Hey everyone,

Most of our weekly thoughts touch on recruiting, mindset, or in-game development. But this week’s note is a little more foundational. It’s about what you’re doing when no one’s watching and why the weight room might be the most overlooked piece of your growth as an athlete.

The weight room alone won’t be enough, but it is an instrumental piece of the puzzle.

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

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Season 2 of the FCL Podcast kicks off today with Navy head coach Joe Amplo! Watch wherever you get your podcasts.

If you’re a high school athlete or older and not consistently strength training, you’re missing a major opportunity. Strength work isn’t just about physical performance. It helps with durability, confidence, and long-term development. Whether you play men’s or women’s lacrosse, the game is physical. It’s a collision sport. You need strength, power, and body control if you want to compete at the next level.

There’s still a lingering belief that lacrosse players don’t need to be strong. That couldn’t be further from the truth.

Being strong and explosive is not optional, it’s essential. And if you’re not playing another sport during the fall or winter, the weight room should become a big part of your routine. In the off-season, we recommend lifting three to four times per week. This is in addition to speed, skill and movement work.

If you have access to a professional strength coach, use them. If not, ask your school’s athletic trainer for help or look for athlete-specific programs online. The key is following a structured plan.

Lifting without one is like practicing without a purpose. You might be working hard, but you won’t make real progress.

We both started training with Jay Dyer as high school sophomores, and it completely changed the way we moved and played. I (Matt) still work with trainers today — over 15 years later — and that’s no doubt been a factor in my ability to still play. There’s no substitute for consistency and quality in how you train.

Lifting without a plan is like practicing without a purpose. You’ll work hard but stay in place.

One of our former FCL Athletes, Mason Woodward, is a great example of what it looks like to train the right way. Mason played at Marquette and now suits up for the PLL Archers. He’s one of the strongest guys in the weight room and one of the most impactful players on the field.

Here’s what his winter training looks like:

One last reminder: take a hard look at your calendar.

If you’re playing spring lacrosse, summer tournaments, and a winter sport, you might only have a three-month window all year to actually build strength. That’s not much. You can maintain strength in-season, but real progress requires a focused, dedicated block. If you’re in-season for another sport, try to lift once or twice a week just to stay sharp.

If you want to stand out? Be strong. Be explosive. Be disciplined in how you train.

It’ll change your game and how you carry yourself.

We have nothing to gain here by promoting this other providing the advice that we strongly believe will help you to achieve your goals.

Coach Dunn & Coach Class

Since our last newsletter, it has been a whirlwind of commitments, as expected. The process has become fast as ever. However, some top recruits are taking their time.

We have now logged 49 men’s 2027 commitments and 97 women’s 2027 commitments whom have attended our events, trainings, or are in our Athlete Program.

A few members of IL’s Women’s Top 10 - Gia Bigelow (#2 - UNC) and Kelsey Young (#8 - PSU) are now off the board.

See the updated BIC 2027 Women’s standout blog here with respective commitments.

Expect some major announcements in the coming days after the first big weekend of visits.

Tripp King | #20 Recruit | 2027 | Attack
Committed To: North Carolina

Koby Waldman | 2027 | Attack
Committed To: Cornell

Jamie McCracken | 4 Star Recruit | 2027 | Midfield
Committed To: Brown

Gia Bigelow | #2 Recruit | 2027 | Attack
Committed To: North Carolina

Kelsey Young | #8 Recruit | 2027 | Midfield
Committed To: Penn State

Brea Barker | #43 Recruit | 2027 | Goalie
Committed To: USC

Zach Carey wrote an awesome piece about Coach Kirwan’s influence on Virginia’s offense, and why their double crease offense had so much success without their dodgers necessarily beating their matchups.

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