💭 FCL Weekly Thought: 08/1/25

Hey everyone,

After months of nonstop lacrosse, from spring seasons to summer tournaments, August is the first real pause for many.

And that’s the point of today’s note: it’s okay to take a break. Whether you’re at the beach, by the pool, or just enjoying time with friends, don’t feel guilty stepping away from the stick. Rest matters.

Let’s get into it. Happy Friday ☕️,
Matt & Deemer

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THIS WEEKS CONTENT AT A GLANCE

• ⭐️ BIC Standouts: Best in Class Men’s 2028

• ✍️ Coaches Corner: Recognition > Reaction - Teaching Defenders to See

• 🔒 Deep Dive: The Unappreciated Benefit of Switching Picks

🔒 FCL Deep Dive Teaser

Defending on-ball picks and the two-man game is one of the most demanding aspects of playing defense in modern lacrosse. Big-littles in particular force defenses to make uncomfortable decisions. 

One such decision that defenses are often hesitant to make is switching those screens between a long-stick and a short-stick. The fear of a quality dodging attackman (or midfielder) exploiting a short-stick matchup drives teams to try to fight through picks and then recover from them. 

Too often, though, that concern forces defense to be too conservative when guarding picks which allows the ball carrier to get a step (or more) that results in a goal. Switching picks – especially in the shot clock era in college lacrosse – should be a more common practice when the on-ball defender can’t immediately get over or under the screen.

On a recent episode of the Over-the-Head Podcast, legendary long-stick midfielder Scott Ratliff critiqued bad pick defense and suggested that “if you’re going to make a mistake, make it an aggressive switch or a double.”

As a disclaimer, all schemes should be personnel-dependent. The quality of a team’s long- and short-sticks relative to each other matters. By and large, though, switching picks should be a more common practice for defenses writ-large because of how a good pick can put defenses in a pickle.

Even among the best teams in college lacrosse, completely trying to avoid switching picks can cost defenses goals. In the NCAA championship, at least five goals came off of picks that could’ve been switched to limit their impact. 

🔒 Premium Members Read Full Post Here → Deep Dive: The unappreciated benefit of switching picks 🔄

💭 WEEKLY THOUGHT
🥍 Putting Down the Stick

Between the spring high school season and the summer circuit, a lot of lacrosse has been played. Outside of a few prospect days this month, lacrosse largely slows down in August. Our main purpose of this weekly thought is to emphasize to you that it is okay to put down your stick and rest.

Outside of the winter holidays, August is really the only time where players are not expected to be at practices, attending events, going to school, or going to trainings. August is a chance to be a kid and enjoy your summer. It is a good thing to go to the beach, hangout by the pool, and see friends. Every athlete needs rest, both physically and mentally.

I (Deemer) always felt personally that when I took a few weeks off, I actually gave my body and mind enough time to recover and grow. Oftentimes, any potential “rust” was outweighed by the gains of taking a break. Don’t underestimate this. You need these breaks.

If you are still training or playing around in the backyard, make sure you are having fun and enjoying yourself. It should be in a low stakes environment where you are not putting pressure on yourself.

Best,
Coach Class and Coach Dunn

🔥 RECRUITING COVERAGE

In this week’s recruiting section, we are highlighting some standouts from our BIC Men’s 2028 event.

Check out the full BIC Men’s 2028 Standout Blog.

Connor Speed | 2028 | Defense | Chaminade | 91 Long Island - Venom

Connor is a tall, rangy defender that knows how to utilize his stick. He is great on ball, off the ground, and in transition. While he'll catch eyes with a takeaway check, he does all the things needed at his position to be an impact player.

Eddie Breslin | 2028 | Attack | Medfield | 3D New England

Eddie is a shorter, compact dodger that excels as an initiator. He made big strides from BIC a year ago and ramped up his aggressiveness. He has great hands and is crafty around the cage. He is a tough player that delivered some big goals for his team at the event. His two handedness stuck out scoring a lefty up the hash goal to complement some of his righty step downs.

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Carlton Saunders Jr. | 2028 | SSDM | Calvert Hall | FCA

Carlton is a lockdown SSDM. A returning BIC attendee, he continues to show growth. He is extremely athletic, has great speed in between the lines, is great in the clear and off the wing. Not only that, he is an extremely high IQ player that communicates very well. He is everything that you want in a defensive midfielder.

🎥 VIDEO OF THE WEEK
JIMMY FREEHILL D1 DEFENSE WORKOUT

Calling all defenders! Check out former Denver All-American and current Philadelphia Waterdogs defender Jimmy Freehill’s workout!

🏃‍♂️‍➡️ AMERICAN SELECT 2025
ALL TOURNAMENT TEAMS

Check out the All Tournament teams for the 2030, 2029, 2028 and 2027 classes below! This is the 2nd year BIC partnered with ASL to lead evaluations and All Tournament team selections.