The USLacrosse National Convention kicked off fully on Friday. The day was packed with key speakers, sport education and certificate opportunities, and the Fan Fest that is always well-attended.
Friday night was the MLL Collegiate Draft that brought together MLL coaches, teams, new players and media personnel.
More exciting were the Saturday and Sunday events. The convention center was utilizing three main “halls”: Hall A, B and C.
When one entered “Hall A,” they were prompted with registration. I overheard a few attendees, and myself included, get apprehensive at the $135 registration price. After spending the entire day at the convention, I can confidently say it was more than worth the initial sticker shock.
Inside “Hall B” was the Fan Fest. There had to have been hundreds of vendors, manufacturers, companies and merchandisers there.
Everything from the usual to unusual were found here: Cascade, STX, Brine, and Under Armour were all there with their helmets and gear. Mock up gear was at its prime in design and appearance, pulling in the attention of anyone passing by.
One of my favorite booths was HeadStrong, a nonprofit organization committed to enhancing the treatments and lives of cancer patients, preventative measures and education through lacrosse programs. They had mock up samples/table displays of neon green and blue Warrior TII helmets, Brine King III gloves and so much more. To be quite honest, I actually attempted negotiating an under-the-table price to snag some of their gear… They weren’t having it. I don’t blame them. That gear was so sick I wouldn’t want to get rid of it either.
Tribe 7, Bamshaft, PowerShaft, and all the usual lacrosse stick makers were around with brand new sticks and shafts. Gonzo Mesh, Stylin Strings, and JamStrings were all present as well, bringing their custom dye mesh and strings, providing personal stick stringing on site, and even introducing a rubber-mesh mix that allows for better ball cradling and faster release in passes and shots.
Merchandise was available from multitudes of providers, everything from school uniform mock ups to lacrosse style shorts and shirts.
Heads for sticks were the biggest seller at this event. No where could I find helmets and gloves for sale, but heads, stringing kits, balls and stick butts were well-accessible to those looking to tweak or change up their personal gear.
Some cutting edge technology for lacrosse was present also:
- Bquipped: everyone who plays lacrosse started from scratch at some point. This new database (which is still in Beta test mode) accumulates millions of surveys from players, coaches, officials, general public, etc. and compiles a database of gear information. When a lacrosse newcomer is ready for their first purchase of gear, they can go to this site, enter playing parameters for position, stick use (faceoff, attack, defense, etc.) and playing ability/level. The database will then give a list of 4 or 5 recommendations. Ever walk into Dick’s Sporting Goods and become overwhelmed or lost in all the new gear tech? No anymore.
- Re[QR]uitme: If you have ever been to a scouting event, you know how difficult it can be for coaches. They are there to see lacrosse players looking for recruitment to showcase their talents and abilities, yet half their time is spent flipping back and forth through pages of stats and records. Re[QR]uitme is a new mobile device application that allows coaches to search a player’s name and BAM! Up pops an entire profile on that player: hometown, school, stats, records, playing experience, etc. Anything coaches want to know for scouting at the touch of a screen.
- TRX: Lacrosse is a dynamic, evolving sport. Therefore, as has been stated by Lehigh Men’s lacrosse coach and trainers, players must practice, exercise and weight train accordingly, rather than traditionally. TRX now enters the lax scene with breakthrough weightroom equipment directed at lacrosse players: resistance training for shots (form and power). They have a few different pieces of equipment that can incorporate ANY dynamic movement a player would need to strengthen.
- DYG: Every player has reached a point (or multiple) of needing to improve and not knowing how to or in what area of their game. DiscoverYourGame is a company that offers numerous technological devices to help players get past those frustrations by either attaching to a stick, helmet, video record, etc. It gives players answers to the questions they don’t know to ask yet!
There were many more than those, but they were worth special mention in my opinion.
The convention was much more than speeches and samples/advertising. Every hour there were new exhibition demonstrations by coaches and drill experts to assist other coaches in their practice preparations. College teams such as Trinity Women’s and Temple Women’s performed practice drills for demonstration. There were two different turf fields set up and both had the stands packed tight. People were standing around field perimeters to see these.
In one particular case, the Team USA U-9 players (yes, nine year olds) were helping a coach demonstrate an offensive feeding and assisting drill. I’m close to 98% positive those 9-year olds could kick my @$$ on the field. They were spectacular, already handling the ball and competition like an average college varsity athlete.
Me to Marisa Ingemi: “Not kidding, no joke. It’s literally like watching little people play a high-competition game!”
Way to go guys! You shorties were awesome! Congrats on all your continuous hard work!
ILWT’s own staff member, Brendan Staudt, was the goalie for a demonstration of goaltender drills. The drills were designed to reinforce basics while improving the goalie’s game and abilities. A double threat.
In one of the drills, Staudt was given a goalie stick without strings or mesh and told to prevent tennis balls from getting past him. The point of the exercise was to remind goalies to keep their bodies behind the stick/in front of the ball. Every time the tennis ball bounced through the empty head and hit Brendan around the thighs, his body reacted.
“Us goalies are used to the stick stopping the ball. We stretch to make saves. That drill was great, reteaching me position and that our bodies are just as effective as the stick”
—Brendan Staudt
“Goalies have to get in the mindset that they will get hit by the ball. There’s no way around it.”
—Demonstration Speaker
About 3 years ago, I spent two consecutive summers at Greylock Sports Camp for Boys in Beckett, Massachusetts. I was a lacrosse instructor there. Two campers who attended and resided in my bunk showed up at the convention! They called me over to say hi. What a reunion! The thought never once crossed my mind that I would run into old campers from far geographical stretches. That was amazing!
(Shout outs to Casey and Jordan, and Greylock of course!)
The fun didn’t end there. For those laxers of legal age, upon conclusion of the scheduled events around 5 pm Saturday, every restaurant, bar, pub, and hotel within a 1-mile radius of the convention center was filled with laxers gathering for social drinks and food, professional networking, business meetings and general meet-and-greets. Brendan Staudt and I ended up at the Marriot Hotel, housing most of the convention attendees, for some of the mentioned social extra-curricular activities.
Though it would have had even better attendance on Saturday evening, many convention goers went to the Sunday 4:30 Wings vs Bandits game at the Wells Fargo Center, a mere 15 minute drive from the Convention Center. Recaps of those games can be found written by myself and Brendan Staudt on our main page.
The weekend itself was one of the best in my recent memory. As a young adult struggling with the post-college-to-professional world transition, a weekend of medicine games has recuperated and rejuvenated me! I hope it had a similar impact on every individual that came. The lacrosse couldn’t be contained in the Convention Center, and made its way outdoors!
If you have never been to or never heard of the USLacrosse National Convention, and have any interest in going, DO IT! Lacrosse-related, it is the most encompassing, exciting, and educational event I have ever seen. They have found a new, annual customer in me.
