How to become a good lacrosse player. Mastering Lacrosse: Essential Strategies to Become an Elite Player

How can lacrosse players improve their performance. What role does trust play in developing as an athlete. How can fear be overcome to enhance gameplay. What are the key elements of lacrosse success. How does mental toughness impact a player’s abilities on the field.

The Importance of Trust in Lacrosse Performance

Trust is a crucial element in the development of any athlete, particularly in a fast-paced sport like lacrosse. It’s about letting go of the mental need to control every aspect of the game and allowing your body’s trained abilities to take over. This concept can be challenging for players who tend to overthink their moves, but it’s essential for reaching peak performance.

A prime example of this is Bill, a high school lacrosse midfielder who struggled with hesitation during games despite his passion for the sport and extensive knowledge. His tendency to over-analyze situations often put him a step behind his opponents, resulting in what his father described as a “deer in the headlights” look.

How Does Trust Manifest in Lacrosse?

When a player trusts their abilities, their movements become more fluid and instinctive. Instead of consciously thinking about each action, they react naturally to the game’s flow. This state of trust allows players to:

• Move automatically towards incoming passes
• Make quicker and better decisions about passing
• Execute trained skills effortlessly during games

Overcoming Fear: The Key to Building Trust

Fear is the primary obstacle to developing trust in one’s abilities. To overcome this, athletes must learn to embrace all emotions, understanding that even difficult feelings like embarrassment or disappointment are natural and necessary parts of growth.

The Two Types of Fear

According to mental toughness experts, there are only two things to fear in the world:

1. Physical harm to the body
2. Emotions

By letting go of the fear of emotions, players can become essentially fearless, allowing trust to emerge naturally.

Developing Self-Trust in Lacrosse

Building self-trust doesn’t have to be a daunting task. One effective method is to recognize areas in life where trust already exists and transfer that feeling to the lacrosse field.

Practical Exercises for Building Trust

• Reflect on everyday activities that require trust, such as riding a bike
• Connect with the feeling of trust in natural phenomena, like the sun rising each day
• Notice the difference in your emotional state when you tap into trust
• Consciously bring that trusting feeling to the lacrosse field

Each successful play or score is an opportunity to reinforce trust. By acknowledging the role of trust in these achievements, players can gradually strengthen this crucial quality.

The Impact of Mental Toughness on Lacrosse Performance

Mental toughness is a cornerstone of athletic success, especially in high-pressure sports like lacrosse. It encompasses various psychological skills, including focus, resilience, and the ability to perform under stress.

How Does Mental Toughness Manifest in Lacrosse?

Mental toughness in lacrosse can be observed through several key behaviors:

• Maintaining composure during high-stakes moments
• Bouncing back quickly from mistakes or setbacks
• Consistently performing at a high level regardless of external pressures
• Adapting to unexpected changes in game situations

Players who develop strong mental toughness often find themselves better equipped to handle the challenges of competitive lacrosse, from grueling practices to intense championship games.

Physical Conditioning: The Foundation of Lacrosse Excellence

While mental aspects are crucial, physical conditioning remains a cornerstone of lacrosse success. The sport demands a unique combination of endurance, strength, and agility, making comprehensive physical preparation essential.

Key Components of Lacrosse Conditioning

• Cardiovascular endurance for constant movement during games
• Strength training to improve shot power and defensive capabilities
• Agility drills to enhance quick direction changes and dodging skills
• Flexibility exercises to prevent injuries and improve overall performance

Consistent and targeted physical training not only improves on-field performance but also contributes to mental toughness by building confidence in one’s physical capabilities.

Mastering Lacrosse Fundamentals: The Path to Advanced Play

Excellence in lacrosse is built upon a solid foundation of fundamental skills. These basics, when mastered, allow players to execute complex strategies and adapt to various game situations with ease.

Essential Lacrosse Skills to Master

1. Cradling: The ability to maintain ball control while moving
2. Passing: Accurate and timely passing to teammates
3. Catching: Securely receiving passes in various situations
4. Shooting: Developing power and accuracy in different shot types
5. Ground balls: Efficiently picking up loose balls
6. Dodging: Evading defenders to create scoring opportunities
7. Defensive positioning: Understanding proper defensive stances and movements

Consistent practice of these fundamentals, even at advanced levels, ensures that players can rely on their skills instinctively during high-pressure game situations.

Strategic Thinking in Lacrosse: Elevating Your Game IQ

Beyond physical skills and mental toughness, a deep understanding of lacrosse strategy can set elite players apart. This “lacrosse IQ” involves reading the game, anticipating opponents’ moves, and making split-second decisions that can turn the tide of a match.

Developing Strategic Thinking in Lacrosse

• Study game films to analyze different plays and strategies
• Participate in tactical discussions with coaches and teammates
• Practice scenario-based drills that simulate various game situations
• Develop a keen awareness of field positioning and player movements

Players who excel in strategic thinking often become natural leaders on the field, capable of adapting team tactics on the fly and exploiting opponents’ weaknesses.

The Role of Continuous Learning in Lacrosse Development

The journey to becoming an elite lacrosse player is one of continuous learning and improvement. The sport is constantly evolving, with new strategies, techniques, and equipment emerging regularly. Players who commit to ongoing education and adaptation are best positioned for long-term success.

Avenues for Continuous Lacrosse Learning

• Attend lacrosse camps and clinics to learn from diverse coaching perspectives
• Stay updated with lacrosse literature, including books and online resources
• Engage with the lacrosse community through forums and social media
• Seek mentorship from experienced players or coaches
• Experiment with new techniques and strategies in practice sessions

By embracing a mindset of continuous improvement, players can ensure they remain at the forefront of the sport, constantly refining their skills and adapting to new challenges.

Balancing Individual and Team Development in Lacrosse

While individual skill development is crucial, lacrosse is ultimately a team sport. Elite players must learn to balance their personal growth with the needs and dynamics of their team. This balance is key to achieving both individual and collective success on the field.

Strategies for Team-Oriented Development

• Participate actively in team-building exercises and activities
• Communicate openly with teammates about individual and team goals
• Practice selfless play, focusing on team success over personal statistics
• Learn to adapt personal playing style to complement teammates’ strengths
• Take on leadership roles to help elevate the performance of the entire team

Players who excel in both individual skills and team dynamics often become the most valuable assets to their squads, capable of elevating the performance of those around them.

Nutrition and Recovery: Fueling Lacrosse Excellence

The demands of high-level lacrosse extend beyond the field. Proper nutrition and recovery practices are essential for maintaining peak performance, preventing injuries, and ensuring long-term athletic development.

Key Aspects of Lacrosse Nutrition and Recovery

1. Balanced diet tailored to the energy demands of lacrosse
2. Proper hydration before, during, and after games and practices
3. Adequate sleep to support physical recovery and mental sharpness
4. Strategic use of rest days to prevent burnout and overtraining
5. Incorporation of recovery techniques such as stretching, foam rolling, and ice baths

By paying attention to these off-field aspects, players can ensure they’re always ready to perform at their best when game day arrives.

Leveraging Technology in Lacrosse Training

In the modern era, technology offers numerous tools and resources that can enhance lacrosse training and performance analysis. From advanced metrics to virtual reality simulations, tech-savvy players can gain a competitive edge through strategic use of these innovations.

Innovative Technologies for Lacrosse Development

• Video analysis software for detailed breakdown of game footage
• Wearable devices that track performance metrics like speed and endurance
• Virtual reality systems for immersive training experiences
• Mobile apps offering personalized workout plans and skill drills
• Online platforms for connecting with coaches and players globally

While technology should complement rather than replace traditional training methods, its judicious use can provide valuable insights and opportunities for improvement.

Mental Health and Wellness in Lacrosse

As the sport of lacrosse continues to grow in competitiveness and intensity, the importance of mental health and overall wellness cannot be overstated. Elite players must learn to manage the pressures of competition, balance their athletic pursuits with other life aspects, and maintain a healthy psychological state.

Strategies for Maintaining Mental Wellness in Lacrosse

• Practice mindfulness and meditation techniques to manage stress
• Seek support from mental health professionals when needed
• Develop interests and hobbies outside of lacrosse for a well-rounded life
• Foster supportive relationships with teammates, coaches, and family
• Learn and apply stress management techniques specific to athletic performance

By prioritizing mental health alongside physical training, players can ensure sustained success and enjoyment in their lacrosse journey.

Adapting to Different Lacrosse Positions and Roles

Versatility is a valuable trait in lacrosse, with the most elite players often able to adapt to different positions and roles as needed. This flexibility not only makes a player more valuable to their team but also broadens their understanding of the game as a whole.

Developing Positional Versatility in Lacrosse

1. Study the responsibilities and techniques of multiple positions
2. Practice skills specific to different roles during training sessions
3. Volunteer for different positions during scrimmages or less crucial games
4. Learn from teammates who excel in other positions
5. Develop a comprehensive understanding of team strategies from various perspectives

Players who can effectively switch between positions or adapt their play style to different roles become invaluable assets to their teams, capable of filling gaps and creating strategic advantages.

The Impact of Equipment Choice on Lacrosse Performance

While skill and strategy are paramount, the choice and proper use of equipment can significantly impact a player’s performance in lacrosse. From stick selection to protective gear, each piece of equipment plays a role in how effectively a player can execute their skills on the field.

Key Considerations in Lacrosse Equipment Selection

• Stick length and head shape based on position and playing style
• Proper fit and protection level of helmets and pads
• Shoe selection for optimal traction and support
• Customization of stick pocket for improved ball control
• Regular maintenance and replacement of worn equipment

By understanding the nuances of equipment selection and maintenance, players can ensure they have the tools to perform at their best in every game and practice.

Building a Lacrosse Legacy: Looking Beyond Personal Achievement

Truly elite lacrosse players often think beyond their personal achievements, considering how they can contribute to the sport’s growth and development. This broader perspective can involve mentoring younger players, contributing to community lacrosse programs, or even pursuing coaching roles later in their careers.

Ways to Contribute to Lacrosse’s Growth

• Volunteer as a coach or mentor for youth lacrosse programs
• Participate in lacrosse clinics and camps to share knowledge
• Engage in community outreach to introduce the sport to new audiences
• Support initiatives that promote diversity and inclusion in lacrosse
• Consider pursuing coaching or administrative roles in lacrosse organizations

By thinking beyond personal success and contributing to the larger lacrosse community, players can leave a lasting impact on the sport they love.

The journey to becoming an elite lacrosse player is multifaceted, requiring dedication to physical training, mental toughness, strategic thinking, and continuous learning. By focusing on these key areas and maintaining a balanced approach to development, players can elevate their game to new heights. Remember, success in lacrosse is not just about individual achievement but also about how one contributes to their team and the sport as a whole. With the right mindset and approach, any dedicated player can strive towards excellence in this dynamic and exciting sport.

How To Be The Best Lacrosse Player In The Field

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How To Be The Best Lacrosse Player In The Field

In this article, I’m going to talk about how Lacrosse players can improve their performance and play by developing an important quality in athletes which is trust.

Bill is a mid-fielder on his high school lacrosse team. Ever since he was introduced to it at the age of 10, he has been totally enthralled with mastering the sport. He actually enjoys some of the drills and practices that his teammates find boring.

He loves working out and conditioning himself to improve his stamina as he knows it makes him a better player. Bill’s coach taught him early that lacrosse players need to be constantly moving in order to be effective.

But most of all, he is fascinated with the strategies in lacrosse. He reads books and soaks up his coaches’ advice like a sponge. His dad played lacrosse in college and has also been a huge influence on his development.

Unfortunately, there is a downside to all of this for Bill. He tends to over think and under-react in games which sometimes puts him a step behind his opponents.

His dad and coach can see the hesitation especially when he gets tied up with the ball. His dad says he gets that “deer in the headlights” look. Lacrosse is a very fast- moving sport. There is very little time to think.

Everything that a player has learned in practices needs to come out naturally and automatically. Bill, (and most athletes for that matter) would improve their performances tremendously by learning and playing with trust.

TRUST

Now, this word is thrown around the sports world everywhere but what does it mean and how do you build it? Trust is letting go of the mental need to control.

When you have trust in your body’s ability to perform the task in competition, it’s almost as if something else is directing your movements and not you.

For athletes with a “need to control” issue, this is scary but it is essential to being able to play in the flow state where your full talent shows up. To develop trust, the lacrosse player must first eliminate the main block to it: FEAR.

How do you do that? I teach a process to all my athletes where the athlete embraces all emotions and understands that all of them are good and even necessary for our life. When you truly welcome emotions, even difficult ones such as embarrassment and disappointment that come from failures, then you don’t FEAR them!

The short version to overcoming fear:
There’s only 2 things to fear in this world:

1. physical harm to the body and;
2. emotions.

There‘s nothing else. Let go of the fear of emotions and you are basically fearless. Now, TRUST can emerge.

How can you build self trust?

The quickest way to build self trust is to recognize that you already do it in many areas of your life and you can practice transferring it over to the field. Think about riding a bike, for instance.

Ask yourself these questions:

• Do you get on the bike and start thinking about how to pump your legs and move your arms to steer? No, of course not. You trust that once you get on the bike, your body will get you where you want to go.
• Can you connect to that trusting feeling or idea right now?
• How about the trust you have that the sun will come up tomorrow and create day?
• Can you notice the difference in feeling now than before?
• Can you bring that to the field?

Every time you make a successful move, pass, defense or even score, think about how trust was a big factor in that and know that you can grow it. Be aware of it is a big first step.

Effect of TRUST in Bill’s game

I taught all of this to Bill and he completely turned his game around. His knowledge of the game then became an asset and he used the TRUST he discovered to become the team’s most improved player.

Noticeable improvements of Bill:

• Instead of thinking about it, when a pass came to him, his body now automatically moved toward it.
• He started making better decisions as to who to pass it to.

Everything he trained and drilled so hard for began to pay off in games and it was effortless when he dialed into that TRUST of his abilities and got out of his own way.

Lacrosse success = superior conditioning, mastering fundamentals and building self trust.

I’m Craig Sigl,

Your Mental Toughness Trainer

Craig Sigl2020-09-26T09:50:35+08:00

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Take Lacrosse To The Next Level: Advice From Pros – TeamSnap Blog

Whether you’re a lacrosse player trying to take your game to the next level, a parent supporting your child’s journey to the top, or a club trying to maintain your most elite lacrosse players, here’s how you can make it.

TeamSnap has heard from some of the most elite female lacrosse players in the professional landscape to better understand just how to make it to the next level.

What exactly do we mean by next level? For every athlete or club, that next step may look differently. For someone like Alie Jimerson, a member of the Canadian Women’s National Team, she got to the national level by consistent commitment to lacrosse from a young age. Jimerson went on to receive the Tewaaraton Native American Scholarship, awarded annually to one high school girls lacrosse player. She played collegiate lacrosse at the University at Albany and then Syracuse University. This past year she got selected to represent Team Canada at the 2022 World Lacrosse Women’s World Championship from June 29-July 9.

So, how did she get there?

All you need is a wall (and a ball)

“Wall ball was something I made sure to do every day. A wall is something you can easily find and all you need is you, your stick, and a ball!” Jimerson told TeamSnap. “The ladder is also something you should invest in, having quick feet and being able to use that for footwork and conditioning is huge for training. I feel as if nowadays there are a lot of complicated drills for girls to follow, my advice – just keep it simple! You can make a lot of straight forward drills yourself with a ladder and 6 cones that will get the job done.”

Playing wall ball is an exercise accessible to most players and something coaches and clubs can encourage their players to do on their own. Diversifying training like adding in footwork with a ladder is also something that can help athletes take their skillset to the next phase.

Repetitions

“Once I realized I wanted to play lacrosse, I made sure to play with my stick as much as possible,” Jimerson said. “Play wherever and whenever I could possible. I think the key to preparing to be a college athlete is to get as many reps as you can.”

Jimerson was able to play division 1 lacrosse because she committed her time growing up to understanding life with a lacrosse stick in hand. Maneuvering the stick, running with it, passing, shooting, pivoting, all became second nature because she made it a habit.

“You can hit the wall and do drills all day, but what I found contributed to my success was constantly having my stick in my hands and playing in the backyard with my sister.”

Take care of your body

With more and more pressure to make it to the next level one of the biggest areas often forgotten is how important taking care of your body, mentally and physically are. Sometimes the most skilled athletes don’t make it because of injuries that could have avoided if they took better care of their bodies. Taking care of your body looks differently for everyone, but the easiest way to think about it is rest, recovery and proper fueling.

“There are a lot of other things I wish I could have done differently while preparing for the next level.  I wish I was fueling my body better and made sure to take lifting more seriously than I did. I feel like your nutrition and exercise routine are key to preparing for all that comes with advancing to that next level. ”

Girls only get stronger once you get to college. And then after that, women only get tougher at the professional and national level. In order to make it in that environment you have to be prepared and committed to discipline off the field too. While weights don’t always feel like they will directly impact your performance, Jimerson said she wished she took it more seriously. Now that she’s playing with the best lacrosse players in the world, she knows what level of her is expected.

Do you or someone you know need help managing their sports team or club? Sign up for a free 21-day trial today. Or check out our club and league solution, TeamSnap for Clubs and Leagues if your team is part of a larger sports organization.

Michkov drove everyone crazy with a lacrosse goal, and Shugaev is calm as a boa constrictor. Results of the first stage of the Eurotour

Zubov managed without Znarok and Bratash

The Russian team won one match out of three at the Karjala Cup against the Czech Republic (5:2). However, the result at this stage of the Eurotour is a secondary thing for us.

We came to Helsinki as a young team with the aim of testing some of the players and the coaching staff for the MFM-2022, which will be held in Edmonton and Red Deer from December 25 to January 5.

Moreover, the national team initially fell into force majeure conditions.

First, due to health problems, Oleg Znarok left the team, who should help acting. head coach Oleg Bratash. And after the first match against the Finns (0:3), Bratash himself left for family reasons. In the meetings with Sweden (2:4) and the Czech Republic, the team was led by Sergey Zubov.

He coped with his task. If Finland did not give our team any chances, then the game of our hockey players with the Swedes was more holistic. As a result, the victory over the Czech Republic looked logical, since by this moment we had managed to play some combinations.

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Zubov is an experienced specialist who worked as the head of several KHL clubs. The fact that he was invited to the youth team is a great success for the FHR. By name, the coaching staff of the youth team looks more solid than that of the team that will fight for Olympic gold in Beijing.

Michkov should go to the MFM-2022

The Russian team, despite not the most impressive results, became the main newsmaker of the tournament. We brought 16-year-old super junior Matvey Michkov to Helsinki to break Alexander Ovechkin’s record by becoming the youngest player in the history of the national team.

It happened in the match against Finland – the guy entered the court at 16 years, 11 months and two days.

At first it seemed that all this was a PR campaign. Michkov, who has a five-year contract with SKA, is a new project by Roman Rotenberg. According to the “creators” idea, he should become the one who will come to replace Ovechkin. And while the idea is working. Michkov exceeds the wildest expectations. In the match with the Finns, he played a little more than four minutes, and this was logical. Among adults, and even at the international level, it is difficult for a 16-year-old guy to show himself due to a lack of physics. Moreover, Finland at the home stage of the Eurotour fielded a powerful team with 11 world champions. We played a lot in the minority, Michkov had a minimum of opportunities to prove himself, although he had a great chance at the very beginning of the match, but did not hit the empty net.

But against the Swedes, who give the opponent more freedom, Matvey played on the second line and scored a goal, which became the most discussed moment of the weekend.

Lacrosse at the senior national level at 16 is fantastic! To perform such tricks, you need to have incredible self-confidence.

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Michkov has an out-of-the-box thinking and takes advantage of the fact that opponents often do not take him seriously. This guy uses every moment on the court to create danger: throwing from odd positions, throwing bold passes from the boards, trying to get the puck to the nickel. Thanks to this, Michkov also scored against the Czech Republic, although initially his goal was credited to Dmitry Voronkov.

Obviously, Matvey’s hypertalent is not an invented story.

He scored in the KHL and for the national team, broke records in the JHL and became the best player in the junior world championship, being a year younger than his rivals. The main result of the “Karjala Cup” for our team is as follows: now it is clear to everyone that Michkov is needed at the MFM-2022 and will be a key figure there.

Shugaev may become a World Cup candidate

Severstal goalkeeper Dmitry Shugaev left a good impression. This KHL season, he was forced to become the main one in the club (due to Vladislav Podyapolsky’s injury) and shows excellent numbers: 92.7% of shots saved, 2.08 – reliability coefficient.

Shugaev was called to the national team at the last moment, and he did not disappoint.

Despite his debutant status, the Severstal keeper played a quality match against the Finns, saving 30 shots out of 33. He conceded all the goals when our team played in the minority, and could not help in any way. But Shugaev beat the Chekhovs, pulling the team up great in the third period, when the opponent seriously fell on him (16 throws).

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If we recall the debuts of other KHL goalkeepers on the Eurotour, they were much less impressive. Alexander Samonov, Ivan Bocharov and Timur Bilyalov in the first matches at this level received at least three goals and went to the bench. They were let down by nerves, and Shugaev was calm and gave confidence to the outfield even in a hopeless game with Finland. With a different goalkeeper, the team could have lost to the hosts with a bigger score.

Shugaev is 23 years old, he is progressing and is one of the success factors of Severstal this season. Cherepovets under the leadership of Andrey Razin scored nine victories in a row and broke into the top 3 of the West. The main thing is that Shugaev’s development is taking place systematically and without drops. If by the end of the season he grows up to be a candidate for a trip to the World Cup, it is unlikely to become a sensation.

• Ovechkin broke Hull’s record, but he won’t stop. Due to which Alexander will add
• Very strange! Kuznetsov can play at the Olympics, but this issue is decided by Kovalchuk through the NHL
• Ovechkin caught up with Datsyuk in the list of the best Russian assistants in the history of the NHL

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“They used him as a test subject a rabbit”.

Injury that ended career center Bill Belichick – First & Goal

Bill Belichick grabbed the soccer ball, put his head under his knees and peered through his helmet into the gap between his legs. He was a sophomore at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. And he almost snapped the same snap at the same practice game that killed his romance with that game.

On the field with Belichick that day was senior Tom Tokarz, who remembered Bill walking through the doors of the Chi Psi fraternity a year ago, wearing an Andover T-shirt, cut-off socks, and cleats without socks. Belichick held a lacrosse stick in his hand and was accompanied by his good friend Mark Fredland from Annapolis. Mark was already a member of the fraternity that Bill was about to join.

ESPN Artwork (Joel Kimmel)

Belichick didn’t quite fit into the noisy Chi Psi crowd, but he had a Pied Piper effect that influenced him to join the fraternity. A year ago, when Fredland was a freshman, Chi Psi only accepted four people, including lacrosse player Chris Diamond. He said, “Student life and communities disappeared,” then many students were absorbed in serious campus affairs related to the Vietnam protests. But in autumn 19At age 71, Diamond stated that Belichick was attractive and popular enough that he could help recruit about 20 people to Chi Psi. “Bill was like an alpha male, in some clever way he attracted friends.”

Among many brothers and teammates, Bill later met Scott Lengner, the son of a judge in Birmingham, Alabama. Lengner had his childhood dream come true, playing as a freshman for the Crimson Tide with their legendary coach, Paul “Bear” Brian. Lengner’s father played for them, and his cousin David became a legend in the Alabama-Auburn showdown when he returned two Alabama-blocked punts and turned them into touchdowns in the fourth quarter. This gave Auburn a 17:16 victory in Iron Bowl 1972 years old.

“Bear” Brian preferred players taller than 172 cm Scott Lengner, so the linebacker decided to move to a small school where he could fight the offensive line. Of all the possible places, someone had recommended Wesleyan to him, and that’s how he came into Belichick’s life.

“What I remember most is that Bill was very fond of food… And we were always listening to music: the Grateful Dead, the Allman Brothers, the Moody Blues and all those people. It was hippie music,” says Lengner.

He realized that Belichick, who also played squash in Wesleyan, was not like all the players he knew in Alabama. “Bill was a serious person. He wasn’t a joker, if you know what I mean. In Wesleyan, in principle, there were not so many of them.

But Lengner was one of them, a huge blond bully on and off the field. Although he got along well with Belichick, he had some problems with a teammate who stood between the two lines.

“Bill was the center and I was the linebacker. I hated the centers,” Lengner said.

This was noticeable in training. “Scotty hit Bill, 100kg against Belichick’s 80kg,” freshman coach John Vaino said. “Lengner would run into him during the long snaps, and generally always. Scott Lengner was a monster and when the ball is in play you better get out of his way. He didn’t care if you were on the same team as him or if you played for rivals. He just wanted to shoot everyone down.”

Cover of Ian O’Connor’s book on Bill Bilichik

He just wanted his fellow Cardinals to see the stars. Lengner’s speed and strength more than made up for his small stature. He played with an athletic ferocity rarely seen in a small liberal arts school that was considered an institution of higher learning, the equal of those that were members of the Ivy League. Tokarz recalled that Lengner let out a chilling scream when he knocked someone down. He kept the younger guys a little intimidated.”

Players in Wesleyan called Lengner “The Wave” because he had Crimson Tide roots. Unlike The Wave, sophomore Belichick had to go through a lot to move up the roster. Vaino saw him as both a football player and a lacrosse player, for him Bill was a handsome, intelligent boy with a serious face and average line skills, but a good enough build for a long snapper. Bill also presented himself with a distinct style that reflected his talents.

“He had very long hair. Me too. We were all like the Beatles at the time,” Vaino said.

Some teammates described Belichick’s haircut as “potted” in the front and “shoulder length hair” in the back, just like Prince Valiant’s.

But that description came with a caveat:

“He may have had Prince Valiant’s hair, but he didn’t look as good as Prince Valiant,” said teammate Frank Levering.

Levering thought Belichick was very calm and reserved and he never offered anything.

He said, “You can be right next to him, three feet away from him, and feel like he doesn’t even know you exist.”

Levering played on a high school team in a small town in North Carolina that played in the state championship. He thought that many of his teammates were more talented than Belichick.

In a football program that was all about trying (but often failing) to beat Williams and Amherst Colleges, other members of the so-called Little Three colleges, Belichick succeeded in resolving conflicts.

“He was the quietest of the brotherhood,” Vaino said. “He was the voice of reason, even when there was no reason. And if there were disagreements on the field, he could judge.

But at that game, at that training session at the very beginning of Belichick’s second year, the voice of reason was not heard. He was the center of an extra point attempt, Wesleyan’s coaches thought they noticed the slack in the middle of the batting team. They wanted the defense to work on their perceived weak spot and practice against teammates. Belichick, as a reserve player, was chosen as the one to attack.

Head Coach Bill McDermott played well for Trinity College and was well liked by the whole team. McDermott was constantly so enthusiastic and emotionally reacted to big and small victories and defeats that it came to tears. It even became a joke among the players: How long does it take Mac to start crying?

McDermott preferred offense, he liked to evaluate players after every game and scrimmage. His staff, including Herb Kenny, a Wesleyan basketball coach and former Saint Bonaventure player, and Pete Kostakopoulos, an aspiring basketball coach for the Cardinals. Kostakopoulos, or Bones, led the defense. Bones was a tough guy, always chewing tobacco. The assistants realized that it was better not to stand next to him downwind when he was with them in the press box.

The players had different opinions about McDermott and his assistants, about their style and experience.

“But there were no villains on the coaching staff,” said Levering.

The players respected Kostakopoulos and his knowledge of the game, as well as the fact that he was able to make the most of most of his skills. Linebacker Art Conklin, for example, thought that Bones was a strategist and that only he could tell you were playing like crap. According to Conklin, Belichick tried very hard playing the linebacker position in one of the scrimmages, and because of this, Bones wrote a mocking assessment of it in his post-match rating: “Bill, the scrimmage started at ten in the morning. It’s five o’clock now, and you should be doing the tackle by now.”

Tough Kostakopoulos was the curator of this particular tough game. “It so happened that I was behind the protection,” he said. He stood there while his two huge linebackers, Lengner and Conklin, prepared to pounce on Bill Belichick.

As in Andover, Belichick established himself as a long snapper who stayed after practice to hone his skills and as a coach who paid attention to the little things his teammates didn’t notice at all. Torkaz played secondari in defense when he was a graduate. He remembered Belichick from the touchline suggesting what the opponent would play before the snap. Belichick noticed that the wide receiver moved close to the touchline, indicating that he would run the pattern. Of course, Belichick took the signal, and Torkaz concentrated on the receiver to keep him from catching the ball. According to Torcas, his junior teammate was more advanced in terms of football tactics than some Wesleyan coaches.

Special Collections & Archives/Wesleyan University

Kenny said that Belichick “did everything no one else wanted”, he never made a mistake, no matter what position he covered. If Kenny had any problem with Bill, it was that he trained at Andover.

“We treated students from private schools a little differently than those who studied at secondary schools. Ordinary students were much tougher than the “private students,” Kenny said.

He remembers that Belichick worked with him after training. Sometimes in the morning Bill would go to the assistant coach’s office to go over the scout reports.

“It was unusual for a student who doesn’t play much, especially in Wesleyan,” Kenny says. “They don’t have free time to do what Bill did.”

But even in a world where small colleges play football, substitutes are neglected and often endangered. That day, several eyewitnesses said that Wesleyan was working on a dangerous technique with which several defenders attacked the center. It was not clear how many times it had been worked on Belichick, but it was clear to every witness that it was a very bad idea.

“It’s hard to run against your team,” says Torkaz. “I thought that for practice we would just simulate this prank. The coach decided that it needed to be played for real, well, it was unpleasant. We all thought that [it was a mistake]. I don’t even know who would have thought otherwise.”

Lenny Femino, a rookie from Salem who weighed 75kg, was 165cm tall, and benched nearly 150kg, was only ten feet away from what was happening, and he thought, “Damn, this is practice. At the game, you will find the weak point of the opponent, move there and go further, but this is just training … I would not like to be Bill now.

Conklin, a 95kg, 180cm linebacker from Newton, Conn., said that Kenny figured out a new way to block shots, he had to put two tackles in front of the center and a third defender behind those tackles.

“It was a 100% injury,” Conklin said. “And McDermott blew his whistle.”

Linebecker said that Lengner, as a tackle, fell next to Bill Wilson, and as planned, they aimed at Belichick.

The helmet is down, the eyes are on the holder and the kicker, and Belichick was by definition a vulnerable victim. He gave the ball away and prepared for the fact that he was about to be hit.

“Once the snap was done, they had to grab Belichick’s legs and get under the frame and knock him over. And I had to knock him down and run straight to the kicker and not let him realize an extra point, ”says Kolkin. “And it was not just once, we made 10-12 such attempts. It was stupid, and I think even illegal. But we did it over and over again. I hit Bill, as I said, a dozen times … The next day, Bill was in a cast.

Kenny worked with special teams, and after all these years, he said he didn’t remember them repeating this prank over and over again, as Conklin described it. Although, according to him, the technique in question was not new in college football circles, but he admitted: “It may have been new to us. ” Kenny recalled that at first another player in Wesleyan gave the snap at the extrapoint before he replaced him with Belichick.

“I said, ‘Come on, Bill, take some snaps,'” says Kenny. “He did it a little reluctantly. He was hurt. And he will always blame me.”

Conklin said coaches repeated the extrapoint block for so long that he couldn’t remember exactly when Belichick got injured. Whatever the prank it was, one player said that the sounds of collision and pain immediately reverberated over all the lines of this scrimmage and made everyone stop.

“You hear it,” said Lenny Femino. “And you hear Bill. I remember how he screamed. This scream was terrible. He collapsed to the ground. And it wasn’t very good. It didn’t look like the leg was broken. I just heard it, and it immediately became clear that he was injured, I realized that everything was bad and therefore everything stopped.

Other people who were there described it as a serious knee injury. Torkaz confirmed Conklin’s report that three defensive players, not two, had flown into Belichick. One of them crashed from above, and two from below, thereby knocking Bill out of the game for a year.

“Bill was an amazing snapper; he is what was needed, ”said Torkaz. “And then there are three guys who banged him in training, trying to block the blow. All three who hit him felt terrible. They felt terrible. Each of them.”

By all accounts, Belichick was driven insane by this completely unnecessary injury caused by the dangerous technique. Jackson, his lacrosse coach, said that Bill had a unique personality that many people have never experienced and he himself has seen one or two of those. Belichick reacted immediately to this play and injury, which ended his season ahead of schedule. Bill was so angry that he did not return to the team during the entire third year. (He returned in his senior year as a reserve tight end/defensive end).

“They used him as a guinea pig, it tore Bill’s knee,” Jackson said. “They tore my knee and forced me to give up football. This pissed him off.