Good morning to our Weekly Thought subscribers,

Last Friday, we released our podcast episode with Richmond Head Coach Dan Chemotti. Today, we are breaking down a point of emphasis he made of focusing on the little things.

He doesn’t just mean in an abstract way, either. He explicitly mentions skills that he prioritizes quite often with his players: from switching hands, to shooting on the run, to creating better passing lines.

This resonates deeply with us at FCL. We strongly believe the best players are consistently executing the little things at a high level. Don’t sleep on the fundamentals!

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

We are also excited to that both our men’s and women’s BIC Committed events are now live! If you are a committed 2026 or 2027 looking to learn, train and compete with the best in your class, learn more below.

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In a game built on speed and skill, it’s easy to forget that success often hides in the smallest details. The extra step to free your hands on a pass, getting low to the ground to secure a loose ball, becoming an outlet for the ball carrier… the quiet discipline of doing simple things right every time is the cornerstone of successful teams.

This past week, we had Richmond Head Coach Dan Chemotti as a guest on our podcast. One of the big themes from the podcast was the importance of teaching and learning the fundamentals of lacrosse, even at the college level.

Coach Chemotti references NFL postgame press conferences where coaches often say, “we did a terrible job tackling.” Basketball coaches echo the same idea in interviews when they talk about needing to “box out.”

The message is clear: regardless of age or ability, there’s always room to sharpen your fundamentals.

The truth is, the basics never stop mattering. On the podcast, Deemer raised a great question: what offensive skills are underdeveloped when players reach the college level that you are focusing on correcting or adjusting?

Changing hands may seem like a simple skill, one that many college players would say they have already mastered. However, often your technique when switching hands is the difference in maintaining possession of the ball and turning it over. See a quick series we did a few years ago here on how to change hands:

Changing hands efficiently can be the difference between a hands-free shot and a contested one.

Again, shooting on the run seems like a skill you need to master in order to reach the next level. But the reality is, it’s a skill that you must continue to refine. As defenses get faster, more connected, and more skilled, players must work to refine their shooting technique.

Eliminating wasted movement, decreasing the time needed to release a shot, dialing in proper the footwork, will all make you a better and more consistent shooter. Here is a video we did on shooting drills, tips, and corrections:

Another fundamental Coach Chemotti stresses is creating a passing lane with your stick and your feet. At the college level, defenders are very good at knocking down passes, or clogging up passing lanes.

Creating a passing lane is a skill that can be developed. Whether you have the ball or not, there are multiple things you can do to create a passing lane:

The reality is that these “basic” skills often make the difference at the highest level. As the competition gets better, the margin for error gets smaller.

Coach Class and Coach Dunn

Our Fall Showcase is just about a week away. While coaches are certainly still working on their 2027 recruiting class, this is a great weekend for 2028’s to get good early exposure and for 2029’s to start landing on an early radar of a school.

Take a look at some of our attendees below.

Check out our @fclbestinclass Instagram page for more info leading up to the event and the best highlights and content during our Fall Showcase next Sunday!

Check out the best highlights from our Women’s 2028 Best in Class event this summer! These rising sophomores are LEGIT and many will be attending our Fall Showcase on Oct 26.

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