Good Morning!
We’re heading to IMG Academy in Florida this weekend for a big stretch of events: our Men’s and Women’s Winter Showcase along with the BIC Men’s Committed event. These weekends are some of our favorite because we get to see players compete, connect with coaches, and watch the next wave of talent continue to raise the bar.
We’ve also got a new episode of the FCL Podcast dropping with Michigan head coach Kevin Conry.
With all that going on, we wanted to share a story that felt fitting for this moment. It’s one about preparation, handling adversity, and the mindset it takes to keep showing up the right way.
Let’s get into it. Happy Friday ☕️,
Matt & Deemer
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Featured Event: “The Approach” Women’s 2026
🚨 Early Launch 🚨
Built with Phil Barnes, the former defensive coordinator and recruiting director at North Carolina, The Approach is a college-level defensive environment designed to teach players how to actually play defense, not just cycle through drills.
We are committed to making this a first of its kind defensive event. It is intended to be immersive and interactive with a great staff of coaches focusing fully on playing defense in women’s lacrosse. This event is for women’s midfielders, defenders and goalies.
Matt Dunn, FCL Defense
Note: This is an early launch to our newsletter subscribers. The event will launch more broadly next week.
📧 Coaches Corner: Four Drills from BIC Women’s Committed
🎥 Instagram: Men’s Committed Rosters 2026
Kevin Conry: Building Michigan Lacrosse, Defensive Footwork, & The "Baby Giraffe" Theory
⭐️ Weekly Thought: Lessons From Tom Brady at Michigan
Starting From the Bottom
When Tom Brady arrived at Michigan, he was seventh on the depth chart. He never saw the field and redshirted his freshman year.
As a sophomore, Brady climbed his way to third string, but was still unsatisfied. After the season, he seriously considered leaving Michigan to go home to California and play at Cal, where the head coach offered him the starting role. The idea of going home and playing right away was appealing.
Before making a decision, Brady spoke with his head coach, Lloyd Carr.
Carr gave him a direct message.
“You need to stop worrying about what all the other players on our team are doing… if you are going to be the best, you need to beat out the best.”
Carr also suggested that Brady to go see Michigan’s sports psychologist, Greg Harden.
Greg Harden, Michigan Sports Psychologist
The Two Rep Mindset
By Brady’s junior year, he was finally competing for the starting job, but the path was still unclear. His work with Greg Harden began to change how he viewed the situation.
“I would complain all the time that the guys ahead of me were getting more opportunity than I was. The starter would get 20 reps, the backup would get 10, and I would get two.
And I’d say, how can I ever get better? All these guys get all the reps and I only get two. And Greg said, ‘Just go in there and focus on the two that you got and make them as perfect as you possibly can.’
So I said okay. That’s what I did. They’d put me in for those two, and I’d sprint in there like it was Super Bowl 49.”
Brady stopped thinking about what he didn’t have and became obsessive about what he did. He treated practice reps like game reps. He brought energy when it wasn’t expected. Confidence followed, and gradually, the reps increased.
Still, he lost the starting job to Brian Griese. Michigan went 12–0 and won the national championship.
Senior Year: Same Approach, Higher Stakes
Going into his senior year, Michigan recruited Drew Henson, one of the top quarterback prospects in the country. For many players, that would have been a breaking point.
But Brady leaned into it.
“I’m going to apply the same thing I learned in those previous years.”
He focused on preparation, competed daily, and eventually became the starter and a captain. Michigan finished 10–3 and won the Citrus Bowl in a comeback victory.
Tom Brady dropping back to pass at Michigan
The Hardest Test
But his Michigan story still wasn’t finished.
Returning for his fifth year, Carr told Brady he would still be competing with Henson for the starting role.
“My view on team sports was, you compete. Whoever wins the job gets it. No one is entitled to a position on a team. Whatever is best for the team, that’s what matters.”
Carr’s plan was uncomfortable. Brady would start the first quarter. Henson would start the second. At halftime, Carr would decide who played the rest of the game.
That rotation continued for weeks. Brady would finish one game. The next game Henson would.
After one game where Henson played the second half, Brady sang “Hail to the Victors” louder than anyone in the locker room. He wanted his teammates to know he was still all in, even when things weren’t going his way.
Seven games into the season, Carr named Brady the full-time starter. Michigan won every remaining game to finish 10–2.
Wrapping Up
As we reflect on the journey that Brady went through at Michigan, there are a few things we want to highlight.
What you do with your reps matters more than how many you get. Even though Brady wasn’t getting the opportunities or responsibility he thought he deserved, he took advantage of the ones he had.
Pressure doesn’t change habits, it exposes them. When roles were unclear, Brady didn’t search for answers. He fell back on his routine and approach with confidence.
Culture shows up when it costs you something. Backing teammates when it’s not your turn is uncomfortable. That’s the point.
We’ll leave you with Brady’s own words, a mindset that carried him far beyond Michigan.
“How disciplined are you to maintain that routine over a period of time? I think that will determine your level of success.”
Coach Class and Coach Dunn
Along with our Men’s & Women’s Winter Showcases for 2028’s & 2029’s, we are excited to also hold our Men’s Committed event this weekend at IMG Academy in Florida.
Check out the rosters below and be sure to follow our @fclbestinclass Instagram page for more content previewing the event and the best highlights and moments throughout the event!
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