💭 FCL Weekly Thought: 04/18/25

Stepping Into the Arena. Can't miss prospects. Nate Kabiri on the podcast 🐅

AuthorAuthor

Matt Dunn & Deemer Class
April 18, 2025

Happy Friday!

Today’s thought is all about the arena. We’re here to remind you that the best thing you can do is to keep stepping back into the arena. This choice is the most important you’ll ever make. Drown out the noise, move on from the fear of judgement, and come back for more. We hope you find some extra motivation and push from this week’s thought. Keep fighting, keep plugging away, and shoot your shot.

We also provided a feedback option at the bottom of this email. Let us know what you think of these and if there is any content you would like to see more frequently covered.

Happy Friday ☕️,
Matt & Deemer

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THIS WEEK AT A GLANCE

💭 WEEKLY THOUGHT 
No Matter What… Keep Stepping Into the Arena

Every lacrosse player, parent, and coach knows the feeling: the nerves before a big game, the sting of a missed opportunity, or the fear of falling short in front of teammates and fans.

It’s easy to worry about what others will think if you fail or make a mistake. But this week, I want to remind you that the people who matter—the ones who truly understand growth, success, and grit—are rarely the ones who criticize from the sidelines.

A tweet that we saw recently sums it up quite well.

This perspective is echoed in one of the most powerful passages ever spoken about courage and perseverance. Over a century ago, Theodore Roosevelt delivered his famous “Man in the Arena” speech, which still resonates deeply with athletes everywhere. We had this hanging in our Duke locker room during my time there:

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

- Theodore Roosevelt

What does this mean for us in the lacrosse community? 

It means that the only opinions that truly matter are from those who have been in the arena themselves. Those that actually take the risk, to strive, to fall, and to get back up.

The loudest critics are rarely the ones who have put themselves on the line. The real champions, on and off the field, respect effort, resilience, and the willingness to try, regardless of the outcome.

So the next time you hesitate to take a shot, try a new move, share a new idea, or step into a bigger role, remember: greatness is built by those who dare.

The decision to keep stepping into the arena will be the most important one you ever make. Embrace it and be thankful for it. The most important play is the next play, the next attempt. That’s where growth awaits.

Best,
Coach Class and Coach Dunn

🚨 Parent Webinar: You can watch the full 1-hour presentation with Ken in our community. Try out the 14-Day free trial and we think you will be impressed with the content accessible to all.

New webinar with Ken Zeigler includes PDF: “15 Questions every parent faces"

🔥 RECRUITING COVERAGE

We are introducing a new section in the Weekly Thought where we highlight some athletes that are catching our eye. We will share clips, highlight videos, and brief thoughts as this section evolves.

James Brimhall | 2027 | Attack | St. Mary’s | Annapolis Hawks
James is a dynamic prospect. An athletic lefty, he’s a slasher and a shooter. He had 31 points as a freshman on varsity, and his role has expanded as a sophomore with 11 goals and 3 assists in conference play. We’ll see James at BIC this summer and we’re excited to see how he closes out the MIAA season.

Grey Wildman | 2028 | Attack | New Canaan | Eclipse
Grey is a wiry, athletic prospect with a ton of potential out of New Canaan. Also a quarterback of the football team, Grey has great feel for the game. He’s spent a lot of time on his shooting release points, with the ability to go over the top, ¾ and underhand. This overhand release, catching the goalie thinking low, is a thing of beauty. If you watch his highlight tape, you might get some Matt Moore vibes!

Ava Fossati | 2026 | A/M | McDonogh | Yellow Jackets | Boston College Commit
Ava has burst onto the IAAM scene. Transferring for her junior season, she has made a massive impact for the 1st place Eagles. She had the game tying assist and winning goal vs Maryvale yesterday, and this one handed assist last week was insane. Fossati is on a tear and it’s been awesome to see her continue to ascend.

Danielle Perfetto | 2027 | Midfield | Manhasset | FLG
Perfetto is an exciting 2027 prospect. She has great size and athleticism and fantastic handles for a righty. She has power and placement behind her shot and great feel for the game. Check out this topside dodge she had for Manhasset this week.

🤝 ONLINE COMMUNITY PARTNERS

We are pumped to share this testimonial from Aaron Cahill, Head Coach of Westhill School. Their staff joined at the beginning of the season. See what Coach has to say so far:

Inquire to [email protected] for staff rates.

🚀 NEW EVENT

We are pumped to launch High School Nationals. A 2 day women’s high school event on June 30 and July 1st. We are looking for a few more high schools to join the inaugural year. Please contact [email protected] for more details if your high school is interested.

DRILL OF THE WEEK: AJ LARKIN, MARYLAND

Our free content on social media is core to who we are as a business. We love sharing content that you love seeing. Check out our latest YouTube video with FCL Athlete & Maryland defender AJ Larkin sharing his workout + advice for younger players!

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