Chris Rotelli is co-founder of Golden State Lacrosse Academy in San Francisco, CA (http://www.gs-lax.com/). Golden State Lacrosse offers clinics, camps, workshops, and private lessons as well as community outreach programs to bring lacrosse to new people. SportsForce caught up with Chris to find out what it’s like to play professional lacrosse, share his story and much more. Chris is a three time MLL All Star, winner of the Tewaaraton Award, and was named ACC Male Athlete of the Year (2003) among other honors.

When did you start playing lax? How and why did you get started?

I started playing in 3rd grade. My dad gave me a stick and taught me how to throw, and I feel in love with it instantly.

What caused you to make lacrosse your sport? What do you love about it?

I love the speed of the game, and the teamwork. It is extremely fast, and a total adrenaline rush the whole time you are on the field. Unlike other sports where only a couple people are involved with each play; in lacrosse every person on the field is involved in the game at all times, and that keeps it mentally engaging. Since everyone is always involved, it makes teamwork and communication huge parts of the game, and I love it.

How has lacrosse impacted your life?

Lacrosse has completely shaped my life. It gave me focus growing up, and taught me how to pursue my goals. It helped me get into a great college and gave me a career working with a sport that I love. Through lacrosse I’ve met so many amazing people, and now I have friends all over the world that I have either played with or against at some time in my life. I’ve been able to travel the country, and now I get to teach young kids that same way my role models taught me how to play the game growing up. I feel pretty lucky, and lacrosse has definitely given me a lot.

What advice would you give to young lax players hoping to play in college or beyond?

Shoot on a goal, and pass on a wall as much as possible.

You were a highly decorated player in great programs in both high school and college. What advice would you have for athletes who are trying to make themselves stand out at schools without such great programs, or those just playing club?

I came from Rhode Island where lacrosse at the time was only played in five schools, so I understand what it is like coming from a ‘small pond.’ My advice is to use that as motivation and work harder than everyone. If you are coming from an area where lacrosse is young, but you want to play with the best, you have to keep raising the bar for yourself, and out-work not only your teammates, but also every kid playing in Baltimore, Long Island, etc.

You were drafted first overall in the MLL college draft, tell us what that experience was like.

That was very exciting. We had just won the National Championship four days earlier, so it was truly an amazing week for me, and actually very humbling.

What is the life of a professional lacrosse player like?

It is very fun. We’re fortunate to get paid to play a game we love, and do it with our friends. I love it.

When did you start to think about “going pro?” What was that decision process like?

I honestly didn’t think about it much until after the National Championship. I was in my senior season in 2003 at UVA, and was only focused on winning a championship. Fortunately we did, and then I could think about the MLL. But the draft was three days after that game, so I really didn’t have much time to think about the MLL until I was in it. I played my first game six days later.

Explain a little bit about the mission of Golden State Lax Academy. Could you highlight some of the programs you offer?

Our mission is to create better players, and increase their enjoyment of the game. We teach them the right way to play, but also keep it as fun as possible. For us, practice was always fun because we loved lacrosse. So we really try to show kids that hard work not only can be fun, but should be fun. We do day camps, overnight camps, and clinics throughout the year. www.gs-lax.com

What is your favorite part about working with young and up and coming lacrosse players?

Seeing their excitement, and making a positive difference in their lives.

What do you think about lacrosse being the fastest growing sport in the country? Why do you think it is growing so fast?

I love that the sport is taking off. Lacrosse is addictive, and the most fun team sport you will ever play. In my humble opinion, it will not stop growing.

How did you land in California?

My favorite activities have always been lacrosse, surfing, and skiing. I moved to CA so that I could have easier access to surf and snow. In the northeast, you have to drop everything you’re doing to get the small windows of good surf or good snow, and I wanted to live somewhere it would be easier to work those into my daily routine. When I got here, I fell in love with all of it. San Francisco is the friendliest city you’ll ever see. People here are so fun and cool; it’s hard not to love living here.

Coach Brett Klika is the Director of Athletic Performance at Todd Durkin’s Fitness Quest 10 in San Diego, CA. He specializes in youth fitness and athletic performance, overseeing a staff of 8 strength coaches developing programs for over 300 youth per week, both athletes and non-athletes. In addition to coaching, Brett currently authors for a variety of publications, produces DVD’s on fitness and athletic performance and presents around the world on topics in fitness, wellness, and sports performance. Brett can be reached at brett@fitnessquest10.com .

In my career I have the opportunity to interact with a vast array of parents, coaches, and other fitness professionals eager to improve youngsters’ physical adeptness. I attempt to navigate these professionals through the sea of misinformation and provide time tested, and practical strategies to improve youth fitness and athletic performance. This has turned into hundreds of pages of writing and endless hours of speaking and personal consultation. All of this time and effort has been spent answering a few common questions that I address on a near daily basis while working with youth. Below is a “one stop shop” for some of the most common questions I address, and short, concise answers.

1. Q. How old should my son/daughter be before beginning weight training?

A. Weight training is the introduction of overload to a movement. Overloading a movement with external weight of any kind is only safe and effective when that movement is done biomechanically correct. Furthermore, overload must be introduced in a progressive fashion, always allowing the movement to be executed properly. I recommend that all youth be involved in a movement training program with an experienced professional as young as possible (usually about age 6). The professional my chose to add overload to movement once an array of physical skills and biological capacities have been developed. The question of when to add this overload has more to do with a youngster’s physical fitness and biomechanical abilities than with age. While I am familiar with research on safe weight training with children as young as 6, I recommend consulting with an experienced professional who specializes in youth fitness and athletic development. In my experience unfortunately, I do not recommend the introduction of weight training to youth by parents or athletic coaches.

2. Q. Are supplements safe for kids?

A. The umbrella term “supplements” covers everything from Vitamin C tabs to pro- hormones. Most parents and coaches are asking about creatine, protein-based weight gainers, and NO2 products. In my reading, I have not found definitive research that would suggest that these are dangerous. However, “supplements” are only effective when they “supplement” a perfect diet and training program. I have never met a youth that has both, or either for that matter. The only traditional supplement I recommend for kids is some sort of meal replacement shake that they are willing to drink. These are NOT ideal nutritionally, however, they offer a reasonable nutrition profile and most kids are willing to drink them. Get your kids to eat multiple small meals made up of non-processed food while following a professionally designed training program. The results they will see from this regiment are far superior to any over the counter supplement. As a matter of fact, it is not even comparable.

3. Q. How long will it take for my son/daughter to improve their speed, vertical jump, etc?

A. The factors affecting a youngster’s physical performance are too lengthy to name. There is no piece of technology available that can maximize a youngster’s athletic performance more than a well-designed, longitudinal, progressive, consistent, all encompassing, athletic development program. To permanently improve true game performance and specific physical ability it may take months or years of consistent training. Research has demonstrated that in order to learn a skill, it must be practiced about 10,000 times. Most youngsters see an improvement in general performance merely from improving their physical fitness. This can be accomplished in a relatively short amount of time, usually about 6 weeks of consistent, frequent training. If they were to stop after 6 weeks however, the improvements in physical fitness would diminish, and in turn, their performance improvements. Athletic performance is a longitudinal process in youth that should be viewed as a multi-year commitment.

4. Q. How do I improve my son or daughter’s flexibility?

A. Improving flexibility in pubescent youngsters presents a significant challenge. The bones are growing at an accelerated rate. The places where the muscles originate and attach grow further apart. The muscle responds by contracting slightly to protect itself from the forced elongation. When the muscles are in a near constant state of slight contraction, a significant decrease in mobility (flexibility) is observed. In order to get the muscle to relax, it has to believe that it is not being over-stretched. In order to do this for youngsters, I recommend the following:

• Frequent massage or fascia work. Massage therapy can help break down tight fascia in order to help dampen the contraction. This can also be done using a foam roller or tennis ball.

• Dynamic Mobility Warm-Ups. Youngsters should warm-up with progressive range of motion based exercises. This helps improve the pliability of tissue, allowing for greater range of motion during exercise. For an example of these warm-ups, please see the video below.
  • Post work-out static stretching. This is the traditional stretching modality. It is ideal to do this when the muscles are warm and pliable. The helps convince the muscles that the elongation is OK, so they can dampen their contraction.

  As I mentioned, these are the most frequently asked questions. If you have a specific question you would like to see addressed, feel free to contact me at brett@fitnessquest10.com This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . Hopefully I am able to navigate you through the sea of misinformation to create youngsters that become happy, healthy, pain-free adults!

  
  

Guest post by John Matich – Director – www.kickingsystem.com

Updating the recruiting list for the 2011 class jogged my memory about a few stories that may help demonstrate the reality of college football recruiting for kickers and punters. Here’s one about a student I’ve been working with for a few years, who I’ll call Joe.

Joe was contacted late in the recruiting process (January) by a solid Division 1 school—one on the verge of becoming a national presence—to discuss coming in as a walk-on. He’d been getting recruited by a number of other strong programs, but this school had always been his number-one choice.

After a few emails and phone calls from the coaching staff, Joe was ready to visit this school. He’d found out they were looking at another kicker who was offered a scholarship, but was struggling to get through the admissions process. Joe went on his trip, had a great time, and was told numerous times by the assistant coaches that “we want you and you will get into our school.”

Joe felt confident about what they were telling him and was waiting on admissions. In the meantime, he didn’t follow up with any other schools; he stopped recruiting, due to the fact he’d been told he was guaranteed admission at his first choice. A few more weeks went by with no word…

I personally called the coaches. They even told me, “we like the kid, we are hoping to get him in.” A few more days went by and I heard the kicker who’d been offered a scholarship got into the school. Joe was a little confused, and never really heard back from the school about his admission. He even received an email from the head coach about how much he was looking forward to working with him.

By now, signing day had passed and it was the middle of February. Although many kickers get signed or find a home as late as May, Joe knew the schools he’d been looking at had already used all their admissions spots. We had to scramble and find some schools that were willing to even look at him, including some local universities. As I write this, we’re still actively looking at schools.

The moral to this story should be obvious: don’t ever stop marketing yourself, regardless of how much you’re told you’re wanted. Coaches are looking for the best possible players and will stop recruiting a kicker in a heartbeat. Continue the recruiting process until you sign on the dotted line or get that admissions letter telling you that you’re in.

John Matich, is a former NFL and NCAA kicker and now owner and director of The Kicking System, which offers Camps & Private Kicking Lessons in San Diego, Orange County, and Los Angeles.

Visit www.kickingsystem.com for top level football kicking videos, recruiting tips, tools and upcoming kicking events.

Sport: Wrestling Weight: 119 Class: 2010 La Costa Canyon High School Carlsbad, CA

After two overtimes, Bryan Grubbs emerged the winner over Clovis West’s Zach Zimmer to take the state title for his 119 pound weight class at the state wrestling championship this past weekend. Grubbs defeated Zimmer 3-1 in a low scoring but evenly paired match with no shortage of action. Grubbs followed in family footsteps by taking the title as his uncle won two state titles while another uncle placed three times at state in their high school days. Grubbs himself has two state titles, the one in California that he just earned, and one in Texas where he was also a student athlete.

To view Bryan’s complete SportsForce profile click here – http://www.sportsforceonline.com/athletes/bgrubbs

Highlight Video and Scouting report courtesy of SportsForce – Home for college Sports Recruiting Videos, Tips, Tools and Premium Services – www.sportsforceonline.com

Alex Pardieu is a senior midfielder for La Costa Canyon High School and NC StarzElite Lacrosse. Alex is currently deciding between his top two colleges. Alex’s coach, Dallas Hartley descibes him as having “a strong work ethic, an infectious good attitude, and he wants to get better…very coachable.” SportsForce caught up with Alex to find out what his recruiting process was like and to ask him a few questions about his lacrosse career and more.

Why do you love playing lacrosse and when did you begin playing?

I love the power I feel as I step on the field. I love the way I can creatively show my athleticism while competing against someone who wants to win almost as much as I do. I started in 5^th grade.

What other sports did you play in high school?

I played football for four years.

How would you describe your playing style?

I push transition whenever I can. I take pride in challenging my opponents and backing it up with my play. I always look for the open man who may have a better shot, but I will go for the unassisted goal too.

What colleges have been recruiting you and how has the recruiting process been?

A few D I schools, but mostly D III and D II schools and MCLA schools on both coasts. The recruiting process was fun, but making a final decision is hard.

What has helped you get exposure to colleges and how did you decide on what trips to take?

My parents have always supported me by sending me everywhere from Sonoma to Maryland. I tried to get exposure by playing in front of coaches at recruitment camps. I went to camps that were recommended by families that had already gone through the process themselves.

What college recruiting trips have you taken and how were they?

This fall I went to Florida State and Arizona State. I had a good time seeing how drastically different each place was from my home in Encinitas, while still trying to envision how life would be if I were to choose that school. The football games were probably the highlight. I live for college football!

What schools are you seriously considering and why?

I am choosing between FSU and ASU. I love the big school atmosphere; the way it’s so different from home and the fact that both schools are excellent teams in their league.

What type of college experience are you looking for (athletically, academically, socially)?

I am looking forward to taking my game all the way to the top in college. This was the year I was going to show everyone my real potential, but with my injury I’ll just have to show what I am all about at the next level. Academically, I’m looking forward to gaining the tools that will help me be a successful man. Lastly, I’m not too worried about the social aspect of college. Both schools I am choosing from are fun schools.

How has your family helped in the college selection and recruiting process?

Mom, Dad and brother James have done more than I could have ever asked. They gave me advice and let me travel to the schools to see what they are all about, but they have also given me the power to make the final decision on which school.

What is your intended college major?

I am planning on studying some form of business. Lately, I’ve been interested in Entrepreneurship.

What is your long term career ambition?

I still do not know what I want to be when I grow up. A job with few hours and high pay would be ideal.

What are your goals for lacrosse over the next few years?

I have very ambitious goals and I always have. A four year contributor is first and from there I plan to be an All-American.

What do you do to prepare to be a successful lacrosse player (training, practice, film review, etc.)?

I’m a hard worker and can say that truthfully. I tend to spend a lot of my time in the weight room, but I make sure my stick skills and shot are always in tune. I’m not a big fan of watching games on TV or from the stands, but I am on the field with my club team either playing or watching throughout the off season, depending on whether I’m in football season or not.

What hobbies or interest do you have outside of sports?

With my knee injury, I’ve been trying to keep myself busy and active. I go to physical therapy and the gym with my buddies sometimes for 4-5 hours a day and try and make every practice to support my team.

What advice would you give to an upcoming lacrosse player looking to play college lacrosse?

Get exposure any way you can. Not to try to sell Sports Force too much, but my top two schools first learned about me via my highlight video.

Sport: Water Polo Class: 2011 School: Vista High School Vista, CA

The Vista Girls Water Polo are once again the reigning Division I CIF San Diego Section Champions, with the help of Sydney Witt. The stand out junior helped propel the team towards another towards the finals and another championship title as she scored 7 goals in a playoff match against Fallbrook which launched them to the finals against Carlsbad for the third year in a row. The Panthers went on to defeat Carlsbad 10-6. Witt has been a member of the varsity team since their first championship win in 2008.

To view Sydney’s complete SportsForce profile click here – http://www.sportsforceonline.com/athletes/switt

Highlight Video and Scouting report courtesy of SportsForce – Home for college Sports Recruiting Videos, Tips, Tools and Premium Services – www.sportsforceonline.com

Let’s get your game on! How you fuel and train your body should depend on your game, what you play and how you want to play it. In my last article we talked about the three different energy systems used in athletic performance: the phosphagen system, the anaerobic system, and the aerobic system. Today, we’ll talk about the energy systems used for short term energy use and how to optimize your fuel consumption for your energy needs.

A swimmer dives off the starting block; a batter hits the ball; a tennis player serves up the ace. These are all examples of energy expenditures in the phosphagen and anaerobic systems. An athlete’s body can access either of these systems for quick burst, intense activities.

The body uses the phosphagen system when you need quick power. Think explosive when you think of the fuel stored in our muscles called creatine phosphate. CP helps to create ATP very rapidly and thus burns it very rapidly as well. Foods that contain creatine include meats, poultry, and fish. The occasional protein bar or creatine shake won’t hurt you, but these simply can’t provide the nutritional support, the big bang, that a slab of real grilled salmon provides. When this energy becomes exhausted the anaerobic system then becomes active to provide support for more high intensity, short burst activities.

The term anaerobic refers to processes that do not require oxygen. The anaerobic energy system relies on glucose as it’s major source of ATP. Glucose is simply a form of sugar easily used by the body. Carbohydrates are the major source of glucose and are stored in the form of glycogen within our muscles and liver. This system is called into action when an athlete first begins activity and will continue to provide energy until oxygen is available to help meet the body’s demands for activity over three minutes in duration. When a football player catches the ball in the end zone and runs at lightning speed for the return, the athlete is using up glucose. High quality carbohydrates are crucial for an athlete, male or female of any age or weight. You can’t simply power down a powdered sugar donut for this fuel – the donut is burned up or turned to fat entirely too soon to improve performance. Instead, eat smaller portions of quality carbs more often, like whole grain pasta, brown rice, or whole wheat bread. If an athlete chooses the powdered sugar donut as their fuel of choice, glycogen stores will be low resulting in low production of ATP and lower energy levels which have a negative impact on athletic performance. During elevated levels of activity, the body will start to accumulate lactic acid at a rate that exceeds the liver’s ability to eliminate it if the athlete cuts the carbs too far back. So, if you get an intense side ache during practice, it is a reminder that powdered sugar donuts are poor fuel for the anaerobic system.

So, what’s your game? Do you need power? Do you need quick, short bursts of intense speed? Do you need to keep going and going and going? Can anybody play? Probably. But, if you want to play better, perform better, then think of food as fuel for your amazing energy systems. In part 4 of Eating to Win, we’ll talk about the role of our aerobic energy system!

Spotlight Sports shared this article with SportsForce. The article can be found in the February/March edition of the magazine.

By Elizabeth Marks, Instructor at Revolution Prep

From UCLA’s infamous “Undie Run” to “Floatopia” at UCSB the decision to go to college is considered a no-brainer. Moving away from home, meeting new people, pursuing your dream career, and experiencing all that college has to offer, culminates to create the experience that so many parents and college graduates fondly refer to as “the best four years of their lives.”

Unfortunately, college admission has become exponentially more competitive in recent years. And now with the economy in a state of disarray, budget cuts mean fewer classes, fewer professors, and ultimately, fewer enrollment opportunities.

So how can you compete? How can you compete against students with four-point-whatever GPAs who are the heads of every club and the captains of every varsity team? Simple. Ace your standardized tests.

Okay, easier said than done. But rest assured, it can be done. And while scores of people believe you can’t study for your SATs, I challenge you to try, and we’ll see who signs that college acceptance letter in the end.

Of course GPA and extracurricular activities are important. Roughly 50 percent of the admissions decision is based on GPA, and another 25 percent is based on after-school involvement – and rightfully so. The average student spends 8,000 hours over four years developing his or her GPA, and typically another 1,000 hours on sports, student counsel, volunteering, etc. However, in the 3-4 hours it takes to finish the SAT or any other standardized test, the entire remaining 25 percent of the admissions decision is determined.

So it’s obvious where you get the most bang for your buck. Standardized tests are the easiest way to drastically impact your application in a relatively short amount of time.

But conquering these tests doesn’t happen over night. It’s like running a marathon. You wouldn’t expect to wake up tomorrow and run 26.2 miles, so how can you expect to wake up and ace the SATs? The more you prepare and practice ahead of time, the more successful you will be.

Standardized tests are not a measure of your intelligence. They measure how prepared you are to take them, and that’s it. The majority of standardized tests are more deceptive than they are difficult; so don’t be fooled. Taking AP Calculus as a sophomore by no means guarantees a competitive SAT math score. Know the test you are taking. Be prepared for the types of questions it will ask you to solve, take practice exams to build up stamina for those Saturday, 8 a.m. four-hour tests, and study the specific material being tested.

There are a variety of ways to prepare for these exams. For highly studious, self-disciplined students, studying from a book is a very cost-effective way to prepare. If the mere thought of the SAT puts you to sleep, consider taking a course with a friend. Or if you play sports and hold down a part-time job, there’s always private tutoring.

So whether you study from a book, take a class, or hire a private tutor, proper test preparation is essential to being a competitive college applicant. Each test is different and requires time and thorough preparation to surmount. But your test scores are your competitive edge. Preparing for six weeks pales in comparison to the four years of reward. So reach for your dream school. Take the time to improve your scores and get that much closer to making your dream college become a reality.

Spotlight Sports is a bi-monthly magazine is dedicated to covering high school student athletes in the North County and parts of San Diego. Features a unique style and format whereby each school has a full page dedicated every issue. Each issue also includes a pro athlete interview, training tips, preparation for college info, and much more. You can also download the subscription form: Download