The Summer for competitive lacrosse players can be an absolute grind. Even the players that love the game the very most can get worn down by it.

August is one of the few months on the calendar that gives you a chance to reset. Take it.

At FCL, we use this month to reset our business goals and priorities. For a young athlete, it’d be wise to do something similar.

Here are a few ways we’d recommend approaching August with some intention.

After months of practices, showcases, tournaments, travel, and long weekends, it's okay to step away for a little while.

Enjoy a vacation. Spend time with family. Go to the beach. Hang out with friends.

You don’t need to feel guilty for having some fun. You have a slice of summer left, go and enjoy it.

A quick reset won't cause you to fall behind. Often, it helps you come back more motivated and ready to improve.

Once you've had a chance to recharge, August is a great time to begin shifting your focus back towards training.

Taking time off doesn’t mean sitting on your butt for a month doing nothing. After months on the field, getting back in the weight room can actually feel refreshing. I always loved the flipping of seasons and getting back into training mode.

Use this time to build strength. Improve your movement with speed and agility training.

When it comes to building strength, consistency is key. You most likely were not very consistent in this regard from February - July. Now is the time to get back on track.

For most skilled high school players, nothing will have a bigger impact on your game than athletic improvements from a good strength program.

We say this a lot but recruiting is a two-way street. You have to want them and they have to want you.

There ain’t much you can do in the month of August to make them want you. If you focus on this too much you start to lose your mind. For our women’s athletes going to last look camps, make them count!

The part of the equation you control is determining what you want. Take some quiet time and think about it. Break out a notebook and start to list down things you want from a college experience:

Be brutally honest as you make the list. If you genuinely want something, you’ll feel it in your gut. This signals you are being authentic. As you do this, start to think about what schools might offer these things. Do your research, make some lists and take notes.

Coaches want players who genuinely want to be there. The clearer you are on what you want, the better those conversations become.

And remember, nothing is set in stone here. You are allowed to change your mind. It’s just helpful to start thinking about it all.

It’s always good to be a step ahead. Now’s your chance to get ahead of the Fall.

Think through your schedule now. One of the easiest ways to reduce stress during the school year is to plan ahead before it starts.

Spend some time mapping out what your weeks will realistically look like. When will you lift? When will you practice? When will you recover? When will you get your schoolwork done? How will you communicate your teaches when missing school days for potential visits?

The players who stay organized are often the ones who stay consistent.

For some athletes, fall means football, soccer, or another fall sport. For others, lacrosse remains the primary focus.

Neither approach is right or wrong. The important question is whether your fall is helping you become a better athlete.

If you aren't playing another sport this fall, make sure you're replacing that athletic development intentionally. Build strength, improve your speed, develop your stick skills, and continue challenging yourself physically.

If you are playing another sport, don't let lacrosse disappear completely. Even 10 minutes on the wall a few times each week can help maintain your stick skills throughout the season.

The goal is to use the fall to become a more complete player before next spring/summer arrives.

August is about being intentional.

Recover from the summer, make a plan for the fall, and begin building habits that will carry you through the school year.

The players who are intentional during this transition month often put themselves in the best position for success when the next season arrives.

Coach Class and Coach Dunn

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We're excited to partner with Road to Prep again this fall. This September will be our fifth year onsite at the Road Home Showcase leading the training portion of the event.

If prep school is something your family is considering, Road to Prep is one of the best resources available. They help student-athletes and parents navigate every step of the prep school recruiting process.

The Road Home Showcase provides players the opportunity to compete in front of prep school coaches while families learn more about the admissions and recruiting process. With a school fair component combined with on field FCL Training, this event is unique.

Whether you're just beginning to explore prep school or already have schools in mind, Road to Prep provides the guidance, education, and connections to help you make informed decisions.

Year 7 of our Fall Training kicks off in September!

Locations include:

All registrations posted on the link below.

American Select brought together the top players from across the country to compete for regional bragging rights. We were proud to be a partner of the event for the 3rd year.

Check out some more of the content our team made from the event:

This Best In Class group made their mark. The 2029 class is one year away from their big recruiting summer and they showed up ready to play. We saw a great group of returning talent from their rising freshman year, and some new athletes bursting onto the scene. Let's take a look at which 2029's impressed the Best In Class staff this go round:

For coaches who want to level up, the FCL Coach Community is the best resource on the market for men’s and women’s coaching staffs looking to continue developing.

It includes over 40 college coach webinars, 150+ drills for offense, defense, and full-team compete, as well as sessions focused on schemes and strategies.

Every two weeks, we release a newsletter specifically tailored to coaches.

To check out previous newsletters or to subscribe, you can visit the Full Coaches Corner Archive Here.