I think the art of cutting has been lost in our game. We’ve become so focused on ball-heavy play that the off-ball player—the guy who moves, cuts, catches, and finishes—has almost become a rarity. At the college level, inside finishers are everywhere. But at the youth and middle school level? You don’t see a ton of players who can consistently cut, catch, and finish under pressure. That’s not just a skill thing. It’s also a productivity thing… and most of all, a confidence thing. Being able to cut and handle the ball when a defender is draped on your hands is one of the hardest things to do in lacrosse. That’s why I put such an emphasis on catching fundamentals. Strong hands = confidence. Confidence = the ability to cut, to move, and to finish. I’ve got a couple clips here of Jeff Teat cutting—absolutely phenomenal catches. He makes it look simple, but it’s something you have to train on purpose. This year with my youth and middle school programs, we’re going to emphasize off-ball play—where to position, when to cut, and how to be effective without the ball. Because the truth is, a great cut is one of the hardest things to defend. My Backstory When I started playing up north in Canada, I didn’t have much access to quality offseason reps back home in San Jose. The men’s lacrosse scene was weak. So what did I do? I lived on wall ball. I put a premium on how I caught the ball. - Working on “Indian pickups” into quick releases. - Throwing myself tough, bouncing passes off the wall. - Catching off bad hops, no cradle, straight into the shoulder. That’s where my confidence came from—handling tough passes, catching with soft hands, and being able to cut hard knowing I could finish. How You Can Train This If you want to become a dangerous cutter, start here: 1. Soft Hands Test – Toss the ball off the wall, no cradle, straight into your shoulder. Repeat until it’s automatic. 2. Bad Hop Challenge – Throw low and hard off the wall, let it skip, then catch it clean. 3. No-Cradle Series – Catch and throw without any extra movement. Train your stick to stay quiet. 4. Cutting Partner Drill – Have a teammate throw hard passes as you cut across the middle. Focus on catching under pressure.

“I never lost a game. I only ran out of time to win.” — Coach Harry Selkow, Strength & Conditioning Failure gets a bad reputation. Most people see it as the end. But the truth? Failure is only feedback. It’s the best teacher you’ll ever have—if you’re willing to learn from it. Michael Jordan put it this way: “I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” Why Failure Builds Success - Every mistake leaves a lesson. Miss a shot? You learn what adjustments to make. Lose a game? You see where the gaps are. - Failure toughens your mindset. When you stop seeing failure as permanent, you stop fearing it. Fear holds players back more than lack of talent ever will. - Failure keeps you in the game. You only truly “lose” when you quit. As long as you get back up, you’re still in the fight. The Takeaway You don’t lose. You run out of time, you stumble, you miss—but each of those is a step forward if you stay receptive, humble, and willing to adapt. When you look at failure as a temporary moment instead of a final result, you become unstoppable. The athlete (or person) who embraces failure as part of the process will always outlast the one who avoids it.

The spin move is one of the most important tools you can have in your box lacrosse bag of tricks. You never know when you’ll need to roll—and when you do, it has to be sharp, precise, and explosive. Why it matters in box: - The net is small, the space is tight, and defenders are physical. You can’t just spin “straight up” like in field; you need to roll into your man and create leverage to get back above the face of the net. - Precision footwork is everything. If you don’t lean, drive, and step back in front, you’ll spin yourself out of the play instead of into a scoring spot. The key detail: As you roll, think about taking your top hand off the stick early. Instead of reaching with your hand (which gives the move away), use your tricep/elbow. Imagine if someone was behind you in a chokehold—you could elbow them in the stomach. Same concept here: as you spin, drive that elbow in to slow your defender’s momentum. You’re not striking, you’re creating leverage. How to train it: - Reps on your own will feel awkward because you don’t have a body to lean into. Push through that. - Combine the elbow leverage with your footwork. Spin, get back across the net, and finish. - In field lacrosse, especially around GLE or when pushing up the hash, you can still use this—just keep your top hand on the stick and over-exaggerate the elbow push. Training Reps (Box & Field): - Box: 10 spin shots from the shooter position (focus on inside finishing—fake then reach around to score). 10 spin shots from the half-boards wing position (same focus—fake, reach, finish). - Field: 10 spin shots from shooter position. 10 from the wing/half boards area. 10 coming up from GLE (with top hand on the stick, emphasize elbow leverage). This move separates average players from dangerous scorers. Master it now, so when the moment comes in a game, you win the matchup. ➡️ Drop a clip of you repping the spin move today—and comment below on how it felt for you. Did the footwork and elbow leverage click? Did it feel awkward at first? Let’s hear it.

Story time first… Back when I had my first shoot around in Canada, I was with the Clarington Green Gaels junior team. A few alumni showed up, guys like Shane Jackson (Georgia Swarm), Zack Palmer (who made that famous backhand shovel shot), and even Mark Matthews. I was just playing catch with my roommate when he started laughing. I asked why, and he said: “You Americans always have to step when you throw. Us Canadians—we don’t. That’s why we’re more accurate.” It clicked. He was right. They could snap passes and shots with pure upper-body mechanics, no step at all. The reduction of the skill—the purest form—was the key. So today’s workout is built around that same idea: throwing without stepping. It’ll sharpen your release, clean up your mechanics, and make you more accurate. 🔥 Today’s Reps (all without stepping) - 50 overhand throws - 50 sidearm throws - 50 behind-the-backs - 50 around-the-worlds - 50 underhand throws - 50 twisters Focus on snapping your stick, clean release points, and smooth mechanics with your upper body only. ✅ Challenge Yourself - No stepping—discipline yourself to keep the lower body still. - Push through the awkward reps until it feels smooth. - Have some fun with it! 👉 When you finish, drop a comment here and let me know how it went. Even better—tag me in a video of your workout. Let’s see who can master the Canadian way.

I used to dread Mondays. They felt heavy. But a few years ago, I came across a meme that changed how I looked at them: “Sharks wake up early, bite things, swim fast, and remind everyone they’re a shark.” It reminded me of a Chinese proverb that I’ve carried with me since: “All things are difficult before they are easy.” The truth is, the hard work always comes first. That’s what makes the outcome worthwhile. Whether it’s extra wall ball reps, finishing a run, or showing up early — you’ve got to bite into the hard stuff before it ever feels easy. That’s what makes you a shark. Journaling Prompt for This Week 1. What’s one thing that feels hard for you every day?(Could be running, staying consistent with stickwork, schoolwork, or even getting enough sleep.) 2. Now, visualize your “shark” moment — how will that hard thing become fun once you’ve mastered it? Is it being able to outrun your competition in the 4th quarter? Is it nailing a behind-the-back pass because of all the extra reps? Is it having more confidence because you did the work nobody else wanted to do? Write it down. Be specific. Your shark moment is what keeps you swimming forward when it’s hard. It builds confidence in yourself and your abilities. Take this prompt seriously and watch your mindset change!!! 💭 Community Challenge: Drop your answers below ⬇️ 1. What’s one thing that feels hard for you every day? 2. What’s your “shark moment” — the outcome that makes the hard work worth it? Let’s see where everyone’s at. Your answer might inspire a teammate to attack their own “hard thing” today. 🦈🔥