Free Play Academy Newsletter #49
Topics will be covered:
Practice, practice, & practice until you play instinctually.
Dyson Williams.
The Free Play Academy Performance 6.
Practice, practice, & practice until you play instinctually.
This topic stems off a conversation I had with two youth players over the weekend, very insightful.
The two players are on the higher level of ability for their age.
They asked, ‘how much should we be practicing every week?”.
“Practice until you think less and less when you are playing”, was my repsonse.
This is the ultimate goal for all lacrosse players, in my opinion, to get the point of no longer have to junkingly think through the game but to play fluidly flow through the game.
The players resonated with that, they went on to mention that when they notice themselves thinking too much about what to do on the field, in the heat of the moment, that it was too slow and didn’t work out too well.
To learn and think about how to play the game is useful, and is needed up to a certain point, but at that certain point thinking is not longer very useful to us.
Dyson Williams.
Nifty mitts!
The Free Play Academy Performance 6.
Covering the second of the 6 Free Play Academy Performance 6; Water.
Getting enough to drink before, during and after our sport is essential. For every hour of activity, we cab can lose up to 2 quarts of fluid ― and salt along with it.
How dehydration hurts our game:
Athletic performance. Water cushions the joints, and being dehydrated can affect our flexibility and speed.
Endurance. Hydration is essential for proper muscle function (including the heart muscles), and it helps us avoid cramps.
Breathing. When we inhale, we need body fluids to moisten the air so it’s easier to absorb oxygen through our lungs.
Mood. Our brain needs water to work. Dehydration can affect mood and concentration and cause headaches and irritability.
How to hydrate:
As far as what to drink before, during and after your practice, workout, game or tournament:
Before: Have 24 ounces of sports drink or electrolyte-infused water two hours before the activity.
During: If the activity is going to go on for more than 45 minutes or more than an hour, make sure you’re drinking electrolyte-infused water.
Afterward: Drink 16–24 ounces of water or hypotonic sports drink, depending on how much you’ve sweated.
Start here:
An electrolyte panel (also referred to as a “metabolic panel”) measures electrolytes and other substances in the blood that play important roles in your overall health. These include:
Sodium (Na): plays a key role in fluid balance and brain function
Potassium (K): regulates the heartbeat as well as nerve and muscle activity
Chloride (Cl): contributes to fluid balance and acid-base levels in the blood
Carbon dioxide (CO2): indicates how well your body is maintaining the right acid-base balance
Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine (Cr): two waste products that provide a measure of kidney function
Glucose: also known as “blood sugar”.
The Free Game
The part of lacrosse that is played with the mind.
What will be covered are the 8 Principles of Performance.
Any lacrosse player can own the 1st ever sport psychology methodology specific to the game of Lacrosse.
This purchase will include a FREE consultation with Coach McDonnell via in-person or Zoom.
Here is a preview.
The cost is $24.99
You can purchase The Free Game here.
Lean in, do the work, stay focused and become uncommon.
Have a great week.