It's Offseason, What Now?
With the last of summer tournament wrapped up, I wanted to provide some help to those of you that might not know what to do in the offseason. LaxGoalieRat wrote a great blog on some tips that you can find here, and I’ll be expanding on below so your face doesn’t look like this:
Take time off, let your body recover. Absolutely take some time off of lacrosse. You’ve been training for months and months, and it’s tie to take a break so you don’t get burnt out or hurt. Your body needs time to recover. My suggestion is 7-9 days completely off of training. If you want to move, keep it low intensity, like long walks or yoga.
Play other sports. Once the downtime is over, get involved in playing another sport. It doesn’t matter what it is, just play something new. Not only will this train your body to move in a new way, but mentally it’s a great thing to challenge yourself and learn a new role you may fill on a team. Being a goalie means you’re a vocal leader on the field and likely contributing a lot on the field. It’s a great opportunity to grow as a teammate as a leader stepping into a new role.
Prepare your body for success. Your body takes on a lot of pounding through the season. You need to make sure your joints, connective tissues, and muscles are mobile, stable, and strong enough to sustain the stress of preseason, season, and the second season with summer clubs and camps. You do this through mobility movements, corrective exercise, and strength training.
Address your athletic weaknesses. This includes improving movement patterns, increase speed, strength, and reactive ability/agility. Athleticism is a sure way to make you stand out when a college coach is watching, and ensure your success in the game. Check back for what you can do specifically in the offseason to improve in these areas.
Watch film. Lacrosse IQ is critical for executing plays at a fast pace in unsettled situations, and one of the hardest things for kids to grasp. If you can watch film and see how players respond to certain situations and how those situations play out, you’ll be ahead of the pack come season.
Last and probably the most important - build good habits. Use the downtime to build good habits. Sleep, nutrition, and mindset through meditation/breathing practices. Once you start prepping again, stress is going to hit physically and mentally. You’re going to perform that much better if you have good habits to help you proper handle and recover from these stresses.