estimates each player may end up paying around $2,000 for travel arrangements, field times, officials, gear, etc.. They will do some fundraising to combat the costs, but it will most likely stay in a thousand dollar frame. As for the rugby team, other programs in the country offer scholarships, but sometimes it is not enough to cover tuition for out of state students.” It then continues on talking about waking up for early mornings to practice. From the article it is easy to tell how inconvenient club lacrosse is in college, it can be done but it is harder.

Blog #18- Why do we fear scoring??

Today’s blog post is about scoring. This brings up a question for players and the crowd, why do we fear scoring? Why do players not take the ball into the net when they can? Especially the bystanders wonder why a player doesn't shoot? I believe this is about confidence issues, or in other words, the fear of failure. An article titled, “How to Conquer Fear of Failure” discusses how to work through this mental block. “Why do athletes sabotage their own success? You might assume this problem relates to a "fear of success." Fear of success does cause athletes to self-destruct. But fear of success is very rare compared to fear of failure.Both of these fears cause athletes to "get in their own way"--experiencing fear, anxiety, tension and worry about scoring and achieving results. However, these fears come from different sources.Athletes develop a fear of failure when they worry about not getting what they want and have worked hard to obtain, such as winning a championship. They develop fear of success when they worry too much about what comes with being successful in their sport. Most athletes experience fear of failure and not fear of success. Fear of failure manifests in many ways in sports. Athletes who are anxious or tense when competing are often afraid to fail or mess up. Fear of failure can also cause your athletes to try too hard, which leads to "getting in their own way" mentally. It's not enough to know that athletes experience a fear of failure. What's more important is to know what types of fears hold athletes back. As you can see from the list below, fear of failure often relates to what athletes assume they think others think about them (or social approval). Signs of fear of failure: Fear of losing a match, game or race. Kids badly want to win and are afraid they won't succeed. Fear of negative social evaluation. Athletes fear others will view them as a failure in sports. Fear of embarrassment. They're afraid to embarrass themselves in front of others if they don't perform well. Fear of letting others down. They do not want to let others down-- coaches, parents or teammates. Fear of putting in the effort and not ever getting the "payoff" or not playing to their potential. They don't want their hard work, talent and long practices to result in nothing (e.g. wins, trophies, etc.). Fear of not performing up to others' expectations. Young athletes worry about not meeting others' expectations. Fear of being rejected, losing respect, or not gaining approval. Fear of making mistakes and not performing perfectly after having worked so hard. To help kids with fear of failure, it's best to understand the specific fear and address it head on. Take fear of embarrassment, for example. If your athletes have this form of fear they worry too much about what others think about them. They need to play for themselves instead of being concerned about what others think. Help kids focus on success instead of worrying about failing. Many athletes with fear of failure focus on all the wrong things. They think more about not making mistakes than completing the pitch or gymnastics routine. These athletes need to set small goals that help them focus more on success. One option: kids should see a good result in their minds before they execute it. Athletes with fear of failure need to learn how to perform efficiently instead of perfectly. The idea here is that your athletes DO NOT have to be perfect to perform their best. They often want to over control their performance (due to their worries about making mistakes). They need to understand that mistakes are a natural part of sports. The goal is for your athletes to trust in their skills so they can play more freely and feel less tight or controlling.” The fear of failure is simply a mental block that we put up in our own minds. We don't shoot because we are scared of missing the goal, and of course you are going to miss every once in awhile, but you are also going to make them too. You need to have the confidence in yourself that you can score.

Blog #17- The Importance of Conditioning

Conditioning is a major factor in lacrosse. Because being in shape is so important for lacrosse athletes, learning how to condition your body is critical. There are several ways to do this. My team tries to strengthen our endurance and our speed by running at practice. It is a constant, everyday we run sprints and laps around a track. We run the length of the field to help us during games to be able to run it with less and less exhaustion. On other days we strengthen our body by doing push ups and sit ups and buried. This helps the strength of our arms and legs, which then will help us with our power behind our shots and our strength in defense. When we need to change things up we going swimming. This really helps our lungs stay in shape so we can control our breathing and endure running for longer periods of time. It also works your leg and arm muscles in a different way to strengthen them. This website discusses the importance of conditioning specific to the game of lacrosse. “When you watch a game from start to finish, you probably think to yourself, “Boy, they run a long way…we need to get our players to run that far.” And usually what happens is the players are asked to run distances of 1-3 miles “just to get in shape”. Although it may be true that certain players can run 3-5 miles during a lacrosse game, it’s how they run that distance that is important. I suggest the next time you’re watching a game, pick one player and watch how often they run, how fast, and how far. What you’ll notice is that the distance they run during a typical game is broken down into sprints ranging from 20-50 yards at a time. Between these sprints they will either be resting in the bench area, playing defense, or running their offensive set.While on the bench, you are obviously resting and recovering. But if you’re on the field playing either defense or offense, you’re body is accelerating, decelerating, changing direction, passing, shooting, checking, maintaining good defensive body position. All of these movements require expending a certain type of energy, and it’s NOT using the same energy system used while running long distances!” (http://www.athletesacceleration.com/conditioninglacrosse.html) This website is helpful to understand the type of conditioning that will be most beneficial. Yes, it is important to have the endurance and energy to be able to run for a long period of time, but what about when you need to sprint down the field to get the ground ball? Or if you need to sprint to get in front of your opponent that you are defending? This is why it is a smart idea to exercise bursts of speed. There are several articles, tips, and workouts to help the players strengthen their abilities personally. So, what are the benefits of conditioning? Thats easy. When you have the ability to run up and down the field without being exhausted, and when you can have those bursts of energy that are required from the intensity of the game, that feeling is the feeling of accomplishment. That is the reward! There is nothing better than being able to play your best because you have been conditioned and prepared, and on the contrary; there is nothing worse than not being able to fulfill your part as a player, or do what you need to because your physical body is holding you back. Now that might seem quite dramatic, but athletes feel it all the time. Some other benefits can be as simple as being stronger than your opponent, or being able to drill a hard shot because of your strength, or being one step ahead of your opposing player because of your agility. That is why conditioning is so important. That is why coaches push their players to do their best.

synthesis paper

“This could very well be a lacrosse world, and we’re all just living in it.” - Chris Rattey. Lacrosse is a fast, aggressive, intense sport and it should become sanctioned in the state of Utah on a high school and college level. Men and women’s lacrosse is one of the fastest growing sports across the country. It is major along the whole east coast and in the northeast, and is growing like crazy in the midwest. The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) works with US lacrosse to get its data from the schools and has reported that for the past 10 years lacrosse is the fastest growing sport. According to the percentages of growth rates for sports from 2009-2014 boys lacrosse is at 27.8% while the other sports like swimming, bowling, cross country, and water polo do not even reach 10%. Girls lacrosse is at 31.2% with the same rates from other sports. “It’s a virus in a good way. Once you pick up a stick, you’re with it for life.” - David Gross, Commissioner of Major League Lacrosse.” (Rattey, Chris. "Lax attack: Lacrosse continues to explode across the United States." Boston.com. The Boston Globe, 12 Apr. 2016. Web. 16 Mar. 2017). In Utah county it is becoming more played on a high school level and even in a junior high level. “From Cache Valley to the southern end of Utah County, there are currently 39 Utah boys varsity teams and 41 JV squads, as well as 30 girls varsity programs and 17 JV teams participating under the umbrella of the Utah Lacrosse Association. Last school year, Olympus' girls team had more participants than any other girls sport at the school and the boys team was second only to football. Together, the lacrosse rosters were made up of more than 100 Olympus High students. In the Olympus boundaries alone, there were 96 participants in Chase's eighth-grade group.” (Thomas, Sarah. "High school lacrosse: UHSAA, lacrosse proponents debate sanctioning the sport in Utah." DeseretNews.com. Deseret News, 25 July 2013. Web. 16 Mar. 2017). The University of Utah has even been considering taking their boys lacrosse team to division I. They discussed the speculation and said that if it were to happen, Utah would be the first pac-12 school with division I lacrosse, and the western most division I program in the country. Division I lacrosse is mostly on the east coast, but with the sport becoming so much more popular, it only makes sense to start adding it into the school’s programs. It would be really great for the lacrosse program to be added into the pac-12 market. (McKee, Adam. "Will Utah Add Lacrosse?" Block U. Block U, 12 July 2016. Web. 16 Mar. 2017). Lacrosse has the potential to be one of the most popular sports, and it could create several teams across the state. "I know there are factors and hurdles for the schools, so I can't speak for them," Cuff said. "I think looking at the way lacrosse is being supported at a youth level and also at other states that have lacrosse, I think it's certainly a popular sport enough that they're going to have a lot of teams." ("Utah Considers Sanctioning High School Lacrosse." Utah Considers Sanctioning High School Lacrosse. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Mar. 2017). Along with the expansion of men’s and women’s lacrosse in Utah, and across the whole country sanctioning would be great because of the support aspect of it. Sports are expensive, there is equipment, uniforms, travel, coaching, field use etc. With lacrosse not being sanctioned all these expenses are covered by fundraising and personal money. The coaches do not get paid, they do it out of their own free will. Finding a field to play on is a challenge to, we can not use the high school fields so we result to using elementary fields or junior highs, and even that comes with a $700 expense for the whole season. Our coach pays that right out of his pocket, and he even bought us nets to use and balls. It is the little things that are not thought about that would make a huge difference. If lacrosse stepped out of the club program and moved to a sanctioned program by high schools, it would reduce the costs for the teams, it would provide fields, uniforms, gear and equipment. Although if this were to happen, lacrosse would have to follow the regulations in the state of Utah. For example they would need to keep at least a 2.0 GPA, and paying the coaches the same amount as other coaches. ("Utah Considers Sanctioning High School Lacrosse." Utah Considers Sanctioning High School Lacrosse. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Mar. 2017). Expenses are the biggest worry for sanctioning lacrosse, that makes sense. Lacrosse has more gear than most sports, and would have to start over with the purchasing of uniforms and nets and balls. But this is one of the main things, as athletes in lacrosse, are hoping for too. The support of the school would be incredible. But what about all the costs? This is a huge reason for why lacrosse has yet to be sanctioned. Lacrosse is a beautiful game, and it can be for any athlete. If the game were to get sanctioned it would create another option for multiple-sport student athletes to consider, and for those kids who are not playing a sport, it could be a great choice for them and something they could exceed at. Not only will it create more opportunities for those who have not entered into the lacrosse world, it will be great exposure for those who are. Recruiting is not easy for club sports. Lacrosse is growing on the college level too, so being able to take that next step into a higher more advanced game is something any high school athlete thinks about. But when you play on a club team, chances of getting exposure are hard unless you seek them out, which can have high expenses. From my personal experience the only way to get some attention from colleges is to apply online and send in videos and information, or get invited to go to tournaments outside of the state, which are usually a lot of money, and even then the chances are very slim. Other opportunities that would be great about the sanctioning of lacrosse is the fact that they get to experience what it feels like to be supported by peers, family, and school. ("ULA Sanctioning Letter." Utah Lacrosse News. N.p., 10 June 2016. Web. 16 Mar. 2017). Lacrosse is a beautiful game, and it is growing so fast across all the states. Several athletes, boys and girls, are hoping onto the lacrosse bandwagon. Lacrosse should be sanctioned because it creates opportunities for the players to feel supported by a school, by peers, and by family. It will help with all the expenses of playing lacrosse as a club sport, and it will continue the growth of the game by inviting whoever would like to come try the sport out. Sanctioning in the state of Utah would be very beneficial to the community of lacrosse.

Blog #16- heart

One of the most important things in any sport that makes a good player and a good team is heart. It is required and necessary for the game. Heart is desire. It's wanting the ball more than anyone else, its wanting to score more than anyone else, it's defending as hard as you can so the other team doesn't. If there is heart, there is aggression. It's being willing to run down the field as fast as you can to defend the other team, or being open for a transition pass to the offense. If there is heart there is high energy. High energy is confidence in yourself and your abilities, it is always running, always moving, being aware of the ball and getting open for it. And finally with heart there is love and support for the team. It is having love for them and trusting them and cheering them on. Heart is what gets players there early for practice and staying late. Heart is running before practice and doing wall ball. It is what makes the game go round. It is what makes the game so fun to watch and to play. It's why we play the sport, because we love it. Because our heart is in it. The thing about heart though is that it can not he taught. The coaches can not teach you to have heart, they can not teach you to be the first one to the ball or to want to shoot and score. That is what comes from within! I found a great article called “Creating an Inner Desire.” In it there were two paragraphs that talked about inner desire in a great way. “Without a true love for your sport and a burning desire to be the best you can be, you will never be able to push yourself to do what has to be done. It will be too easy to skip a workout now and then. A coach or parent can give you support and guidance, but you have to supply the rest. Only you can push yourself when you’re tired, or make yourself work out when distractions get in the way. After Steve Prefontaine had reached the height of his running career, he lost to Lasse Viren in the Olympic 5,000 meters in Munich. The loss led him to consider quitting the sport. His coach Bill Bowerman told him: “If you’re gonna run, be at the track and I’ll give you the workouts; or if your gonna stop running, then do that. You decide. I can’t coach desire.” So the drive must come from within, regardless of whether you’re a novice, a serious athlete, or competing at the elite level. The good news is that building and maintaining a high level of self-motivation is a learned skill that anyone can acquire. Motivation is energy, and that sense of self-directedness is one of the most powerful sources of energy available to an athlete. From internal motivation you gain the willingness to persevere with your training, to endure discomfort and stress, and to make sacrifices with your time and energy as you move closer toward realizing your goal.” Sports are a beautiful thing, as well with athletes. But an athlete that has heart, that is even more beautiful. ("Your Performing Edge." Your Performing Edge. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Mar. 2017.)

Blog #15 - coming back from a loss

How do you come back from a hard loss? In lacrosse, such as with any other sport, you win big or win small, lose big or lose small. So how do you come back from a loss big or small and come back the next day with the win mentality? A great article titled, An Athlete’s Guide to Dealing with a Tough Loss, gives five great tips to come back from a loss. “1. A right to be disappointed: You’ve earned the right to be disappointed. Let’s face it, after putting it all on the line, competing with all your heart, it is prac- tically impossible to put on a smiling face and just forget things after a close loss. Give yourself some time. It’s OK to be disappointed. In fact, it’s even expected. Why wouldn’t you? You care, you practiced, you’re a warrior, and you fought like one! Disappointment is a natural emotion, it even hurts, and that’s ok too. It’s not something that needs to be fixed. It is time that usually heals it. Disappointment can be equated to mourning a loss. Allow yourself the time to decompress, feel your feelings, and settle down. Paradoxically, by allowing yourself the disappointment you also allow yourself the opportunity to release and resolve the painful feelings. One of the things that makes victory so sweet, and motivates us so, is knowing the feeling and experience of disappointment. 2. One step closer: Believe it or not, you are actually one step closer to your goals! The great Babe Ruth used to say every time he struck out, “I’m one step closer to hitting a home run!” Babe would learn from being up at bat, and change his strategies every time he stepped up to the plate. You can do the same. It took Rafael Nadal two years to gain the number one ranking. Each time he lost during this period he won- dered how he could improve and do better next time. It’s obvious he learned a lot after beating Federer on grass and hardcourts. Don’t forget, slumps fit in here too. It may look like you’re going nowhere, even backwards, but keep on plugging away and learning. Maybe the competition is getting stronger or the match-up is not as favorable. Remember the saying: it’s always darkest before dawn. In other words, the sun rises after the darkest hour! Keep plugging away. That slump may be a major learning curve that just needs to be ridden out, much like a wave. And just beyond the wave is smooth sailing. Hang on... 3. Failure provides feedback: If you listen you become aware. Failures, setbacks and obstacles always throw us for a loop, but it’s the true champion that can read- just and glean valuable feedback. Feedback should be viewed without judgment and as a learning opportunity in which you can make changes and adapt, adjusting to the situation next time. Think about it Was there ever a great champion, individual or team, that didn’t learn from failures, setbacks and obstacles? All great champions know why they are competing and use this big “Why” to get themselves back on track. How long did fans judge Federer during his early days? They said he was all hype. Federer was simply taking names and learning along the way. Soon enough he flourished and now has 14 Grand Slam titles. He used failure as feedback en route to his rise and now, as we watch, he has another opportunity to do the same as he tries to regain his #1 ranking. 4. Reframe it! Simply stated, after you have decompressed ask yourself the basic questions. What’s another way to look at this loss or situation? How can I find something positive from it? What’s the lesson here? Even though you lost, what can you learn? And don’t forget, at some point; give yourself some credit for showing up and putting yourself on the line. How many others are competing with such a heart as yours? 5. Focus on the process, not the outcome. This is probably one of the most important points and the major one that all other points can probably be folded into. While you lost this performance it is another step toward your ultimate goal. The match gave you valuable experience and exposed you to the situational pressure of match play. This is highly valuable and can’t be duplicated in practice. Remember, all great champions have to pay their dues and earn their experience. There was a time people were saying Nadal would be the best #2 player in the history of the game. Now people are saying this guy may win more Grand Slams than Federer.” (Admin, SEO. "Dealing with tough loss." Yips - Baseball Yips - Overcomng Sports Slumps - The Yips - Catcher Can't Throw - Golf Yips - Baseball Performance Blocks. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2017.)

Blog #14- Team Captains

What are team captains? Every sports team chooses players to lead out as captains for the team. Usually a captain is a senior. They are voted on by the team and the coaches. They have several responsibilities. “Captains embody 3 C’s in leading their team: Caring, Courageous, and Consistent. Being named a team captain is quite the honor. The position of captain is given to those athletes whom the rest of the team respect and trust to lead the team in the right direction. However, with this great honor also comes great responsibility. A captain must be accountable after a bad performance or practice. Captains are expected to perform in the clutch and lead the team to victory. It is also expected that captains will maintain control in the most pressurized situations and be the model of excellence for their teammates. Wow, coaches and athletes expect a lot of captains don’t they? Is it really worth it to be a captain? In our opinion, being a captain is one of the greatest honors an athlete can receive. Yet, many athletes take this honor for granted and do not understand the significance of their responsibilities as captain. In fact, in some situations captains may be selected because they are popular amongst their peers rather than being a suitable candidate for the captaincy. Athletes should take the captain’s role very seriously and put some thought on what it means to be an effective captain. In our opinion a good captain should embody the 3 C’s: Caring: Great captains have an undeniable passion for the game, for competing, and for their teammates. They put the success of the team ahead of their own needs and are truly concerned with the well-being of all team members. As a caring captain, you should treat all teammates with respect and recognize the contributions made by all team members. If you have a problem with a teammate, you should approach that teammate in private and in a positive way to address the situation and find a solution. The captain should be the one to stop rumor spreading and gossiping. These kinds of behaviors destroy team chemistry. Courageous: Captains are willing to step up. As a courageous captain, you must “walk the talk” and you cannot be afraid to compete in the worst of situations. Courageous captains set the example for the rest of the team. Your actions must embody the core values of the team, especially during times of adversity. Be a model of courage and dedication to your teammates by setting lofty goals and working hard to reach them. Finally, as a courageous captain you must show that you trust your teammates and coaches, and are also willing to hold teammates accountable to working hard and being prepared. Consistent: Effective captains need to be the model of consistency. To be a consistent captain you need to hold yourself to a standard of giving 100% effort in every practice and game. You cannot cut corners and earn the respect from teammates and coaches that is necessary to lead the team effectively. Consistent captains also have an authentic style of communicating. Some lead by their actions, while others are more vocal. Importantly, to be a consistent captain you must remain true to your own style of communication and not try to be someone else.” ("The 3 C's of Being a Captain." Association for Applied Sport Psychology: The 3 C's of Being a Captain. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Mar. 2017.) This is a great article that talks about captains on a team. In lacrosse it is important to have girls/boys that can step up and control the team on the field. They can get offensive plays going if they are an offensive captain,and be able to score in those crunch time moments. That is where courage is key. They can get the midfield to run down fast and defend in the middle of the field and hustle to the passes and ground balls if they are a midfield captain. If they are a defensive captain they can get the communication going and work on the double team or be in charge of taking the best player on the opposing team. Captain's can pull aside players and critique if needed, but they also need to be able to encourage and inspire the team. This is where the caring takes place as a captain. You need to care for the players you are talking to and go about it in a kind way. And finally consistency is key to being at practice every time, being there early for every game and doing everything the coaches ask.

Annotated bibliography

Jaret, Peter. "5 Nutrition Tips for Athletes." WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 02 Mar. 2017. In this article, five tips are suggested to help you have better nutrition as an athlete. They are; load up on carbohydrates, eat enough protein, go easy on fats, drink fluids early and often, and replace lost electrolytes. After each of these tips is a paragraph explaining the importance behind doing so. The author did research for each one of these suggested tips from doctors and websites. It explains why each of these will help your body and your energy level so that you can participate in exercise longer. It uses these tips to help you with exercise that is more than 90 minutes. This is important into lacrosse because it teaches how to eat well before practice and games so that you can perform at your peak performance. Being able to run and being in shape is key to the game of lacrosse, therefore good nutrition is necessary to help with your strength. "The Importance of Good Nutrition." The Importance of Good Nutrition | Tufts Health Plan Medicare Preferred. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Mar. 2017. In this article it talks about the importance of nutrition. It discusses why nutrition is not just for the benefit of maintaining a healthy weight, but that it has several benefits outside of that. Such as; Reducing the risk of some diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, stroke, some cancers, and osteoporosis. Reducing high blood pressure, lowering high cholesterol, improving your well-being, improving your ability to fight off illness, improving your ability to recover from illness or injury, and increasing your energy level. Nutrition is important in all parts of our life, and it is important that even after season of your sport, or of exercise, we are still treating our bodies as best as we can. ThemeFuse. "Origin & History of Lacrosse | FIL." The Source for International Championship Lacrosse. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Mar. 2017. This website is all about the history and origin of lacrosse. It explains how it started and why, and how in the present day it has come to be and how it is growing across the country. Lacrosse was started by the indians and was typically a game just for the men. It was used for the purpose to toughen up the men that played it. It started to begin again in canada and england and then in 1904 and 1908 in was in the olympics. It then goes on to talk about the parts of the game that has been adapted since the original one was played. This is something will make my paper much more interesting because of the fun history of the game. Wilson, Connor. "What Makes A Great Coach?" Lacrosse All Stars. N.p., 26 Sept. 2014. Web. 02 Mar. 2017. This article is all about what makes a great coach for a sports team. It explains why a good coach in lacrosse would also be a good coach in another sport, because a good coach is universal depending on sports. It goes into detail on what a coach should do, and what is productive and helpful. A great coach influences his/her players to good on and off the field. On the field they are pushing and motivating their team, they correct mistakes and they understand the game. It then goes on to say that a key quality of a coach, and frankly the most important is that the players trust their coach. It talks about how if this is one of the foundations for the team, they will have great success. Coaching is a major component in lacrosse and in all sports, and it is something that has to potential to impact the players as people and as athletes in their life. Pennington, Bill. "Not Everyone Says Headgear Is Right Fit for Girls' Lacrosse." The New York Times. The New York Times, 06 Mar. 2016. Web. 02 Mar. 2017. This article is all about the debate of headgear now being required for women's lacrosse. Women’s lacrosse is one of the leading causes for concussions in sports, so the lacrosse association has been starting to try out headgear for the girls program. The article talks about how it has caused quite a controversy from the coaches and the players about making it a new rule. The coaches are worried that it will change the mentality of the game because the girls will play more aggressive which could lead to playing more like the boys do. The article then goes on to talk about all the positives of headgear and that their top priority is safety for the girls. This is important to lacrosse because it is recent news, it is happening now, and it is interesting to see what goes on in the lacrosse community. Inc., Hearst Television. "Women's lacrosse debates helmet use." WBAL. WBAL, 22 Oct. 2016. Web. 03 Mar. 2017. This article is also about the debate of helmet use in women’s lacrosse. It differs from the last one though because it is more about personal experiences that try and convince that helmets should be enforced. The author did a feature story on a senior in high school who has been playing for a while and has suffered from several concussions and how she was on board completely with wearing a protective helmet. There are also quotes from doctors and coaches and their opinion on the subject and then the article closes with a possible solution for the debate; to make them optional to the players. Once again this is an interesting debate that will help my paper to be more well-rounded. What boys can learn from girls' lacrosse. « Lacrosse I.Q." Lacrosse I.Q.N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Mar. 2017. In this article a men’s lacrosse player talks about what he thinks men can learn from girls lacrosse. He starts off by talking about how although the games are very different in their style of play, neither of the games are better than they other, and they should not be downplayed. He discusses that women work better together as a team because that is a key importance in women’s lacrosse. He also says that girls have better defensive positioning, much like basketball. Women have to play with more man to man, body defense because the rules restrict so much stick contact, unlike the boys. He finishes by saying that the men need to step up their communication on their field, such as women do, for better playing and team chemistry. This is a really great article to add into my paper because it shows that women's lacrosse and men's lacrosse, although very different are equal. "Building Trust Inside Your Team: Creating a Strong, Cohesive Group." Management Skills From MindTools.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Mar. 2017. This article starts off talking about why trust inside a team is so important. It then goes on to list six ways a team can build better trust. These are; lead by example, which they explain means means that the responsibility is on you and on me to trust our team if we want to be trusted, so that others could potentially follow your footsteps. The second one is communicate openly with your team. Third is know each other personally, fourth is do not place blame, fifth; discourage cliques, and the sixth final one is discuss trust issues if necessary. This is something I learned that I wanted to add to my paper to increase the skill and capability of the team that I play on and teams or positions in life where trust will continue to be important. Writer, Leaf Group. "The Importance of Trust Within a Team." The Importance of Trust Within a Team | Chron.com. Chron.com, 08 June 2012. Web. 03 Mar. 2017. In this article Cynthia Measom discusses the why behind trust being there for a team. She emphasizes that it is important that every single player is trusted and trusts their teammates. She goes on to break it down into categories that are important on a team and why they are important to trust. Such as; commitment, competence, communication and collaboration. In her article she goes into depth under each one of these topics and how it should work to build the team's trust. Trust is a major component in any sport, it can affect lacrosse in a positive way or a negative way, but overall it is one of the most important qualities a lacrosse team could have.

#12- Purchasing a Stick

As season rolls around so does the season of buying. It's time for girls and boys to get their equipment for this year. This involves cleats, helmets, goggles, mouthguards and most importantly sticks. Sticks are something that takes time and research to buy and find the right one for you as a player, and for your position on the field. Sticks are made for all sorts of different purposes. It is strange to think that they are not just all universal to the game. Obviously you can use that stick in whatever way you want, but might as well use it for what it was designed for. Girls and boys sticks are very different. Girls have a more shallow pocket on their head for the ball, while boys have a very deep pocket that is easier to keep the ball in their stick. The way the sticks are really affects the game. There is purpose behind the shallow pocket for girls because we do not hit each others sticks as much, and we craddle a lot more to keep the ball in. It also affects the power and ‘whip’ of our shot. With a more shallow pocket it is harder to get the ball going fast. While in boys, they are quite more violent so they need to have a deeper pocket to keep the ball in, and they shoot from a farther distance so the deep pocket allows for more ‘whip’ and speed in their shot. When shopping for a stick, you can do it two ways. You can buy a head and a shaft separate and put them together, or you can buy a complete stick. I found a website that talked about purchasing sticks for an advanced player that would play the midfield position. (http://laxworld.com/lacrosse-blog/2016/07/best-womens-lacrosse-stick/); “ Sticks cost anywhere from $100+ These sticks have a tight pinch, the minimum legal sidewall, an extreme scoop angle and pack a lot of power, Advanced sticks are durable and lightweight. These sticks often have more custom ramps such as the Swivel Pocket Pro, Runway Pocket, Launch Pocket, or the deBeer Gripper Pro. Complete sticks often offer the best deals, try the Brine Dynasty Elite Complete Stick, Maverik Erupt Complete Stick, Nike Lunar Elite Complete Stick, STX Crux 500 Complete Stick, STX Exult 500 Complete Stick. Any of these heads individually make great choices and again, pair well with any composite shaft. The Crux 500 and Exult 500 are both 10 degree heads that pair with any 10 degree shaft. The 10 degree technology offers a quicker release and better ball feel. The Under Armour Regime head, and the Brine Mantra 3 are also good choices and are purchased as heads only. Each manufacturer has options for any level and this information is just a snippet of some of the most popular ones. The best way to find your favorite stick is to try them out in stores or borrow a friend's! As long as you are happy with the equipment you're using and it's legal, that's all that really matters!” (Renee, L.) Another lacrosse website said this according to a boy midfielder, “When it comes to picking out the right handle for your stick, there are a number of factors to consider. Although it ultimately comes down to personal preference, most manufacturers design their handles with a particular player type in mind. Besides the distinct differences in a defensive and offensive shaft, some of the key features that classify which handle is best suited for a particular position are; shape, grip and strength. In some cases, flex also plays a meaningful role in deciding which handle best suits your game. For a midfielder their main priority when picking out a shaft is weight. Midfielders will need to carry their stick up and down the field countless times so it is important that your stick doesn’t weigh you down. This fact is played out in our 2016 picks for midfielders as most alloy handles are composed of a scandium material versus a scandium-titanium blend that may weigh slightly more. Carbon fiber handles thus provide a fantastic alternative to the traditional alloy shaft as they are specifically designed to not only off a lightweight feel but an added flex to give the midfielder increased torque on their outside shots.” (http://www.lacrosse.com/guide/2016-shafts-for-midfielders/). A lot more than we think goes into the buying of your stick, and these are just a few examples. A defenders stick could need to be different than a midfielders, and the what the boys are looking for in a stick could be different than girls. It is important that you research what you want and for the right price, and to go into the store and physically feel what is the best fit for you.

#11- Sanctioning

Lacrosse is not a sanctioned sport at high schools in Utah. Why? As players and coaches this is frustrating. This means that we are a club sport, so we have to fundraise for everything. We have to find a place to play and practice on our own which can be challenging and expensive. We have to buy our uniforms and gear and then on top of all that we still have to pay a team fee. Sanctioning lacrosse would allow us to play at the high school, get gear and uniforms from the school, and be more supported in our sport.The Salt Lake Tribune ran an article about utah officials considering sanctioning. The Deseret News ran an article about the debate of sanctioning the sport in Utah. “Lacrosse, considered a high school club sport in this state because it is not sponsored by the Utah High School Activities Association, has grown exponentially over the last few years. Its popularity is evident all along the Wasatch Front.From Cache Valley to the southern end of Utah County, there are currently 39 Utah boys varsity teams and 41 JV squads, as well as 30 girls varsity programs and 17 JV teams participating under the umbrella of the Utah Lacrosse Association.” With this many teams and players involved it only seems fair to start sanctioning the sport. “So much interest in the sport begs an obvious question: Why is lacrosse not sanctioned by the UHSAA?” As a player this is the question that is constantly in the back of our minds. So for it to really start being considered it exciting for the lacrosse community. They then go on to say, “Part of the reason is a moratorium currently restricting the state association's board of trustees from making any changes.The UHSAA is under a self-imposed sanctioning freeze, which was put into effect nearly four years ago as schools struggled to finance the existing 20 sports and three activities of drama, speech and theater."We have nearly 90,000 participants in those things that we already sponsor and our member schools were a little hesitant at that time bringing on more activities," said Rob Cuff, the executive director of the UHSAA. "All of that takes dollars out of some budgets and, at the time, schools were losing money." The moratorium does not have a set expiration date. Rather, if the ADEC, a committee of athletic directors that serves as a filter for the board of trustees, is presented with a compelling and organized proposal about adding a sport, ending the moratorium could be put to a vote. "We haven’t said nobody can approach the board," Cuff said. "What we’re saying is, (the moratorium) would have to be lifted in order for you to be approved." Nearly a decade ago, the ULA did approach the board of trustees with a proposal to add lacrosse. At the time, the girls program was not ready and the board did not want to add one program without the other. Since that time, the sport has been gaining popularity among both girls and boys, and the ULA is exploring its options. "We have had conversations with the UHSAA on what sanctioning would mean," said Josh Elder, the former commissioner over boys high school lacrosse with the ULA. "Sanctioning has both pros and cons." Cuff, Elder, and Thatcher each cited benefits and challenges that would come from sanctioning lacrosse and from maintaining the status quo.” The most crucial requirement for any sport looking to join the UHSAA is adhering to its handbook — a 130-page document that outlines the guidelines and interpretations for all sanctioned sports and activities. "That’s one of the pros or cons, however you want to look at it, in joining our association," said Cuff. "All of our bylaws would have to be abided by if a sport is added. "Those rules include, among many additional items, limited team membership (students can only play on one team of a particular sport during the high school season), the age rule (students are ineligible after they turn 19 or play four years), scholastic expectations (a minimum 2.0 GPA and no more than one F) and all transfer rules. As it stands, the ULA presides solely over girls and boys high school lacrosse in much the same way the UHSAA governs. It has an executive director in Lisa Schmidt, program coordinators over girls lacrosse and boys lacrosse, a handbook of regulations, and a board of directors that dictates policy.” o

#2- Offseason/ Preseason

Today’s post is all about going into depth about off season and preseason of sports. These are times when you are not playing your sport. This doesn't mean though, that you are not practicing your sport. In fact, this is one of the most crucial times for practicing and improving at your sport. Don Kardong, an American Olympian said this about the off-season; “In those long, lonely miles you put in during the off-season, and in those knife-in-the-gut track repetitions and hill repeats that buckle your knees - at that moment in almost every race when you ask yourself how much you're willing to hurt to catch one more runner - you can draw strength and inspiration from your running mates." I really liked this quote because he talks about how he pushes himself and stretches and has the mentality of that it will help him when he is actually racing during season. The fact that he can push himself in the lonely miles is what makes it so he can push himself in the actual season. Walter Payton said this; “During the off-season when you see other people playing in the Super Bowl, you wonder, and you say to yourself, 'Are you ever gonna get there and see what it feels like?' And it pushes you a little bit harder during that off-season to work to try to get there the following year." This quote is pretty self-explanatory, but it does show the importance of off-season. (https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/off-season.html) In lacrosse we are fortunate enough to have a fall season, and a winter league, so that in spring when the real season is we have kept up with our game. This doesn't mean that you don't ever need to practice out of scheduled time. Personally I can tell the girls that have taken the time to keep up with the game. In lacrosse this can be wall ball, which is so important!! Wall ball is when you go and literally pass back and forth with yourself. You hit the ball against a solid wall and catch it as it bounces back. It is crucial to be able to pass and catch like it is second nature in lacrosse, especially in game speed. This is especially helpful if you are trying to master your non-dominant hand. I am dominant with my right hand, so I struggle with my left and that is the one I work the most. When doing wall ball, it is recommended by our coaches and captains to do at least 100 on each hand. Another thing that is important in the off-season is staying in shape! I cannot emphasize this one enough. In lacrosse there are large amounts of running. It is said that in a typical professional women’s game you run 3-5 miles a game! That is crazy, because you are not just jogging that 3-5 miles, you are game speed sprinting and changing speed and dodging and defending and using a lot of your strength. So it is very important to run outside of your season and even outside of practice. This is also another one of the things you notice most about your team. A team that is in shape is unstoppable. My freshman year of playing lacrosse we had great captains that made us run a mile before every practice. This was so hard coming up from junior’s league, and to be honest I was really frustrated that we had to. Because after we ran we then had to practice! So then in your practice you were exhausted. But this taught me a lesson, and I’m so grateful it did. It taught me how to push my limits, and it taught me that if I could run when no one else could I would be a great player. The captains always told us that we need to be able to run just as good in the end of the game as we do in the beginning. My coach said this to us, “We may not be the best skill team in our region, but we will be the best conditioned team.” That is the year we took state. I will always remember that and that is why as a captain this year I will be pushing to get in the best shape we can. Another way to stay proactive in off-season is to eat right. When you can create good nutrition habits in off-season and preseason you will be able to control yourself when it counts on game days and such. Plus it is really good for your body.

#10- Teamwork

Today's blog post is about teamwork. Teamwork is crucial in team sports, it makes the dream work. It is the most successful and unstoppable way to play a game. It is so important because it increases the capabilities of the whole team. It takes the skill level of each player and combines it into something better. On a lacrosse team it is impossible to be a one man show. There are so many responsibilities that each player in their certain position is required to fulfil. There are defenders for defense, offenders for offense. Those positions can't be filled with one player. There is a goalie and midfielders and even the coach. It really is a group effort that makes a team so strong. There is more to a team than just passing to each other. Being a team is trusting in each other, supporting each other through win and lose, and being committed. Trust is a huge factor to teamwork. In fact, it's pretty much the only factor if you break it down. If you do not trust in the other players on your team with the ball, or to catch a pass, or to be able to score than your team will not work. I have played on several teams and have been on both ends of this situation. I have been the one that no one knows or trusts, and I have been one to not trust others with the ball. The success rate of those teams was not very high. There is only so much you can do when one person is the all-star of the team and is the only one to score. The other team can quickly pick up on how to defend this kind of team too and shut it down super fast. An article called Building Trust Inside Your Team said, “A team without trust isn't really a team: it's just a group of individuals, working together, often making disappointing progress. They may not share information, they might battle over rights and responsibilities, and they may not cooperate with one another. It doesn't matter how capable or talented your people are, they may never reach their full potential if trust isn't present. However, when trust is in place, each individual in the team becomes stronger, because he or she is part of an effective, cohesive group. When people trust one another, the group can achieve truly meaningful goals. So how can you, as a leader, help your team build the trust that it needs to flourish? Think about that definition for a moment. Trust means that you rely on someone else to do the right thing. You believe in the person's integrity and strength, to the extent that you're able to put yourself on the line, at some risk to yourself.Trust is essential to an effective team, because it provides a sense of safety. When your team members feel safe with each other, they feel comfortable to open up, take appropriate risks, and expose vulnerabilities. Without trust there's less innovation, collaboration, creative thinking, and productivity, and people spend their time protecting themselves and their interests – this is time that should be spent helping the group attain its goals.” Support is a big part of teamwork. When your teammates support you on the field it looks something like not getting mad at you for messing up, encouraging hard work, congratulating you on something you did good, etc. Being there for your teammates off the field is what brings you closer as a team and can really show how much you care. Another huge factor in teamwork is commitment. Being committed to your team is necessary. This means that you are there for practice, games,etc. This also means you go all in, you give everything to your sport as best as you can, at practice or at games and even off the field. Cynthia Measom wrote in the article titled, The Importance of Trust Within a Team, ‘’Commitment is an important part of trust. Every team member must commit to helping teammates meet the goals of the team -- no matter if personal or professional obstacles present themselves. For example, a team member who has to take an extended amount of sick leave should be willing to do as much work as possible from home. Team members must be able to rely on one another to do their part of the team's work without fail. Each team member must be cognizant of the detrimental consequences of not following through on commitments.”

#9- Rhetorical Analysis 2

In my analysis, I will be arguing the article from the New York Times, “Not Everyone Says Headgear Is Right Fit for Girls’ Lacrosse.” In this article Bill Pennington talks about how women's lacrosse is one of the fastest growing sports in the country, with many injuries occurring to the head, such as concussions. This is causing a debate within the lacrosse associations about if women should be required to wear headgear or not. From an outsider's perspective it seems like a no-brainer, but it is causing worry to coaches, players, and officials. The author claims that if headgear becomes a requirement to girls lacrosse it will ruin the purity of the game. This claim is non-factual and overdramatic because simply adding headgear to girls lacrosse will not change the essence of the game. “Girls’ lacrosse is a purer form of the game, with a lineage closer to the sport’s early history. In the female version of the game, players abide by rules that are closer to the original regulations.” (http://www.woodburyunitedlax.com/page/show/729518-what-boys-can-learn-from-girls-lacrosse) Simply because we are being more cautious and adding headgear does not effect the rules of the game. The game of girls lacrosse is so pure because they stick closer to the regulations from the original indian history. In the article “The great debate: Why no helmets for women's lacrosse,” one of their players, because of her past injury experience, stated that she would be wearing a protective helmet for her own safety, and her parents agreed. They said, "We saw it as a prophylactic thing to do as a parent, so we felt that if it would give her more self-confidence and add a little protection to her, we feel it was a better thing to do.” The player Carley Sturges said, "It helped me rebuild my confidence," She said as long as she plays lacrosse she will wear the helmet, even next year in college. Crutchfield, one of the coaches said he wants to see women's lacrosse go to hard helmets like the men. "I don't think girls are going to play a rougher game. I think we are going to dramatically see a reduction in the number of concussion injuries in women's lacrosse.” (http://www.wbaltv.com/article/the-great-debate-why-no-helmets-for-women-s-lacrosse/7074461) The main reason that so many people in the lacrosse community are bothered by the headgear requirement is because they believe in the “gladiator effect.” The gladiator effect is the mentality of playing harder because you are protected. Ann Carpenetti, the managing director of U.S. Lacrosse said it perfectly, she said, "Changing the culture of the game -- changing the nature of the game -- is a concern. Increasing the physicality of the game is a concern. People play with a greater sense of invincibility when they have protection." This is why the stress of the purity of the game is so high. If the girls play with more aggression because they are better protected, the game will increasingly get more like the boys because of the violence, and could possibly lead to changing of the rules. This statement is based on opinions and has no facts to back it up.

#8- Practice begins

“Practice makes perfect,” is a saying we have all heard in our lifetime. Or perhaps, “practice makes permanent.” Both of these sayings are true and have been used to inspire teams and coaches and players everywhere. Practice is at the heart of life. It is what we put ourselves through to learn how to do something new, and the thing about practice is that it doesn't come in one sit down, it comes in several. Practice is at the heart of lacrosse, it is key! Without it there is no lacrosse. There is no teamwork, there is no skill, there is no plays or improvement made on the team. The thing I love most about practice is that it is a chance to mess up and learn around your team. It is where you can see what works together and personally and what doesn't. It is a beautiful thing. Practice isn't typically something that your knowledge can be expounded on because it is done so many different ways for different sports and coaching styles. But it is something that is a huge part of the game of lacrosse, so I feel like it is worth mentioning. Practice how you play. This is crucial! If we can learn to practice how we play, and play like we practice this can up our game and up our improvement. Practices are meant to be energetic and fast paced like a game would be, so when you get into those situations you know how to react. If practices are lazy, then the chances of you playing with skill and aggression in a game are low, and based on luck. Sometimes you don't even realize what kind of practice you need! In games the passes are faster, quicker and sometimes not right to you, so you have to have the agility and speed to be there and catch that. The list could go on and on of what specific things would be beneficial in practice and games, but the jist of it is learn as much as you can in practice, and mess up as many times as needed so in games the mistakes are less and the skill level is higher and you play better overall. My senior season of lacrosse started yesterday! The first practice of the season. Obviously not a practice without flaws. The whole team is rusty and out of shape. The first practice is one of my favorite times. This is the case because it is a chance for all of us to start new that season, with high aspirations and goals. We have optimism for the upcoming season!! We believe that we can take division 2 state! The coach believes in usIt is also a really good time for us to all see our flaws and work our hardest to get back into our groove of the game. For some of us it has been months since we have picked up a stick, and you would be surprised how after 2 or 3 hard practices it can come back like it is second nature. In our practices we go for a run around the field, then we do dynamic stretching and go right into our drills. We do passing shuttles, ground ball drills, and shooting drills. Because of the repetition of doing this every practice it helps us to really progress in it and the repetition drills it into your brain which creates that “second hand nature” feeling. Some of the plays that we run that are most beneficial to our team are out shooting drills. We feed the ball from the bottom of the goal into the offensive player with a defender on them. It turns into a one on one shooting opportunity to score. It teaches us to get open for the feed and dodge defenders to shoot. It also teaches us how to feed the ball correctly and defend someone in a one on one situation. Another drill we do is something called dog fights. It is when two girls are lined up side by side and someone rolls the ball forward and whoever can get to the ball first through a ground ball wins. This is so crucial in games because the ball is on the ground just as much as it is in the air, and if you can't get a ground ball you will not be a successful player or a successful team. It is equivalent to not being able to catch the ball, what kind of player would you be if you couldn't do that.

#7- contradicting an analysis

In my analysis, I will be arguing the article from the New York Times, “Not Everyone Says Headgear Is Right Fit for Girls’ Lacrosse.” In this article Bill Pennington talks about how women's lacrosse is one of the fastest growing sports in the country, with many injuries occurring to the head, such as concussions. This is causing a debate within the lacrosse associations about if women should be required to wear headgear or not. From an outsider's perspective it seems like a no-brainer, but it is causing worry to coaches, players, and officials. The debate is if required headgear will change the game of lacrosse forever. Pennington has done his research and gets his facts from coaches opinion of the game to sway the outsiders stand. “Some of the sport’s longest-tenured coaches and officials worry that the headgear, though optional for now, will lead to more aggressive play and will ultimately ruin the nuanced spirit of the game, which has been played in North America for about a century.” He gets quotes from the coaches to get their point of view across, that if headgear is allowed it will take the game down a slippery slope to more aggressive play and change the game of lacrosse forever. He uses the rhetorical device of pathos to evoke a connection from the pity of the coaches. Pennington then goes on to say, “The idea that athletes will play rougher if wearing extra padding is known as the “gladiator effect” and dates to at least the early 20th century, when it was suggested that college football players were hitting with more ferocity because they had begun to wear leather helmets.In 1986, Massachusetts high school officials required that girls’ lacrosse players wear hard ice hockey helmets. The experiment ended after several years, and the consensus was that offensive players were more likely to instigate contact with opposing defenders, and vice versa.” He also got a quote from a coach that thinks the game could be totally lost and treated more as the boys game. “A lot of us coaches talk about where things are going and what might happen to girls’ lacrosse,” Fronckowiak said. “And we’ve all agreed that if they change too much, it will be time to leave the game, because it’s just going to be the boys’ game. The beauty of our game will be gone.” There is some contradiction in the article from other insiders who say although headgear is added, lacrosse is lacrosse. “Our game is not going to change because the rules aren’t going to change,” said Carter Abbott, the head coach and athletic director at the Pingry School in New Jersey. “Headgear or no headgear, it’s about training coaches to teach the game the right way. It’s about educational programs for game officials.” He does not mention any solutions to this problem among the lacrosse culture, considering the matter is out of his hands. Pennington collected great data from the coaches he got quotes from, and his article has great grammar and flows well. He collects data as well from the companies that would be selling the headgear. I do not agree with this article because I think that the rules of the game will not change because of headgear, nor do I think that girls will start to be playing with more aggression. I feel like some of the quotes from these coaches are overdramatic, they are not thinking about the safety this will bring to the game.

#6- Coaching

Coaching. What is a team without a coach? What is life without organization? What is learning without teaching? What is discipline without rules? Coaches are the head of the team. The reason for the team. Our lacrosse coach is in charge of making plays for us, putting us in our right positions, organizing practice, etc. He is the reason are team comes together and can learn to work together. The coach sees things from the sideline of games that players don't. He can point out your flaws and weaknesses so you can work on them and he can also point out your strengths so you can emphasize them. Bob Naradelli said this, "I absolutely believe that people, unless coached, will never reach their full potential." Coaching is no easy task. In a world today, coaching is crucial to young kids just learning to play a sport and take in those wins and losses. It is hard because no matter what you do you will not please every player or every parent. Coaches have to have the patience and compassion to deal with all the politics in sports as well. An article in the New York Times by David Bernstein says this about coaching, “Coaches can be enormously influential in the lives of children. If you ask a random group of adults to recall something of significance that happened in their fourth or fifth grade classroom, many will draw a blank. But ask about a sports memory from childhood and you’re likely to hear about a game winning hit, or a dropped pass, that, decades later, can still elicit emotion. The meaning that coaches or parents help young people derive from such moments can shape their lives. But today’s youth coaches often struggle to provide sound, evidence-based, and age-appropriate guidance to players. Part of the problem is that of the 2.5 million American adults who serve as volunteer coaches for youth sports less than 10 percent receive any formal training. Most become coaches because their kid is on the team ― and they basically improvise. I did this in soccer and, through my over-eagerness, almost destroyed my then-6-year-old son’s delight for the game." This part of the article talks about how coaches have such an impact on young youth. There is a lot of pressure to know what to say to young kids in those crucial learning moments. Even now, I as a senior in high school, look up to my coach and his integrity. Our coach always respected us as players, and with that we needed to show respect to him in return. He also taught us how important sportsmanship is. No one likes to play against a dirty team with no mercy. We've been in the situation where we are losing so bad to a team and they just keep scoring on us and running all over us, it is no fun. But we have also been in those situations where we are the ones that are dominating the other team, and our coach pulls us aside an makes us play fair and smart and kind to the other team. I have always respected him for that and have learned how to treat other teams how I would want to be treated. What are some other things that make a great coach? A great coach is a valuable commodity. At any level, from that of our youth to national teams, a great coach can be the difference between disappointing performance and the highest levels of success. A great coach also guides athletes to better lives off the field, and serves as another type of educator in life. While the players on the field and other support staff are obviously extremely important, the role of the coach, whether they be the head honcho or a volunteer assistant, cannot be overlooked. So what makes a great coach, and is there anything that makes someone a great coach within the sport of lacrosse? Well, here’s the kicker… let’s just get it out of the way now: A great coach in lacrosse is probably going to be a great coach in any other sport, and vice versa. Coaching is only tangentially about Xs and Os. It’s much more about the players on the field, and how they feel.” (https://laxallstars.com/what-makes-a-great-coach/)

#5- History

Lacrosse, like any other sport has history. I think it to be one of the most interesting. “Lacrosse was started by the Native American Indians and was originally known as stickball. The game was initially played in the St. Lawrence Valley area by the Algonquian tribe and they were followed by other tribes in the eastern half of North America, and around the western Great Lakes.The Native American games were seen as major events, which took place over several days.They were played over huge open areas between villages and the goals, which might be trees or other natural features, were anything from 500 yards to several miles apart. Any number of players were involved. Some estimates have mentioned between 100 and 100,000 players participating in a game at any one time. The rules were very simple, the ball was not to be touched by a player’s hand and there were no boundaries. The ball was tossed into the air to indicate the start of the game and players raced to be the first to catch it.The original wooden balls were later replaced by deerskin balls filled with fur and the sticks developed over time to become more sophisticated implements, the netting made from deer sinews. In preparation for a game players used paint and charcoal to decorate their faces and bodies. Games of lacrosse were played for a number of reasons. It was considered a sport that toughened up young warriors for war but it was also a game played for recreation and for religious reasons. It was not unusual for bets to be placed on the outcome of games. French Jesuit missionaries working in the St. Lawrence Valley in the 1630s were the first Europeans to see lacrosse being played by the Native American Indians. One of them, Jean de Brébeuf, wrote about the game being played by the Huron Indians in 1636 and it was he who the named the game “lacrosse” A demonstration of lacrosse was given by the Caughnawaga Indians in Montreal in 1834. As a result, interest in the game of lacrosse began to develop in Canada. A Canadian dentist, Dr William George Beers, was responsible for founding the Montreal Lacrosse Club in 1856 and a decade later he drew up rules which included reducing the number of players, introducing a rubber ball and a redesigned stick. By 1860 lacrosse had become Canada’s national game and in 1867 exhibition games were played in England. In 1876 Queen Victoria watched a game being played and remarked that “The game is very pretty to watch.” In 1883 a touring team from Canada and and a team made up of Iroquois natives visited Scotland.” During this tour promotional literature was distributed to the spectators pointing out the benefits of emigration to Canada. By the turn of the century lacrosse was becoming more popular in several countries and in 1904 and 1908 lacrosse was played in the Summer Olympics. (http://filacrosse.com/origin/) How crazy is that that lacrosse was started here in North America by indians. I especially found it cool that it was something used to prepare the younger boys for battle. I find that funny because now a days with all the gear that the boys wear it makes sense. The sport is very physical and very fun.

#4- The Rules of the Game

Lets dive a little deeper into lacrosse, and how it actually works. I want to discuss the game, the objectives and the rules and regulations. Some of these differ from college and high school, and especially differ from girls and boys. The object of the game is the same all around. The object of the game is to use a stick (known as a lacrosse stick) to catch, cradle, and pass a solid yellow rubber lacrosse ball in an effort to score by shooting the ball into an opponent's goal. The head of the lacrosse stick has a mesh or leather net strung into it that allows the player to hold the ball. While playing defensive the object is to keep your opponents from scoring and to steal the ball from them by checking and using good body positions to get in their way. Girls all have the same sized sticks, with variations of the shape of their head (net of the stick) and the netting, but all the shafts are the same length. Girls wear protective goggles for their eyes protection, and they wear mouthguards. There are 12 people on each team including the goalie. Boys stick size can vary depending on their situation. On defense they have longer shafts then the midfield players do. Their nets are a lot deeper than girls, but they still cradle to keep the ball in. Boys wear helmets, shoulder and elbow pads, chest protector, gloves and a cup. The boys are a lot more aggressive than the girls so they need all the gear to keep them safe. The goalies for girls and guys wear the same gear as the guys but with shin guards as well. And the goalies stick is an average length depending on their height, but the net is round and deep and very wide so it is easier to stop goals. Because there's so much difference in the gear worn the rules differ a ton as well. In girls the ball used is typically yellow, unless both teams agree to use a different coloured ball. The allotted playing time of the game is 60 minutes, with two halves. Each team is allowed two 90-second team time-outs per game. A time-out may be requested by the head coach or any player on the field after a goal is scored or any time the requestor's team is in clear possession of the ball. If a possession timeout is called, players must leave their sticks in place on the field and return to that same place for the restart of play. Girls are not allowed to check across the body, in the sphere (the area close to someone's head in case of injury) when the ball is not in their stick, or any other time it is above the shoulder or simply dangerous. Girls can not being in someone's lane of shooting before they get 3 feet within the player they are defending. Also girls can not shoot when someone is in front of them. The offensive markings on the field is a 8 meter arc coming out from the goal like a cone, and a 12 meter arc that is a few feet back from the 8, but is the same shape. If someone is in the 8 for more than 3 seconds without defending someone it is called 3 seconds and they get a penalty shot. When defending girls can not set blind picks, horizontally set their stick on someone's body to stop them, or trip, push, hit, etc. Boys can not slash, which is hitting other parts of the body then the stick in an aggressive manner. They can't trip other players they are defending. They cannot cross check someone by just using their shaft to hit the other person's shaft in between their hands. They can't body check if someone does not have possession of the ball or is within 5 feet of the ball, they can't hit them if they are on the ground, or from behind or below the waist.

#3- Nutrition

Last time we talked about preseason and the importance of staying in shape and working hard in the offseason and why that is so important. So today I want to talk about nutrition in depth. Athlete or not, this blog post will be helpful to all who have open minds about health, whether you are seeking to be better or to increase your knowledge period. Here we go! What is nutrition? Google says this, “the process of providing or obtaining the food necessary for health and growth.” Woah! That is an awesome definition. It is the process where we have good health and growth! I would say that that is pretty important that we do it right. Merriam-Webster defines nutrition as, “: the act or process of nourishing or being nourished.” To me that means that it is the way that we are filling our body and what we are giving to our cells and organs and brain. It is also very good for maintaining weight along with physical exercise. But it goes beyond that! Nutrition also helps with; reducing the risk of some diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, stroke, some cancers, and osteoporosis. Reducing high blood pressure, lowering high cholesterol, improving your well-being, improving your ability to fight off illness,improving your ability to recover from illness or injury and increasing your energy level. (https://www.tuftsmedicarepreferred.org/healthy-living/expert-knowledge/importance-good-nutrition) As you can see nutrition is so important in everyday lives!! Now let's talk about why it is so important in sports, and in athletes lives. When you are doing physical exercise for 90 minutes or more it is important that our nutrition will carry us through so our bodies can perform at the peak performance. I found 5 specific guidelines to help with this. The first is load up on carbohydrates. Carbs are foods like bread, rice, vegetables, sugars, pasta,etc. “Carbs are an athlete's main fuel. Your body changes them to glucose, a form of sugar, and stores it in your muscles as glycogen.When you exercise, your body changes glycogen into energy. If you exercise for under 90 minutes, you have enough glycogen in your muscles, even for high-intensity activities.” The second is to get a good enough amount of protein. Protein doesn't give you as much energy as carbs but it does help with your muscle strength. It is essential to have a certain amount of protein each day. Protein is meats and milk and cheese. Drinking milk after a workout replenishes your muscles which is good for you! The third one is go easy on fats. Your body turns to fats to get energy if your carbs run low. Obviously we can't completely avoid fats, but on game days especially be cautious to not eat a ton because it can upset your stomach. The fourth one is to drink fluids earlier in the day and often. I can testify to this one that it works! It is important to give your body something to sweat out but still have energy. When working out in hot temperatures it is easy to get dehydrated which then affects your performance and can hurt your body. "All high-intensity athletes should drink fluids early and often," Dubost says. "And don't wait until you're thirsty. By the time you feel parched, you may be seriously dehydrated." The fifth one is to replace lost electrolytes. “Sweating removes both fluids and electrolytes. Electrolytes help transmit nerve signals in your body. To replenish them, reach for sports drinks. If you’re also losing a lot of fluid as you sweat, dilute sports drinks with equal amounts of water to get the best balance of fluid and electrolytes.” (http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/nutrition-tips-athletes#1) There is no worse feeling than running out of energy in a game. On game days I always try my best to eat carbs, and drink lots of water and get lots of sleep. It may not seem like it will affect your game or no, but I promise it will Especially playing lacrosse in all sorts of temperatures, it can be difficult at times to keep running in that hot sun. I also think that their is a mental strength we get when we have good nutrition. This may be a stretch for you to comprehend but if you think about it, if you think that you ate the best you could that day and that your body is being filled with great energy and is ready to perform your brain will believe you and it will act so.

#1 - Why lacrosse?

I am at a very crucial part of my life right now. It's my senior year. This means that a lot of things are coming to and end, but also that many things are starting. But I want to focus on a last that is coming up. My last year of playing lacrosse. Lacrosse is my passion! I love the game! I have been playing most my life, and senior year is the season you look forward to the most. This is where you get the chance to be a captain and lead the team. It's the season where the coach trusts you and the younger class-man look up to you. I know when I was a freshman I did. I want to create this blog to explain the in and outs of lacrosse. This means the off season, the nutrition, goal setting, other players passion, conditioning, coaching, leadership, practice, and game times, along with much more. This is a topic I know a lot about because I have lived it. But I think it will be so cool to expand my learning on this sport. There is much more to a sport then if you win games, and I am interested in diving deeper into girls lacrosse. I think it will be awesome to look back at the end of the season at this blog and see the progress I have made, along with my team, and to be able to look at what I have learned and how I made the most of my last season. I want my blog to be interesting to my readers and I hope that they will come to understand the game like I do. Lets talk about where lacrosse began for me, and why I think it is the best sport on earth. I was in the fourth grade, I had tried soccer, musicals, gymnastics, and none of it was for me. I quit soccer to do a play in my elementary, so when that was over I had no plan for what was next for my athletic career. My family is super into sports, both of my parents were athletes and as well as my siblings. Now I know what your thinking, fourth grade? Chill. Its not like I need to know what I'm doing at a young age, but I think you do. Get started in a sport as soon as you can because then you can only grow and become really good in your lifetime. So back to where I was. My best friend Grace Freeman had played the year before me and told me I had to come try it with her, so after thought I decided why not. I don't remember my first moment when I knew I loved the game, but I do remember that I was good at it. It came natural to me. I could run fast and beat any defender. Of course it took work and learning but it was fun for me. I really started to enjoy it. I even remember my first goal and thinking to myself, that was not as hard as I thought it would be and from there I kept scoring and took off to become a great player. Lacrosse is the greatest sport on earth. I mean it. I think that it is because it encompasses so many aspects from different sports. It is a lot like the game of hockey or soccer and basketball. That may sound crazy to you, but let me explain. The field is very similar to a soccer field. There are defender positions, forward positions, and midfield, along with a goalie. It is like hockey because you can play behind the net and the movements of passing the puck around are a lot like passing with a stick, and it involves gear. It is like basketball because the defense strategies are the same, and because of setting picks. Some of the rules are also like basketball, like 3 seconds in the key is just the same for us on offense in our 8, which is the same as a key but bigger. Lacrosse takes speed and agility, like football. You have to be able to run your butt of and dodge defenders standing in your way, or with their stick in your face trying to intercept or check the ball out. This is why lacrosse is the best, it encompasses several aspects from several sports, so if you are a sideline observer you wouldn’t be totally confused, you could understand. Lacrosse is also very cool because it does take hard work and practice, so not everyone can pick it up in a day. That creates respect for those that play the sport. It also does require athletic ability, you need to be able to run, have good eye-hand coordination, you need speed and strength and aim in your shot, you need to be able to defend and you need to make game time decisions.

All about me

Im Kylie Labrum, I'm 17, its my senior year in high school. I play lacrosse, love exercising, and am super outdoorsy. I love to snowshoe, boat, hike, run, hammock,etc. I am the youngest in my family of an older sister and and older brother, and we have a dog. I don't enjoy reading all that much, but I like to free write. I secretly play the piano, I love hanging out with my friends and am excited to graduate high school!