Sophomore attackmen Steve Ruple led the RU lacrosse team to a 19-9 victory over Kutztown University in the Highlanders final home game of the season. Ruple, a Baltimore, native, tallied, six goals and six assist.
(this was a photo used in the article, battle of the "fords" lol. And that is me, top center, with the Radford coaching jersey!)
]]>This article is recreated from the 1987 United States Lacrosse Coaches Association Clinic that I attended during my time at Radford University. My dad introduced me to coach Runk at a summer camp I was working. They lived in Highlandtown ("the neighborhood"), attended Patterson HS and played together for the Maryland Lacrosse Club. After meeting coach Runk, I was struck at how much of a sincerely nice person he was and relayed that to my dad. He laughed and said "well, he was a madman on the field and I was glad he was my defender". Craig Sr. was the goalie for MLC at the time.
Coach Runk always had a plan and, as you will see, a keen sense of humor. My priority at the '87 clinic was to attend the Towson "Tough" Defense talk as I prepared for my 2nd year as a D1 head coach nearly 35 years ago!
The Towson "Tough" Defense
A Phase of the Team Defense Concept
Our philosophy, defensively speaking, at Towson State University became more of a reality out of necessity then from the total plan. Our decision to implement defense as a priority in our game plan was made on a home trip from North Carolina State University a few years back. Both teams contributed to a score that set an NCAA record in Division I lacrosse, the score being 29 to 19. Unfortunately, Towson was on the short end. To this day, I still believe our goalie played a good game. A fact that will attest to my feelings was the scene of our goalie being carried off the field on the shoulders of over half of the celebrating NC State team. Ironically, it was that year North Carolina State dropped lacrosse. That decision may have come about as a result of the electrical damage done to the scoreboard and the whiplash lawsuit brought on by their goalie. Since there has been a change in the athletic administration at State, we will never know. It was on the bus trip home that my thoughts were concerned with the possibility of another game as such resulting surely in my hitchhiking north on I 95! I had finalized that my chances for success in lacrosse were narrowed down to two options; a lobotomy or developing a defensive edge. Since I was medically informed that there was no need for duplication I decided on the latter.
During my formidable years, I often would contact the late Howdy Meyers when his great Hofstra team was in town for a contest to discuss defensive philosophy. Though busy preparing an upcoming game plan, he always seemed to have time to answer and discuss any questions I might have. The mere thought that he had the courage to be somewhat different always intrigued me. It was at that time I became interested in developing a defensive system with different fronts. Our decision to apply the multi defensive scheme versus the traditional man to man was encouraged by the thought that the defense be placed in an aggressive position, showing flexibility, rather than the basic man-to-man coverage. It was important that our defense be given an opportunity to take the office, so to speak, with a variety of looks, which would force adjustments to be made in a short period of time by the opposing team, whether it be during the weekly practice and or during the game. This would give us the defensive edge.
One phase of our multi defense of fronts is the Towson TOUGH defense which is used basically as a secondary defense rather than a primary defense it is not a front that a team might live and die with but an occasional different look.The Towson "Tough" Defense
A. The Towson "Tough" defense is a sound front designed to give the opposition a different look while enabling the defense an opportunity to accomplish the following goals:
B. Like most defenses, the "Tough" defense is a change of pace front and could be most effective if used as such as our philosophy on defense dictates different looks in order to be successful, the "tough" seems to blend in very smoothly. The following illustrated breakdown will assist in understanding the basic principles applied to this defense.
- Pressure the ball.
- Be in a position to back up.
- Take away individual play.
- Be in a position to control the ball after a shot.
- Afford the defense an awareness of the fast break.
- Force the office out of its offense of strategy.
- Deny a pass to adjacent players.
- Award the double-team at any time.
- Eliminate designated offensive players.
- Force re-direction on passes.
#1 passes to #2
#2 passes to #3
As the Triangle & One has completed a full rotation versus the 2-2-2, the responsibility will remain the same for all defensive players if ball movement continues.
Triangle & One Versus the 2-1-3 Offense
D. The triangle & one defense will remain the same versus the 2-1-3 offense. The #4 position player will not change the defensive strategy because of the support of the "Rover 4" man who will play that any number of ways. D6, however, will change his backer position to a C position when #4 has the ball. D2 & D1 will balance out while D3 has an opportunity to anticipate his next move.
Triangle & One Versus the 1-3-2 Offense
E. The triangle and one coverage is identical to the same coverage versus a 2-1-3 and 2-2-2 formation while the ball is out front at the 3 and 4 areas. There is a slight alteration when the ball is passed from the 3 position to the 2 position.
One man Behind Principle
Any time only one player is behind the goal at point, the crease backer will be called on to play the Force position in order to maintain balance in the total defense. Every defensive player must be totally aware that this is a time of transition when the defense can be vulnerable.
Triangle & One Versus the 1-4-1 Formation
F. The "one man behind principle" applies here also. The ball starts at the 4 position. D3 becomes the Force man, plays good position and does not try to overplay. Balance is needed here.
#4 passes to #5
#5 passes to #1
#1 passes to #2
It is vital to have support on the crease at this time!
#2 passes to #4
[Diagrams 15 and 16] Rover X (RX) and Rover 4 (R4) Responsibilities
G. RX on a tough regular versus two men behind will play a position between both attackmen. He is to discourage passing between the two players and must be aware that he is to back up any shots. RX is given the freedom to double-team anytime he feels the opportunity is available. The example given, diagram #15, shows #1 driving to the goal and not being in a position to see RX. At this time our RX would be available to double-team. He will also be in a position to double or to deny either attackmen the ball on an "alert" car. He has the authority to call off the Force man when the ball is being passed behind.
RX versus one man behind will align himself in a position of advantage either in front, behind, or to the onside of #1 behind. He again is responsible for ball control on a shot, deny and the freedom to double if the situation deems it necessary.
R4 responsibilities are almost identical in the front position. On a two front he will station himself between the two middies. He also tries to discourage passes across the front and is given the opportunity to double when he sees fit. On any shot he releases quickly to initiate the fast break. On an alert call, R4 can assist in doubling or denying.
Both Rover X and Rover 4 are in a position to place tremendous strain on opposing players while affording their defenseman an opportunity to place themselves in a comfortable defensive scheme.
Conclusion
When applying the "tough" defense in total, the progression we feel most effective is to defense first the 2-2-2 Offense with both rovers in their primary positions. It is important that the triangle and one developed a feeling of confidence and assurance at this time. In this way the triangle and one and both RX and R4 are in a position to see how support can be given to each other immediately by means of communication. It is also a period when they work together as a unit and search, as a group, for the proper timing needed in execution. Once they have become familiar with the responsibilities, we would advance to the 1-3-2 formation and explain how the force man, responsible for the #1 point-man behind, could 1.) be released of his force duties, balance out and give support to the crease, 2.) double-team or 3.) use the face technique (where the backer relinquishes is basic responsibilities to another player and "face guards" the offensive player(s) on the onside crease). Only when our personnel feels comfortable with their execution will we progress to the 1-4-1 formation. This formation would include the R4 who also has the opportunity to execute in the same manner as RX did with one behind.
The Towson "Tough" defense, as stated before, is a change of pace front that can be a lot of fun for players, giving the defense a commanding edge and gaining momentum along with placing them in a position of defensive control.
1968 University of Arizona team, coached by future Towson legend Carl Runk
Craig Sr. tells a heart-warming story about officiating Coach Runk's games
Notes: All diagrams are Coach Runk's originals. I took some text formatting liberties that were not available on the original typewritter production, for clarity. The cover photo is from the Baltimore Sun. All other photos linked to source.
Lastly, please share your Coach Runk stories in the comments. Thanks for visiting. -Craig Jr.
Chad Burke winning a face-off
Unfortunately, we lost both those goalies to academic ineligibility and had to go against teams like Duke and North Carolina with our 3rd stringer. Nash Wainwright was a solid keeper, an effective leader and kept us in a lot of games, but just did not have the experience or instincts the other two had honed playing at a high level.
I truly believe (and run this season over in my head constantly) if we had either of the other two goalies, we beat Notre Dame, Ohio State and VMI. Chad Burke was dominating Penn State in our 1990 meeting, but back then you could hit the face-off guy from the wing and that's what they did, knocking him out of the game. He probably had a concussion.
Penn State was Steve Govett's first NCAA game. They did not have an answer for him in combination with Ruppel and fellow attackman Rich Cavanaugh, one of the toughest players I have come across. OK, that's enough for now. On to the Article!
The 1990 edition of the Radford University Lacrosse team will be trying to end one tradition and keep another going.
For the past several years, Radford has had trouble getting out of the blocks, but has finished strong. Last year was no exception. The Highlanders lost six of of their first seven matches, but then stormed back to win five of their last six.
A brutal early season schedule will work against its quest for a good start. But head coach Craig Tillmann is optimistic.
"We're shooting for a big season," he said. "Sooner or later this program is going to start beating the tough teams on this schedule, and this might be the year".
Mike Conner
Assistant coach Steve Billings is even more unbridled in his enthusiasm. "Our ultimate goal would be to finish 10-2," said Billings.
There is good reason for this optimistic attitude. Radford returns 18 members from last season's squad, including record setting tri-captian, Steve Ruppel.
A year ago, the Baltimore, Md., native set school records with 36 goals and 32 assists. He is first on the Highlanders' all-time assists list and would become RU's top goal scorer with 29 this season. He needs only 2 points (goals and assist) to become RU's all-time points leader. [Later to be overcome by Steve Govett, I believe]
"Steve's a leader on and off the field, " said Tillmann. "He's a hard worker with talent." [and high lacrosse IQ]
However, this is far from a one-man show. Depth is the team's greatest asset. "We're a well-rounded team with people who can score everywhere," said Billings.
Todd Vischer, who scored 19 goals and had 10 assists as a freshman, returns along with fellow sophomore Mike Conner (12 goals, 11 assists) to give Radford scoring punch.
Also back is senior Rich Cavanaugh. The senior from Mendam, N.J., who scored 43 goals in his first two campaigns, but missed most of last season with a leg injury. [Rich was healthy enough in '89 to score the winning goal against Ohio State in the "horseshoe" with 1:20 left in the game]
"Rich should be better than ever," said Tillmann. "It's his senior year and he feels he has something to prove. He's worked very hard and seems fully recovered."
Anchoring the defense is tri-captain Joey Ventresca [featured photo]. Another senior, led Radford with 105 ground balls last season and is Radford's best defender. "He's the one we use to shut down the other team's big scorer," said Tillmann. "He is part of the offense as well - as a team we can do things we couldn't do without him." [after our respectable showing at UNC, coach Willie Scroggs said three things to me. He said our first team deserves to play at this level, he complimented us on our clearing/subbing game and lastly, said that Joey Ventresca could play for any team in the country]
Defender and tri-captain, Mark Cumm, an inspirational leader, also returns. [Mark was the pioneer of the Herkimer to Radford path]
Another key returnee is midfielder Chad Burke. Perhaps the teams unsung hero, the senior from Fairfax, Va., played a key role in the Highlanders winning 30 more face-offs then they lost a year ago.
"Chad is a key to our success," said Tillmann. "We can control the game with him on the face-off because we're going to win more than we lose."
The question of who will be the starting goalie is still unanswered. Both Junior Nash Wainwright and freshman Dave Murphy have been competing hard in practice, but are inexperienced. "We are very fortunate to have two, good, developing goalies," said Tillmann.
Other returning lettermen include Shane Allen, Gerry Boston, Daren Colaiacova, Jim Kennedy, Pat Rox, Bill Scanlon and Joe Trottier.
RU has a strong incoming class as well, including veteran, Canadian box player Steve Govett. "We are fortunate to have a big freshman class of talent. Many should contribute right away", said Tillmann. "It makes us well-rounded. "We should be able to win games 7-6 or 17-16."
A murderous schedule is the only thing standing in the way of a winning season for RU. The Highlanders face powerhouses Penn State, Georgetown, North Carolina and Duke, all in the first half of the season. Other games include Notre Dame, Ohio State, and VMI. The regular season opens February 27 when Penn State comes to Radford.
I was a graduate student at VA Tech while I was coaching at Radford. Many of the images on this post are portions of a tri-fold brochure I created as one of my projects in Communication Technology. At the time, the "technology" was creating layouts on golden rule and operating a lithographic press. While it was fun to create half-tones and operate the press, these skills quickly proved to be wholly outdated, lol.
Highlanders, I still have a dozen or so of these brochures. Email me and I'll send you one!
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We anticipated that the Head Rock would also be effective for cradling and throwing fakes, yet we are seeing more ways to use this training aid thanks to the early adopters. So here many of the ways people are using the weight to accelerate their development. Tell us in the comments about your favorite rep with a Head Rock!
Here is a serious #gutbuster using a Head Rock. #getbettertoday #workyourcore #womenslacrosse #winthedraw #nodaysoff #lacrosselife #playlacrosse pic.twitter.com/p5pXg0NQL9
— Head Rock Lacrosse (@headrocklax) March 25, 2020
Rockin’ on a #Mondaynight #wristwork #laxtraining #wristfakes #rockon #willhedance ? #housemusic #functionaltraining #laxcoach #playlacrosse pic.twitter.com/saVEYnJCnn
— Head Rock Lacrosse (@headrocklax) September 15, 2020
The Head Rock can help you focus on mechanics. Here, I am getting my hands moving, working on cross-hand #Canadianlefty motion before whipping a ball around. Great warmup tool 💪🗿🥍 #lacrossetraining #laxdrills #trainingweight #rockon #laxcoach #getbetter pic.twitter.com/n0qxEsb722
— Head Rock Lacrosse (@headrocklax) April 23, 2020
Get outside and #findyourwheelhouse #rockon #functionaltraining #lacrossedrills #wriststrength #shootingmotion pic.twitter.com/ZNW00OYW53
— Head Rock Lacrosse (@headrocklax) March 19, 2020
Reps anywhere, anytime! There is aways time with a Head Rock. #noexcuses #getyourepsin #wristwork #TripleThreat #lacrossedrills #laxskills #laxcoach Thanks Max! pic.twitter.com/0mb3b6VtrF
— Head Rock Lacrosse (@headrocklax) September 7, 2019
Had a great week at #oldlymeconnecticut . The Head Rock is right at home on a #beach that doesn’t allow ball play. Plus it is a fun way to work on #wriststrength or any lacrosse motion. #findyourwheelhouse #rockon #lacrossetraining #laxcoach #laxdrills pic.twitter.com/uWX7HKmUBq
— Head Rock Lacrosse (@headrocklax) August 20, 2019
He always has a stick in hand ! @3maxyg getting some #wristwork in.
— Head Rock Lacrosse (@headrocklax) November 29, 2018
・・・#repost . . .
Box season must be here! Doing some figure 4 headrockin with a little one 🖐 work while waiting for the bus. Getting the work in! @headrocklax #laxislife #lacrossetraining #warp pic.twitter.com/b8bBnJjOqu
Working the head Rock is a fun way to get reps anywhere, anytime. Get yours today! It is the best $20 you'll spend on lacrosse!
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On April 14, 2002, Cullen was part of the inaugural class inducted into the North Carolina Lacrosse Hall of Fame for his outstanding contributions as a player and coach at Duke University, and then as a top official in the ACC and NCAA. Sadly, coach Cullen passed away a few weeks later, after an extended battle with cancer at the age of 45.
Cullen spent nine seasons as the head coach of the Blue Devils from 1982-90. In 1986 and 1987, he guided Duke to 11-win seasons marking the first two double-figure single-season win totals in school history. In 1981 the Blue Devils had a 3-9 record and the University seriously considered dropping the program. In just five seasons Cullen took Duke to the opposite end of the spectrum.
As a player, Cullen established himself as one of the top scorers in Duke history despite playing only three years. At the time of his passing, Cullen stood first in career assists (114 - now 4th), tied for second in career points (220 - now 9th) and ninth in career goals (106 - now 17th). In addition, Cullen still has the single-game assist record (8 - tied with John Bierman and Ned Crotty) and single-season marks for both assists (52 in 1979) and points (90 in 1979). He is honored each year with the playing of the Cullen Classic. Now on to the article! Brackets [ ] indicate my notes from his presentation or comments.
By Tony Cullen
While there are a myriad of different philosophies and implementations of offenses in lacrosse, there are basic offensive principles which apply almost universally to any offensive scheme, Regardless of the level of your talent or the particular philosophy you espouse, a fundamental understanding of these principles will make your offense more successful.
At Duke University our offensive philosophy is predicated on our personnel. As the size, speed, athletic ability and lacrosse skills of our players change, so too does our offensive scheme. However, despite these changes our basic principles have remained consistent.
There are five offensive principles that all players at Duke must learn. Each of these tenets is designed to spread out the defense and incorporate all six players into the offense. These principles are taught before any offensive patterns are introduced and they are reinforced during each practice session throughout the year.
It is important to note that these principles are interrelated. While each principle can be taught separately, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. In addition, it is imperative that all six of the offensive players, not just the player carrying the ball, are following the rules. Irrespective of your offensive scheme, these principles can improve your team's performance, particularly in settled situations.
A player is permitted only one move with the ball. If their dodge is unsuccessful they must move the ball on the perimeter.
[This is the one that some say is outdated now. I would update to say one '"dodging package". Semantics :) But seriously, there was more emphasis on feeding, cutting and ball movement than taking turns going 2-man back then.]
Whenever a player moves to create a dodging situation for a teammate he should always cut behind his defender or to the "strings of the helmet". [There used to be laces in the back of the helmet. Cutting to the strings forces your defender to turn his head away from the ball. After you make a pass it is your duty to make the defender turn his head away from the ball.]
Coach Cullen's original diagrams for Commandment #2, "clear to the strings"
Whenever a player inbounds the ball [In that era, officials gave more time to restart play or there could be a substitution horn.], pulls the ball out, or settles the offense in anyway, they are no longer allowed to dodge. [Dodge as soon as you receive the ball. Do not allow the defense to adjust to the ball movement]
Players should evaluate dodging and feeding opportunities before they get the ball. They should not hold onto the ball waiting for opportunities to arise. If they do not see any opportunities they should move the ball.
Whenever the situation is unsettled, move the ball on the perimeter to "X" (point behind). Players on the perimeter are free to feed cutters or dodge provided they can make their decisions off the ball. However, the ball should never be settled until it reaches "X". [this is important because the defense is already scattered and now you force them to turn their head]
I have always taught Coach Cullen's commandments to my players as a starting point for our offenses. No matter what setup you use, or the talent you have, these commandments should be mastered before you start teaching elaborate plays. They can be applied to any situation and they are easy for players to understand. Thanks for visiting! -Craig Tillmann
This will be the first post in a series about my time at Radford. In no particular order, I will recreate newspaper articles and share the stories that I can remember. For this first edition I have recreated an article from the school newspaper, The Tartan, April 5, 1990 (was it really almost 30 years ago?!).
By Mike Easmeil
While other RU teams took the weekend off because of foul weather, the RU lacrosse team took to the field and made light work of Mary Washington on Saturday Afternoon. [at that time, it was common for non-top 20 D1 teams to play D3 opponents, mostly because of geography, lol.]
The Highlanders rebounded from a tough 15-13 loss to Guilford on Wednesday to manhandle Mary Washington 23-7 at the Dedmon Center.
Steve Ruppel amassed six goals and assisted on two more to fuel the Highlander attack. Mary Washington scored the first goal just :18 into the game to take the early 1-0 lead. The Highlanders answered with a barrage of goals that sent the Eagles reeling. RU scored five goals in just over five minutes to lead after the first period 5-2.
"We just needed to get a goal to get our confidence going," Ruppel said. Once the Highlanders got their confidence, they never relented. In the second stanza the onslaught continued as RU outscored the Eagles 7-1.
The catalysts for RU in the second period were Ruppel, Todd Vischer and Mike Conner. Ruppel scored three times and assisted once while Conner served up three assists. Vischer tallied two of his four goals in the first half. The Eagles could manage only four goals in the second half to the Highlanders 11 and RU took their second win of the season.
Head Coach Craig Tillmann said ball handling was the Highlanders best asset on Saturday. "I think the guys realize what they are capable of if they have consistent ball control", said Tillmann. Almost every Highlander short of the goalies found the back of the Mary Washington cage. [Freshman, Steve Govett must have been unavailable for this game. It is unusual that he did not appear in the stats report.]
Earlier in the week, the Highlanders lost a close match to Guilford College. RU put up a good fight but fell short 15-13. Rich Cavanaugh lead the scoring with 4 goals and two assists.
Radford 23 Mary Washington 7
Goals: Ruppel 6, Vischer 4, Cleary 2, Cavanaugh 2, Conner 1, Curry 1, Trottier 1, Niehaus 1, Kennedy 1, Hayes 1, White 1, Lemos 1, Boston 1.
Assists: Cavanaugh 4, Ruppel 2, White 2, Vischer 1, Scanlon 1, Lambert 1, Hates 1.
Guilford 15 Radford 13
Goals: Cavanaugh 4, Ruppel 2, Govett 2, Conner 2, Cleary 1, Lambert 1, White 1.
Assists: Conner 3, Cavanaugh 2,Ruppel 1, Ventresca 1.
Steve Ruppel scored six goals and 2 assists to lead the Highlanders lacrosse team past Mary Washington College last Saturday. The six goals was the highest number of goals by a Highlander so far this season. A year ago, the Baltimore, Md. native set school records with 36 goals and 32 assists.
The Senior stickman is well behind the pace of a year ago. Coach Tillmann and players say Ruppel will use this victory to find his momentum. [To be fair, we had a terrific recruiting year that included Steve Govett and others that Ruppel was able to distribute to. He was a very unselfish player]
"Steve [Ruppel] and I needed to get back on track", said Todd Vischer. "It was about time. We needed this win". Ruppel downplayed the effort, giving credit to the team around him. "Mike Conner and Richie [Cavanaugh] were drawing slides and giving me great feeds," Ruppel said. "I just had to fill in the seam like coach said."
Lax Notes: After a 1-5 start last year [1989], the Highlanders rebounded to win five straight. RU is now 2-7. Rich Cavanaugh is the Highlanders leading goal scorer with 21 and also leads in total points with 33.
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In the beginning marketing was the least of my worries. My father is well known and has a long list of contacts. I also have many contacts and experience as a D1 head coach, D3 assistant and HS head coach even though it was many years ago. Little did I know that marketing would be the greatest challenge. This reminds me of my own saying; "the more I learn, the stupider I feel".
The best marketing strategy for us is to hand someone a stick with a Head Rock. It is admittedly an unusual concept. I have found that there is nothing I can say or video I can make that is as effective as having someone actually feel it. I have had old teammates tell me "when I first saw this thing I thought good luck with that, Tillzy...but now that I have tried it out, I really think you have something."
Patent Figures
That all said, I can report that our first two years have been an exciting adventure that has reached significant milestones. We were granted a utility patent that published July 2018. The Head Rock website went live and is in the top 16% of Shopify sites launched that month.
First prototype makes an appearance at Homewood field
There are currently over 800 [Aug of '21 we are at 2.4k] Head Rocks in use. We made a good showing at Laxcon 2019 and have been enjoying enthusiastic response at tournaments.
I learned to use social media after shunning it all my life. Hey, I don't really care what someone I knew in college had for lunch. The lacrosse community at Instagram and Twitter have really educated me and kept me grinding. We have had some highly valued feedback from professional players. Early adopters are reporting increased shot velocity!
Partnering with like-minded lacrosse entrepreneurs like Rocket Mesh is also something I am very grateful for. Let us know if we can partner with you.
We are investing in new tooling to make the leap to sell on Amazon and retail.. The new tooling includes our logo on the face of the weight. We will also be better positioned for discounted team sales.
Future goals include developing a 10 oz. version. That will be like having two lacrosse balls in your pocket. The slogans will write themselves. We also want to create a version strictly for women (our current, "Model A" can be adapted for women's sticks), and a goalie version. We can, we will!
Now Available!
Way back when I was a college coach, I got to attend a few USCLA clinics. Luckily, I kept most everything. Here are Coach Moran's shooting tips from the 1987 clinic. Enjoy, and please share your favorite Coach Moran story in comments.
Link: Coach Moran's notes on shooting
Topics include:
I remember Coach Moran was very helpful and enthusiastic about bringing younger coaches along and growing the game. That said, please don't call the phone number on the document...pretty sure it is out of date!
Photos: Cornellsun.com, Lacrosseplayground.com
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The featured image for this blog post shows a variety of balls that have been refurbished already. I did all of those in about 6 min. What it did for this Maverik ball sold me. I was sure it could not be helped. This ball is ancient and was as slick as Teflon. It is now at home in a bucket. These is 2-year warranty and you only need to use water.
You can purchase these veggie srubbing cloths through my wife, here. Try one out at our vendor tent:
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As both a college player and coach, I was always enthusiastic about doing a full-field clearing and shooting drill. With this type of drill, the catches and passes simulate those made in game situations. Placing two goals at the shooting end of the field (one between the crease and each restraining box side) and working the ball down both lanes creates a lot of reps and even some competition between the players on the two sides of the field. Also, these types of drills just look pretty with no drops. Here is an example of a full-field clearing and shooting drill. Both sides run simultaneously but the diagram only illustrates one side of the field. Add a third line of middies for shorter passes.
Full-field Clearing and Shooting
My path as a lacrosse coach has been pretty unusual. My first head coaching position was for NCAA Division 1 Radford University. I am pretty sure I hold the record for youngest D1 head coach ever at 23! Next I was a head high school coach in Harford county Maryland. Over the past several years I have coached for the local youth program, was an assistant for North Western high school, and now head coach at st Amselm's HS in DC.
As a high school or youth coach having a whole field for practice is a luxury. Trying to teach or simulate full field transition play was a big challenge. How can you give your players a full-field experience with only a half-field? This drill was developed to simulate full-field clearing and shooting .
Recommended for 16-28 players, U13 and up
(add more lines to create shorter passes for younger players)
Benefits
Skills
Half-Field Clearing and Shooting
w/M3 as shooter
Rotations
This drill is very flexible. Download the PDF to see other variations with A1 or A2 shooting. The setup can be mirrored so that the passes go around in the opposite direction to work opposite hands in each position. Add a crease player to work on screens (lost art?), picks and rebounds. Rotate long sticks or goalies into the shooting line - they love that!
Let us know what you think or if you have any favorite similar drills in the comments!
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In his last coaching year, the late great Bob Scott shared the riding philosophy of the Blue Jays at the United States Lacrosse Coaches Association clinic in 1974. My father, who was a friend of Coach Scott, attended this clinic and lucky for us, kept his materials.
Photo: Baltimore Sun
I was recently watching video of NCAA championships on Mashpedia from the 70s and it reminded me how much the clearing and riding game has changed. Lacrosse may be better now for TV but I feel like we lost an exciting part of the game nonetheless. Maybe a horn off the end-line was a little much, but it allowed coaches to set up a clear or specific ride - and it was actually my favorite part of the game to coach.
In these videos you can hear the horn and see the teams setting up. It was like running an offensive play. The ball would move to one lane and then a redirect over-pass to opposite lane was often the key. Ten-man rides were common; the goalie covering the closest attackman. When the clearing team carried or passed the ball over the mid line, the crowd cheered!
Of course now everything is on the fly. Teams are easily exposed for lack of depth or worse, organization. Without question, subbing on the fly is something every team must practice almost everyday. Most teams have a dedicated assistant coach that acts as a traffic cop in the box.
I have been studying this aspect of the game by watching Maryland since I live about a mile from Byrd stadium :) In my opinion their "on-the-fly game" is a big reason for their success. That, their coaching and ability to field 3 or 4 world caliber players every year! They always seem to get the right personnel on and off at the optimum time in an efficient manner. It's like a dance from the restraining line to mid line to substitution box.
While the clearing and riding game has changed over the years, I think you will find that most of what has been reproduced below from the original document, still holds true. Enjoy.
(a) ATTACK - must learn how to ride. One shot effort gives the clearing team an easy out. He must cover the head of the defenseman’s stick when a pass is being made. He must be patient and use a good poke check to keep the defenseman or goalie under pressure
INBOUNDS RIDE
JUMP RIDE OFF SAVE
TIGHT OR PRESS RIDE
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Stop Ball – Making sure someone is taking responsibility for the player with the ball. Pick up the player with the ball and do not let them penetrate the defense any farther. Also “check ball”.
Badger – The offensive player is not feeling any “stress” and is looking to feed or shoot. Make it difficult for them. Run with and throw checks. An offensive player should be checked as they receive the ball, as they throw the ball and a few times in between for good measure. Also “He’s Hot” or “pressure”.
Drop In – We are in danger of being beat or are out of position to make a good slide. How your team plays defense will determine who needs to drop in and who needs to pressure. Teams will play the ball hard (constant pressure) while sagging off the adjacent players. Or teams will shut-off the adjacent passes to allow the defender to force a turnover.
Get in – We are in transition to defense and the opponents have cleared the ball cleanly over the midfield line and we are conceding the clear. In order to guard against a slow or fast break, defenders must sprint to the hole with their head on a swivel and pick-up from the “inside-out”. Do not try to defend as you drop to the hole. Get there first and then pick up.
Check – The ball is being fed to the crease area. Check stick or body of player(s) trying to receive the pass or any player within 5 yards of the ball.
Clear the Crease – The ball is loose in front of the goal. Any offensive player within 5 yards of the ball should be body-checked out of the way. Only do enough to get the job done. You don't want to take yourself out of the play. After knocking the opponent off the ball, you want to be in a position to pick it up.
Ball Down – The ball is loose. Who wants it? Who has the hole?
Lanes – The area of the field that is between the restraining box and the sidelines which continues between the face-off wing lines and sidelines all the way to the other end of the field. We like to clear the ball down the lanes.
Break – Our goalie or other defender has gained, or will positively gain control of the ball and we need to break out in our clearing pattern. Anticipation is good but don’t get burned by it. We like wing defense-men and middies to break East or West (flat) to the lanes while the crease defender guards the hole and is a safety valve for the goalie. The center middie is free to float to an open area beyond the restraining box. Consider incorporating an on-the-fly substitution into your break out/clearing pattern.
Snowbird- A clearing middie is in the open and could start a fast break. Often the middie who gave up a shot is open for a "snowbird". This middie should break north and be the first look from the goalie because many times the shooter is either watching the shot, or his momentum has taken him out of position to defend against a clearing pass. At Salisbury we used "seagull" as well :)
Check-Up – Settle in and pick up a man. The offense is settled and we are in our “normal” defense.
Got Your Back – I am responsible for picking up the player with the ball should you get beat. Some teams slide from adjacent defender, some teams slide from crease or the even the second adjacent defender. Also “back-right! / back-left!”
Slide – The ball handler has gained a step on our defender and needs to be stopped. Anticipation is key. We have always taught to slide early and to the offensive player’s blind side. Your team may have a different strategy but if you wait until the offensive player gets two steps on your defender it may be too late.
Screen – Our goalies vision is blocked by a screen. Take corrective measures.
Pick – Alerts defense of a pick. Communication will be key. Will you “switch” or fight through it? Team philosophy and/or the situation will define how to defend against a pick. If you choose to fight through it, we recommend “butt down and stick up”. In other words, get low to muscle your way through and bring stick perpendicular to the ground so it won’t hang you up in the process.
Fast Break – The ball is being cleared by the opponent with no one in front of them creating a 4x3 (or less) break. Set up in your fast break defensive positions. Drop into your area and not to an offensive player. Someone will need to “Stop Ball” by taking “the Point”.
Slow Break – The opponents have a developing numbers advantage greater than a 4x3 (5x4 or 6x5). “Get to the hole” and pick up “inside-out”. We like to have defenders drop into a tight box with the 5th defender on the crease (box and one) to deny the lay-up. When 6th defender gets in the hole, “Check-Up”
Overload – The opponents are crowding to one side to allow space for the ball handler to dodge and draw a slide. Or when playing man-down, look for sneaky backdoor pass.
Redirect or Over Pass – When clearing down one lane and hitting a road block, make the long, East-West pass to the opposite lane. Someone is open there.
Ball Position – The goalie should call the position out for all to hear. There are a few different ways to do this. Numbering systems may be effective but can be confusing to younger players. We recommend ball is (from the goalie’s perspective) using the number or words below:
Swing it – A quick East-West pass to get the ball to the opposite side of the goal. It can be two passes. It can be in front of or behind the goal
Weak Side – Move the ball to the opposite side via a swing pass. When clearing down a lane to GLE and then X, the ball handler should bring the ball to the opposite side or the “Weak Side”.
Bring It – When handling the ball behind the goal, force someone to pick you up by driving to the goal. Coach sees something – either you have an opening to dodge and shoot or if a defender picks you up, they will leave someone open for a lay-up.
One More – Someone is in a better position to shoot than you are. Make one more pass.
Touch Box – (no longer relevant) The referee has started to count and we are in danger of being called for failure to advance. Step into the box or pass into the box immediately.
Stop Light Colors – When transitioning to offense use established vocabulary to communicate when to substitute, when to settle the ball, when to attack right away, or when to move the ball down the lane to the GLE and then to “X”. For example:
Push – When clearing or in transition from defense to offense, a forward (North-South) pass. Someone is open ahead of you. Don’t carry it, push it forward. Technically when our goalie or defender gets control of the ball, we are on offense and want to push the ball down the lanes and then to X.
V-cut – If you want to receive the ball you have to act like you want it. Drive your defender towards the goal then pop out and create space to receive the ball. Start this cut as an adjacent player is receiving a pass.
Turn His Head – Immediately after passing the ball, cut to the goal around the back of the defender’s head so that he is turned away from the ball. Never leave your defender in a position where he can see you and the ball without moving. When helmets had laces in the back, we used to say “cut to the strings”. Whatever you call it, it is important to start that cut while your pass is in the air. Don’t get caught watching your awesome pass.
Help Here – I am your outlet. If you want the ball, act like it by making a v-cut.
Skip – A skip pass is open and/or the adjacent passes are not available.
Garbage – The ball is loose near the crease because of a rebound or botched clear. Get the garbage goal. Also “Rebound”.
Nothing There – We do not have an advantage. The defense is settled in and ready. Quit dodging and don’t force it. Move the ball. Usually followed by “swing it” or “weak side”.
Keep It – Used to keep possession of the ball when on extra-man as the clock runs out. Also “hold it” or “no pass”
Carry It – When in transition to offense and there are no good passing options to get the ball over the midfield line, carry it over. Can also mean no one is in front of you and no one is open.
Zebra (or any Z word - Zorro) –The defense is playing Zone. Run our zone offense. If you don’t have a zone offense, the Z word means do not dodge, keep the ball hot.
Yard sale – When a player has stick checked out of their hands and it ends up on the ground, like putting stuff on your lawn to sell.
Horses don't cheat – During conditioning do not cut corners or neglect to touch the line.
Your killing the grass! – When an off-ball player is standing flat-footed.
Alligator arms– Throwing or shooting with elbows not extended away from torso.
Canadian egg roll – A spinning, roll back, low bounce shot.
Dip and dunk – On a layup, faking low with your head and body and then finishing over the goalie when they bite.
Gobble and goose – I'm not sure but it was on the Simpsons. Get the GB and goose it to teammate?
Buddy pass – When a player throws a soft arcing pass that causes the receiver to be body checked. Who's your buddy?
Coma slide – When a defender slides and puts body on the dodger or receiver of a pass usually because of a buddy pass or great anticipation by the defender.
Top cheddar – A high shot that is inches from the crossbar.
Where grandma keeps the cookies – Top shelf. See "top cheddar".
Worm burner – An underhand shot that stays low, either skimming of the turf or inches above.
Tilt – Wearing your "bucket" in such a way that observers can barely see your eyes because the helmet is tilted down and the visor covers your eyes. Proper tilt is when you see clearly above the second bar of the face mask. The intersection of the second bar and the center (vertical) bar should be at the point of your nose but some players go to the extreme.
Flow or Lettuce – Long hair hanging out the back of the helmet.
Please add to this list via comments!
]]>From Old School Lacrosse:
It took about a year to brainstorm the name Head Rock. I actually thought of it early on and dismissed it, then much later I saw a photo of Indian Head Rock and knew this was it - a connection to the Creator's Game using lacrosse terms.
Fully committed, we came up with some concept sketches, one ended up on a 3-D print of our prototype. The goal was a flat, one-color design that projects bravery, confidence, and determination in the shape of the weight. This intense Native American photo inspired our Head Rock logo. I'm not trying to face-dodge this guy.
We turned to Fiverr.com and it was a smart move. Fiverr is a global online marketplace offering tasks and services in areas such as graphic design, video and animation, business, music and audio and more. The site is primarily used by freelancers to offer services to customers worldwide. At the time of this post, Fiverr listed more than three million services that range between $5 and $500. We had three logo concepts developed for $125. Here are the other two.
I think most will agree that we picked the right one!
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At $800 per copy, its cheaper than cutting a $7k mold and then finding out it doesn't fit. In our first effort the fit was too loose so we made some adjustments and the second try was just right. The team over at Proto Technologies, Inc. were very helpful throughout the process.
On the rapid prototype shown above is the first version of our logo. The decision was made not to include the logo on our final design. We anticipate future versions can be made out of a material suitable for screen printing so that any logo can be applied in that space...like maybe your team or organization?
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"Pop, what is that thing on the baseball bat?
"...warming up with a little extra weight helps increase his bat speed."
Could we increase head speed by suspending a weight where the ball would sit in the pocket? Can the weight be shaped so that your shooting, dodging or cradling motion seats it onto the head and when you are done working out you could tap it off? Will the weight make the stick behave just like handling a ball?
While working through many mock-ups we learned that the answers are yes. So we made different shapes and weights to share with coaches and players at different levels and to get their feedback. The response was genuine interest and encouragement.
There are many lacrosse weights on the market. All of them make your stick heavier using straps, screws or multiple parts to manage, none of them give you the feel of the ball in the pocket.
That is how the idea of the Head Rock was developed. It has been a tremendous learning experience - from applying for a patent and seeking out a manufacturer, to learning about Shopify storefronts. This blog will tell about the development and use of the Head Rock, discuss coaching and training resources and share stories about the history of the game. Thanks for reading!
Craig Jr.
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