As I sat down to write this I began to think back on the relationships, memories and experiences I have been blessed with over the last six months. In May, I was offered and accepted a position with Adrenaline. As I began my 36-hour cross-country trek from Cleveland, Ohio it was only then I realized the ramifications of my decision. I was leaving behind friends, family and loved ones for the pursuit of one of my ultimate life goals; to give back to the game I loved. While the decision was difficult, I knew to continue my own personal growth I had to remove myself from what was comfortable. Adrenaline took a chance on me sight and unseen and provided me with an amazing opportunity and for that I am forever grateful.   

As I began working it became clear Adrenaline is something much bigger than a lacrosse company. As the Marketing Producer for Events I was able to get an up close and personal look at what Adrenaline means to western lacrosse and the sport in general. Having the privilege to interact with players, parents and fans at numerous events including LXMATS/LXMPRO, it was only then I realized the true meaning of Adrenaline. It is a lifestyle, a brotherhood, ultimately a family. Once you become apart of the Adrenaline Family it is no longer about yourself but rather the thousands of players that have come before and thousands to come after. They proudly wear the apparel, attend the events, and encompass the lifestyle.  I felt it became my duty to not only protect my family but also do everything in my power to continue to help it flourish.

In my personal opinion what truly separates Adrenaline are the personal relationships formed between the staff. Each member shares a common goal and the cohesiveness shines whether you are working the daily 9 to 5 or during the 1 AM printing session before your 4:45 wake up call for the next day’s event. Everyone is always willing to offer a hand. It doesn’t matter what department you are in or what your responsibilities are when things look bleak you can always count on others.

Everybody coaches, they train, they mentor, and they embrace what this sport was built on so many centuries ago. Having the privilege to work with these individuals will be what I carry forever. I want to take this time and thank each and every one of them. One thing is certain, life is full of decisions; some of those are much larger than others. The decision I made to uproot myself for such a great unknown is something I will never regret. I hope I gave back only a fraction of what Adrenaline has given me.

A note from Adrenaline:

This is our favorite picture of logan--taken at LXMATS - Phoenix as he was throwing Kyle Harrison signed lacrosse balls into the crowd. Logan handled all of our marketing efforts for LXMATS and did a great job. The man is a grinder and a legend. He will be sorely missed and we wish him nothing but the best as he moves on to future endeavors! Keep in touch Ice Cold Killa!

Available now online and in-store, the Adrenaline Confidential Reebok SubLite Training Shoes have to be one of my favorite additions to the Adrenaline line this season.  Part of the confidential series, Adrenaline and Reebok have teamed up to create an amazing training shoe with a great Adrenaline color twist.

The Adrenaline/Reebok SubLite Training Shoes are designed to be the perfect light weight training shoe. This mid-cut training shoe increases the stability around your ankles providing you a light weight shoe whether you're on the field, in the gym or on the trail.

These shoes are available now online and in-stores in a variety of sizes. If you’re looking for a great trainer this season, look no further.

Have you picked up a pair already? Let us know what you think... A lucky customer might just win a pair of matching Adrenaline Socks.

Curious to see what the team at Adrenaline thinks of these new shoes? Check out this video below!

Checking in on our player tracker we saw a lot of action in week 2, with another prolific weekend for many western lacrosse players and their teams.

The Fairfield Stags jumped out to 2-0 start on the season with big wins over Bryant and Navy. WCS alum and team captain, Sam Snow, had a huge week notching a big goal in the Bryant win. He also scored 4 goals, including the game winner with :04 left in regulation to beat Navy.

Providence College, under the new leadership of former WCS coach Brett Holm, picked up a win in their first game of the season, knocking off Wagner, 17-6. Adrenaline Tropic and All American game alum, JackCruzan showed some great signs of development in his first collegiate action, while former WCS alum Zack Rodgers scored a goal from his long pole position.

Stony Brook turned in a huge victory with a 12-10 victory over an upstart Lafayette team. WCS alum, Challen Rogers, stepped up big in his freshman debut notching a pair of goals, including a pivotal momentum changing goal when he picked off a clearing pass after a big save from the Lafayette goalie and converted the turnover into a transition goal.

In a really exciting game that featured several west coast and Adrenaline alumni, Penn State upset Denver, 15-12.  The Penn State defense, led by Steven Bogert, stymied the high powered Denver offense and helped solidify the win. Denver was lead by WCS alums, Eric Adamson (1, 2) and Wes Berg who chipped in with a hat trick. Ryan LaPlante (Adrln All American Game) was tested early and often and posted 12 saves in the loss. Mike Riis and Carson Cannon played well in the loss for the Denver defense.

Virginia jumped out a 2-0 start on the season with solid victories over Drexel and VMI. In the victory over VMI, WCS alum Rob Emery was an immense contributor with (2, 1) on the day, while rookie Matt Florence scored his first-ever collegiate. Defensively, Adrenaline All Americans Tanner ScalesandTannerOttenbreit, were all over the field making plays, with Scales collecting 5 groundballs. In the Drexel game, WCS alums, Aaron Prosser and Robert Church combined for 3 goals, forcing Virginia into overtime.

Michigan dropped to 0-2 on the year, in another hard-fought defeat this weekend at the hands of Bellarmine. WCS alum and senior captain, JD Johnson scored 2 goals from his long stick position to ignite some momentum for the Wolverines, while freshman Adrenaline All American Mike Hernandez had 2 assists in his first collegiate start.

Hopkins continued their winning ways with a strong showing over cross town rival Towson. WCS alum goal tender Pierce Basset continued his stellar play in net, finishing with 12 saves.

Colgate had a solid showing in a victory over Vermont this weekend. WCS alum Peter Baum had some highlight reel goals on his way to a hat trick on the day and a 13-7 victory. WCS alum Andrew Muscara was tremendous in the middle of the field with 9 groundballs, while defenseman Jeremy Hutchens had 3 ground balls.

Lehigh Mountain Hawks continued their winning streak with a victory over rival Villanova, 11-9, with WCS alum Noah Molnar playing a key role on the 2^nd midfield.

Duke cruised to a 15-4 victory over Mercer, with WCS alum Spencer Peterson seeing his first action of the season at the defensive midfield position.

Sam Snow (Bainbridge Island, Wash.) scored the game-winning goal with four seconds to play in regulation to give the #15 Fairfield University men’s lacrosse team a 10-9 win over visiting Navy Tuesday. The victory improves the Stags to 2-0 on the year, while the Midshipmen fall to 2-1.

Snow netted all of his game-high four goals in a final quarter that saw 11 of the games 19 goals scored. Sam Jones gave Navy an 8-7 edge with his only goal of the game, with 6:23 to play, 8-7. Snow struck for the next pair of goals, evening the score with an unassisted tally with 5:04 to play and putting Fairfield in front 9-8 with 3:56 remaining. Gabe Voumard scored with 83 ticks left on the clock to tie the score 9-9. CONTINUE READING HERE on Inside Lacrosse.

In our third installment of “Training with the Pro’s” we feature LXM Pro, Andrew Casimir.  Andrew was a 2-time ECC All Conference selection, 2-time All American, and 2011 ECC Defensive Player of the Year while playing at Dowling College.  Being one of the most accomplished and athletically imposing defenseman on the LXM Pro tour we asked for some of his “go to” drills to get ready for the LXM games.

Box Drills– 2-3 times per week for 15-20 minutes

*Make sure you are taking the time to do a thorough warm up.

Box Drills are meant to provide multi-directional work, which will simulate the movement found in lacrosse.  Choose each drill twice in both directions for a total 20 sprints.  Allow yourself 40-60 seconds between sprints.  The goal of these drills is to improve our speed, agility, and quickness.  We want to make sure you have ample time to recover between sprints so you can give maximum effort during the sprint.  This should take you no longer than 15-20 minutes. 

*Set up 4 cones in a 10 X 10 yard box. 

1)   Sprint/Shuffle/Sprint/Shuffle

Sprint around the first cone and shuffle with your right foot forward.  As you shuffle around the next cone turn to the inside and sprint around the next cone.  Finish through the start by shuffling with your right foot forward.  Do this twice and then repeat it going the opposite way so you’re shuffling with your left foot forward.

2)   Sprint/Shuffle/Backpedal/Shuffle

Sprint to the first cone and begin to shuffle with your right foot forward towards the 2nd cone.  Once you come around the cone backpedal around the 3rd cone.  Finish through the start by shuffling with your left foot forward.  Do this four times.

3)   Sprint/Drop Step/Sprint/Drop Step

Sprint to the first cone, drop step by turning toward the middle of the box, and sprint diagonally for the 2^nd cone.  At the second cone drop step, turn to the middle of the box and sprint up to the 3^rd cone.  Drop step, by turning toward the middle of the box, and sprinting diagonally for to the start/finish.  Do this twice and then repeat it going the opposite way.

4)   Figure 8’s

Sprint to the first cone and cut around it keeping your speed the entire time.  Sprint diagonally to the 2^nd cone and again cut around it and head toward the 3^rd cone.  Sprint around this cone and diagonally back to the start/finish.  Do this drill twice in direction and then twice going the opposite direction. 

5)   Circle Sprint

Sprint around each of the cones keeping your speed around all the cones until finishing back at the starting point.  Try to stay as close to the cones as possible and maintain your speed around the cones.  Do this twice going one direction (right foot to the inside) and then twice in the opposite direction (left foot on the inside)

LXM Pro Tip:  Make sure you keep two hands on your stick, the head of the stick pointed up, and your hands loose.  The idea is that these drills replicate the movements you will make playing on-ball and off-ball defense.

AdrenaFit Tip:  Put a ball at the last cone and scoop it and make a dodge as you finish through the drill.  This will teach you to come up with the ball in traffic after you stop the ball carrier.

These drills can be done before practice, after practice, or on weekends to get your game dialed in.  Let us know how these drills work for you or what you do to get ready for your season. 

Jesse Foss is the director of training at Adrenaline Lacrosse.  He graduated from Stony Brook University and was a two-year starter at midfield.  Prior to that he played at Nassau Community College where he won a national championship in 1999.  Jesse has been training high school and college athletes, as well as, the general population for the last 10 years.  He holds multiple degrees and advanced certifications in performance training, corrective exercise, and sports nutrition.  He is currently the head lacrosse coach at La Costa Canyon High School.  His teams have gone 40-5 in the 2 seasons and finished 2012 ranked #18 in the nation by Inside Lacrosse.  Jesse’s experience as a player, coach, and trainer give him insight to exactly what players’ need to be successful at the highest level.

LXM Pro Player Max Ritz drops by the blog this week wearing the Adrenaline Apparel Supply Co Hat and Game Changer T-Shirt. For those of you who haven’t had an opportunity to check out Max play on the LXM Pro Tour, make sure to check out their next stops in 2013. Max is also part of the STX Lacrosse family joining other LXM Pro Players Sam Bradman, Kyle Harrison and Matt Russell.

The Supply Co Hat, available in two colors at Adrenaline has been one of our top sellers this season. This premium snap hat was designed by the Adrenaline Design Team at their headquarters in San Diego, California. With the Adrenaline Movement logo across the front, this is a perfect hat for any occasion.

The Adrenaline Movement Game Changer T-Shirt is available on-line and in-store in both white and grey. With the Adrenaline logo on the front and back, this premium cotton t-shirt is a great light weight shirt for while you’re off the field.

Both of these options are available now and will ship the same day if ordered before our 2:00 PST deadline.

Do you have one of these items already? Sound off on the message boards and a lucky fan might just win something from the team at Adrenaline.

Week 3 continued the pattern of close games, parity across the board with West Coast Starz and Adrenaline alumni making big contributions.  Bellarmine continued their winning ways pushing to 3-0 on the year defeating High Point, with Adrenaline All American freshman, Bryce Parietti, stepping up and notching 1 goal and 1 assist.

Bucknell narrowly defeated a tough and scrappy Bryant team this weekend, 10-8. WCS and Adrenaline All American, Brock Ghelfi, came up with a huge goal during the decisive Bucknell run. WCS alum Billy Mattimore contributed extensively from his second midfield position.

Drexel beat Albany in a shootout, 20-19. This was a big day for WCS alumni. Ben McIntosh led the way with 4 goals and 2 assists, while Aaron Prosser had 3 goals and 3 assists, and Robert Church finished with 2 goals and 3 assists. The three WCS alums combined for 17 points on the day!

Colgate continued their winning streak with a convincing victory over Dartmouth. WCS alum Peter Baum was unstoppable finishing the day with game high 4 goals and 2 assists.

Denver had a huge weekend notching two victories.  They beat Lehigh 18-10, and turned around the next day to beat Canisius, 11-4. WCS alum, Wes Berg was immense. Versus Lehigh, he led all scorers with 3 goals, while fellow WCS alum, Eric Adamson, chipped in with 2 goals.  In the game versus Canisius, Berg once again led all scorers with a 5 point afternoon on 2 goals and 3 assists, while Adamson chipped in again with a key goal early on. Adrenaline All American goalie Ryan LaPlante got the win in cage with 10 saves and WCS alumsJack Pruitt, Mike Riis, Cole Nordstrom all played pivotal roles in the victory.

Johns Hopkins continued their impressive start, thrashing Michigan, 17-8. WCS alum Pierce Bassett got the win in goal with 10 saves, while Michigan freshman and Adrenaline All American, Mike Hernandez, got his second career start and scored the first goal of the game for the Wolverines.

In one of the biggest games of the early season and a rematch of last years NCAA Championship, Maryland defeated Loyola, 12-10. WCS alum Landon Carr was a beast from his defensive midfield position and contributed a huge transition goal to spark momentum for the Terps. WCS coach Niko Amato was the player of the game in goal with 13 saves, many of which were acrobatic and point-blank.

Fairfield showed the world they are for real, narrowly falling to UNC, 10-9. At one point in the game Fairfield led by as many as five goals and WCS alum, Sam Snow finished with a team high 2 goals and 1 assist.

The upstart Providence Friars collected their second win of the season with an impressive smacking of Vermont. WCS alum Zach Rodgers had 5 groundballs and Jack Cruzan and Griffin Goudreau showed some life coming off the bench. For Vermont, WCS alum Midfielder Andrew Muscara led the way again with 9 groundballs.

Robert Morris notched another big win defeating Detroit this weekend and was led by the offensive exploits of Adrenaline alum, Taylor Graves, on his game high 2 goals and 1 assist.

UVA continued its winning ways with a dominant win over a pesky Stony Brook team. Adrenaline All Americans, Tanner Scales and TannerOttenbreit, were solid on defense all day and combined for 5 groundballs.  WCS alum freshman Challen Rodgers continued his impressive play with a big assist and several nice plays in transition.

UPenn had a huge victory in their season opener beating Duke, 14-9. Adrenaline alum Reid Tudor is a clutch player in the Quaker defense.

Cornell opened their season with a convincing win over Hobart College in the Carrier Dome. It marked the return of Rob Pannell and the first collegiate game for Adrenaline All American and WCS alum, Sean Doyle.

In one of the most exciting games in recent season play, the upstart Penn State Nittany Lions took Notre Dame to overtime before losing. The Nittany Lions showed heart and resilience, including tying the game with one second in regulation. WCS alum Erik Myers and Steven Bogert have established themselves as mainstays on this seasons team and are largely responsible for the programs steady increase in game successes.

Division III

Washington & Lee has risen to the top of the D3 national polls with huge victories over Salisburyand Denison. Adrenaline All American Cole Bollman is a defender for the Generals and former Adrenaline alum, Eddie Vita, chipped in with 2 points for Denison in the loss.

Whittier College jumped out to 2-0 on the season beating Oneonta and Southwestern this weekend.  WCS alum Max Myrick led a defense that was dominant.

Division II

In Division II action, Adrenaline alum Casey Hock had 3 goals to lead the Queens past Wingate 14-5.

Domincan (CA) defeated cross-town rival Notre Dame de Namur handily, 18-3. WCS alums Cody Bernstein, Jake Bernstein and Grant Clifford, totaled 17 points on the day and Adrenaline All American Alex Keuillian racked up 2 groundballs, playing solid defense.

Our corporate fiber is based on serving our players to the best of our ability.  In 2001 with some great NCAA coaches like Kevin Corrigan of Notre Dame, we established the first legitimate recruitment event in the West, the Adrenaline Shootout.  Ever since seeing the impact of that event for players across the West one of our main goals has been to be sure that we provide the absolute best system for players to get recruitment exposure.  With 12 years of experience, a track record backed up by undeniable statistical success rates and a network of NCAA coaches whose trust we have gained, we feel better about that goal than ever before.  We have Jono Zissi, an absolute stud, leading our Recruitment Programs.  An NCAA All American at Tufts, NCAA national championship asst. coach at Tufts, selfless Awareness warrior and top-tier high school coach for Torrey Pines High School no one else could possibly be more qualified.  Any doubters should just check out his blog and soak in the knowledge.  He has helped craft the most powerful, organized and authentic mission-based recruitment system in the game. 

The Adrenaline Recruitment System which is outlined on our website is meant to not only serve the good of the player, but also to create an easy access point for club coaches and community leaders to be able to plug their top kids to get recruited.  It is based off of a tiered model and approach that invites players to specific levels of the system as deemed appropriate.  It is highly organized and quality control is a strict emphasis.  Our hope is to also make the job of the NCAA coaches a heck of a lot easier at all of our events.  While our system design does this naturally, we also have an organized and established mechanism that leads to an extensive personal knowledge of every player at our events.  This mechanism is called the AET (Adrenaline Evaluation Team).  We don’t believe in the “take the money and good luck” model.  The AET serves as an advocate team that is built in and works tirelessly for every player that attends our events.  No additional fee, no profiling up sells. AET will also expand in 2013 as we add more events and more teams.  AET operatives are a team of certified evaluators at every Adrenaline event searching for and grading talented players.  This general score is then used to both find talent for upper level events but also to be used as a general guide for collegiate coaches who are possibly seeing players from a certain region for the first time.  The AET are stealth like agents at each event so don’t look for them…they will find you.

Last year we answered the call from college and high school coaches alike for a paradigm shift from the institutional top level recruitment “money grab” by creating a one of a kind national event that shook the foundation of the recruiting game forever.  Partnering with the esteemed NSCLA, we added the first donation-based charity recruitment event in the country called the Blackcard Showcase in PA.  After getting a cease and desist from AMEX on the logo for this event, pretty pumped about that, we actually have it framed in our office, over our printer....  We have since dropped the centurion knock-off logo but still have the Blackcard name for 2013.  That logo was awesome.  Anyway, this event saw the top 114 players from every region in North America in one venue.  Parlaying off the success of the Blackcard Showcase and a huge 2013 program addition is the NSCLA championships which are the official championships of the top club organizations in the nation.  Yes, we mean the Baltimore Crabs, Long Island Express, True Lacrosse, West Coast Starz,Denver Elite...all the big guys.  We are going to put on one hell of an event for these guys and are grateful for their trust and support.

With the powerful sponsors of Maverick, Cascade, SKLZ& Gatorade we also plan on announcing strategic partnerships and mergers in the near future that will provide more great opportunities for players across the country.

In our fourth and final installment of “Training with the Pro’s” we feature LXM Pro, Johnny Rodriquez.  Johnny was the 2011 USILA Division 3 National Goaltender of the Year, a USILA first team All-American, and a two-time National Champion atSalisburyUniversity.  We asked Johnny for his favorite drills to get ready for the LXM season and this is what he had to say.

Jump Rope ~ 4-5 times per week for 5 minutes

Jumping rope is one of the best ways to improve foot and hand speed, agility, and coordination.  It is a tried and true method that is effective for any position on the field.  It takes very little room, and improvement can be seen with as little as 5 minutes a day. Below are just a few of the drills that can be done.  I numbered these from basic to advance.

1. Double Leg – jump as fast as you can with both feet.  Do not double jump!
2. Single Leg-Left/Right – jump as fast as you can using one foot.  Don’t double jump!
3. Single Leg Alternating – jump twice with one foot and then switch to the other.
4. Ali’s – jump switching your forward and backward leg with every jump.
5. Double Leg Lateral – both feet together and jump side-to-side as you clear the rope.
6. Double Leg Linear - both feet together and jump forward and backward as you clear the rope.
7. High Knees – alternating feet as you bring the opposite knee up to 90 degrees.
8. Double Unders – jump as fast as you can with both feet and trying to bring the rope under your feet twice with every jump.      

Try to master the first drill before moving on to the next.  Once you can do 5 minutes without stopping, move on to the next drill.  Eventually, you should be able to move in and out of each drill without stopping.  To make it competitive give yourself a goal whether it’s time or execution.

Example of 5-minute program:

• Double Leg – 60 seconds
• Single Leg, Left – 15 seconds
• Single Leg, Right – 15 seconds
• Ali’s – 30 seconds
• High Knees – 30 seconds
• Single Leg Alternating – 60 seconds
• Double Leg, Lateral – 30 seconds
• Double Leg, Linear – 30 seconds
• Double Unders – 30 seconds

There are countless options to the order and difficulties you can make.  See how many combinations of drills you can come up with.

LXM Pro Tip:  Try to focus on staying on the balls of your feet and turning your wrist over.  Being quick and reacting to shots with confidence is the difference between winning and losing games.

AdrenaFit Tip:  Set a goal as to how many jumps you want to perform for each drill.  If you don’t hit that number then complete 10 up/downs.  If you exceed the number of jumps then raise it next time.  As the number increases you are making improvements.

These drills can be done before practice, after practice, or on weekends to get your game dialed in.  Let us know how these drills work for you or what you do to get ready for your season. 

Jesse Foss is the director of training at Adrenaline Lacrosse.  He graduated from Stony Brook University and was a two-year starter at midfield.  Prior to that he played at Nassau Community College where he won a national championship in 1999.  Jesse has been training high school and college athletes, as well as, the general population for the last 10 years.  He holds multiple degrees and advanced certifications in performance training, corrective exercise, and sports nutrition.  He is currently the head lacrosse coach at La Costa Canyon High School.  His teams have gone 40-5 in the 2 seasons and finished 2012 ranked #18 in the nation by Inside Lacrosse.  Jesse’s experience as a player, coach, and trainer give him insight to exactly what players’ need to be successful at the highest level.

ADRENALINE STARZ MERGER:  One of the most, if not the most important move that we made in 2013 was the completion of the official merger with Starz Lacrosse Clubs. While this merger rounds out the Adrenaline program offerings it also officially provided the final puzzle piece to the extensive and highly effective Adrenaline Recruitment System.  Many may not realize (I actually didn't) that Starz, founded by Scott Hochstadt in 2005, is the country’s largest competitive club lacrosse organization.  While this fact alone is both awe-inspiring and beneficial to the Adrenaline business, neither of these aspects were the most significant factors in this merger.  What truly excited us is the unique combination of clear mission, proven impact, family feel, and cohesive nature of all of the top quality club programs, directors & coaches.  The quick and dirty is that this special synergy just helps kids succeed.  Lots of kids succeed.  The statistics and historical track record speaks for itself.  The secret sauce is strong caring leaders with a shared and focused mission, putting faith in a well thought out and highly effective mechanism, with dedicated personnel.  In a business where the landscape is often marked by clubs battling and speaking negatively about one another it was refreshing to see so many great programs unified about the future of lacrosse.  This fact is everything to Adrenaline. 

          By nature the Adrenaline Starz program has an extremely wide range of benefits and benefactors.  It is not designed to just benefit the players.  It is also meant to serve the club programs, its directors, coaches and to take it one step further, the NCAA collegiate coaches.  These local and regional club directors are the activists who are truly building the game and serving the players altruistically in their respective regions.  They ensure the game is growing in the right way.  Yes, some if not all of them make money off of these programs but all of them get excellent results and help countless players achieve goals and succeed.  Adrenaline Starz is also a humble servant and supporter of the dedicated NCAA coaches who trust and believe in us enough to annually recruit exponentially more Adrenaline players into their programs.  We 100% want these guys to be successful and want our system to increase their ability to do so.  This combination of serving the players, regional club activists and collegiate coaches is what truly fuels the responsible growth of the game.  We believe that this will help ensure that the new generation of lacrosse is ushered forth in a positive way.  Better than past generations.

          These standards that we uphold lend themselves to only a select group of club programs clearing the application process to become Starz programs. Adrenaline Starz programs must exhibit not only a healthy program structure across multiple levels but also illustrate clearly that they have the absolute best interests of that specific area in mind.  Basically they must prove that they are the servants of the players and families of that region.  It’s definitely not a fool proof system and ultimately comes down to a judgment call from a Starz Advisory Board composed of regional club directors and the Adrenaline leadership.  Mistakes have definitely been made but luckily we have corrected them quickly with minimal collateral damage.  Please understand that I sincerely do not mean to imply that if a club program is not an Adrenaline Starz affiliate then they are sub-par.   The reality is that there are very good club programs everywhere in this country with guys doing it the right way for the right reasons.  I can think of a dozen off the top of my head that are not Starz programs.  We salute those guys and would be very happy to serve and support them in any way we can at Adrenaline. 

          The nuts and bolts of what this merger really means is that by using the Adrenaline “Barn” and its resources, we are able to increase the amazing effectiveness that Starz already enjoys.  We are doing this with added organizational, marketing and sponsorship support.  We have been able to focus the mission, enhance the programming, increase operational efficiencies and pump the visibility. All of this will take Starz clubs to a higher level and ultimately help more kids succeed. 

Some specific immediate improvements involve the 2013 addition of awesome top level club teams to the already strong Adrenaline Starz family. These new Starz regional clubs include guys like the AZ Force out of Phoenix, SALA out of Tucson, Saddleback in Orange County, Denver Elite and ADVNC out of NorCal.  Such programs will join perennial western powers such as LaxDawgs, RC and Mavs from San Diego, OC Kings, LA Lazers,Utah, Vegas and Seattle to name a few.  For complete list just check out the website. Most importantly, they also share the Adrenaline Starz mission as dedicated drivers serving their communities well. More teams are in the works as we go through various applications from clubs across the country. Email info@starzlax.comto apply.

Another improvement is the revamping of the #1 ranked club team in the country, and the crown jewel of the starz model, the West Coast Starz.  Enjoying a near 100% Collegiate Placement Rate, and being one of two programs in the West with a coveted spot in the NSCLA, this “revamp” was not an easy task.  (NSCLA is a national org of the top clubs in North America ie..Baltimore Crabs, Laxachussets, LI Express etc.)  As more regional programs were approved to join the Starz family as the skill level of the top players got dramatically better, it was clear that we needed to add a layer to serve a larger population of top players. This necessitated the addition of WCS Sectional teams.  These teams are composed of the best players in the first 3 regions we have decided to carefully roll out: SoCal, Desert, and Northwest.  With the tremendous talent level on all of these teams, and the West Coast Starz name behind it we are confident that that the WCS near perfect CPR will stay intact. Consistent with the WCS model will be bi-annual trips to the East Coast to compete in the top recruitment events in the country.

Other improvements involve the curriculum inclusion of various elements from the new Adrenaline Training Programs led by Jesse Foss and Kyle Harrison. This includes everything from nutrition to athletic training and coaching seminars.  As usual former NCAA championship asst. coach for Tufts, and current head coach at Torrey Pines, Jon Zissi will be bending over backwards to ensure Starz players get every opportunity they deserve.  As the leader of the Adrenaline Evaluation Team (AET), his ability to guide as well as activate the Adrenaline recruiter’s network is second to none.  I think that is about it.  There is a ton of great things in store for the 2013 Adrenaline Starz programs that we just can’t tell you about yet.  Stay tuned on the Starz Blog and our social media network.

ADRENALINE LACROSSE
JOB OPENING
MARKETING PRODUCER 

Hours

Full Time Salary

Job Description

Adrenaline is a fast paced organization that provides an array of services to the youth sports community; retail, wholesale, professional games, event management and event registrations.

This candidate will be extremely flexible and enjoy a positive “startup” mentality in an environment that changes daily. Candidates who are autonomous, collaborative, open minded and with a proclivity for efficiency and procedure are at the top of our list.

Position reports directly to the CMO and Marketing Director.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of online marketing (websites, email marketing, landing pages)
• Strong interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills 
• Strong organization skills
• Creative thinker
• Enthusiastic about integrated marketing/e-marketing 
• Experience managing multi-channel campaigns
• Demonstrated ability to work independently under pressure, communicate proactively, manage several projects simultaneously, and prioritize appropriately
• Knowledge of the sport of lacrosse
• Degree in Marketing, Business or Communications or equivalent work experience
• Excellent analytical and problem solving talents

Responsibilities

Overview: Marketing Producers will be responsible for the production and execution of marketing campaigns.

• Creative input with the direction, vision and feel of the campaign
  -Taglines
  -Art approval
  -Channel execution
• Coordination and input into the structure and timeline of the plan with Marketing Director
• Coordination in the production marketing assets with the Art Director and Art Team
  -Ensuring all artistic elements of your campaign are executed in a timely fashion
• Coordination in the production of marketing assets with the Copywriter
  -Ensuring all written elements of your campaign are executed in a timely and effective fashion
• Coordination with point people of accounts including but not limited to programing and operational team for that product
  -Ensuring website is up-to-date
  -Ensuring operational elements are executed in a manner consistent with campaign
  -Ensuring campaign meets the goals of the account/program
• Execution of marketing actions with deliverables and assets according to the dates of the plan through the distribution of materials to the appropriate marketing channels.
• Being the onsite marketing point person for specified account when applicable.
  -Executing onsite content plan (OCP)
  -Arranging and coordinating photographers, press, as well as videographers.
  -Providing story lines & shot lists
  -Executing on site activation plan (OAP)
  -Arranging and supervising a staff of marketing personnel to execute the marketing activation elements.

To Apply, Contact: info@adrln.com

Player tracker week 4 was yet another week of amazing individual efforts, big upsets and parity across the board. Marquette University earned their first victory in program history and did it in their second game as a varsity program defeating a red hot Air Force team.

Cornell scored two big victories this week, defeating Bighamton 11-6 and thrashing Colgate, 19-3. The Big Red held Tewaarton winner Peter Baum to one assist and Adrenaline All AmericanSean Doyle, played a key role in the win for Cornell.

Drexel had a big week with two huge and narrow victories. They beat cross-town rival Villanova, 12-10. WCS alums had a huge day in the win, with Ben McIntosh registering 3, 2 and Aaron Prosser and Robert Church recording goals. This weekend the Dragons snuck by with a 13-12 win over Robert Morris. WCS alum Robert Church had a monster game with 5, 2 and Prosser and McIntosh recorded 2 points each. Adrenaline alum Taylor Graves had a big day in the loss for the Colonials with 3 assists.

Virginiafinished the week at 1-1 with a big victory over Mount St. Mary’s 18-11. WCS alum Rob Emery led the way with 4, 1 while Rhody Heller saw action for the first time this season in net, while Tanner Scales and TannerOttenbreit assisted in protecting cage. Adrenaline All American Matt Florence made the most of his playing time on the second midfield line. Virginia lost a heartbreaker to Syracuse this weekend, 9-8. Emery chipped in with 2, 0 while Oregon product Henry Schoonmaker had a pivotal goal for the Orange.

Stony Brook notched two wins this week defeating St. Johns11-7 and narrowly beating Rutgers, 9-8. WCS alum Challen Rodgers was big all week recording 1, 1 in the St. Johns victory and accomplishing a career high 3, 3 in the Rutgers victory. Rodgers has emerged as one of the most prolific freshman in the country.

Dartmouthgot their first win of the season over Vermont, 13-8. Adrenaline All American and Tropics player Adam Fishman played solid all day and finished the game with 1 goal and 3 helpers, while Awareness member Bobby Osgood scooped a game high 9 groundballs from his LSM position. Andrew Muscara continued his groundball prowess notching 9 in this game and 9 in Vermont’s overtime win over Bryant. Dartmouth dropped a heartbreaker to Georgetown this weekend, Fishman managed to chip in another goal, continuing his scoring streak.

Fairfieldfinished the week at 1-1. The Stags bounced back nicely from a loss to Hofstra and beat a strong UMBC team. Sam Snow had 2 assists in the loss and a hat trick in the victory, while Cameron Parker made strong contributions from his second midfield slot.

Lehigh got back on track with a thrashing of VMI, 18-2. WCS alums Noah Molnar and Will Mckee were influential in the win.

Denver continued to play well, beating a strong UPenn team, 15-12. WCS alum Wes Berg was unstoppable registering with a game high 7 goals, while fellow WCS alum Eric Adamson chipped in a hat trick. Adrenaline All American goalie Ryan LaPlante finished with 5 saves.

Notre Dame won yet another overtime thriller, this one at the hands of UNC, 10-9. Adrenaline All Americans and WCS alums Kyle Runyon and Eddy Glazener are a big part of the Notre Dame program.

Jacksonville scored a big 9-8 victory over a pesky High Point squad. Adrenaline All Americans and freshmen Dakota Rohlin and Bryce Parietti each contributed goals in the contest.

Brown pulled out possibly the biggest upset of the weekend defeating Umass 9-8, with Adrenaline All American BaileyTills chipping in as an impact freshman.

Ohio State pulled another big upset this weekend, coming back to defeat PennState10-9. WCS alums Erik Myers (1 assist) and LSM Steven Bogert were big for the Nittany Lions.

Maryland showed the world just how good they really are this season, crushing Duke, 16-7. WCS alum and team captain, Landon Carr was big all day from SSDM position and chipped in with an assist on the offensive end, while WCS coach, Niko Amato got the win in net.

Bucknell continued their strong season notching a convincing win over Navy, 11-2. Adrenaline All American Brock Ghelfi continued his stellar freshman season while Adrenaline Tropic Zack Henkhaus continued to be scrappy for the Bison from his defensive midfield position.

Another big win was Yale handily beating an Albanyteam that had just beaten Syracusea week earlier. WCS alum Alex Moffit and Adrenaline All Americans JW McGovern and Micheal Keasey are all big players for the Bulldogs this season.

The upstart and reborn Providence Friars pushed their record to 3-0 with a win over Manhattanthis season. WCS coach Brett Holm and the rest of the staff are turning this program around quicker than anyone anticipated.

DII and DIII

Dominican (CA) lost a tough Division II match up this weekend to Chestnut Hill. WCS alums Cody Bernstein,andJake Bernstein combined for 6 points while Adrenaline Tropic GrantClifford had a goal from his crease position.

Colorado Mesa beat in-state rival Colorado Collegein a Division II meets Division III game. WCS alum Steve Bradenburg led all scorers with 3, 1 while Stephen Dunn added an assist and Brad Bradenburg got the win in net with a game high 16 stops.

The biggest upset in Division III this weekend saw Wasington College upend Washington & Lee, 8-4. Adrenaline Tropic Johnny Poe was making plays all over the field from his LSM position and Kodie Englehart came off the bench an added an assist in the win.

Skidmore Head Coach and Adrenaline family member Jack Sandler notched a big win over Bates on Saturday with Adrenaline alum Matty O’hara scoring a pivotal goal in the stretch run.

        We are thrilled to announce our newest charity partner, Rady Children's, the largest children's hospital in California.

We had an incredible time helping out at the Rady Children’s “Heart Party” a couple weeks ago. Every year they hold a party for all current and former heart patients who were born with heart complications and congenital defects. One of our local Starz Lacrosse players and his mom asked if we would be interested in having a booth at the event to support Rady Children’s Hospital. We weren’t really sure what to expect but thought it would be worthwhile. If you read my last blog you would know that worthwhile was a severe understatement. It was truly an incredible experience. The kids had an awesome time and it was clear that the volunteers did as well. We knew this is something we wanted to become more involved with.

Our Breast Cancer Awareness socks have become one of our top sellers and each year we are able to donate a decent chunk of change to the Kelly Rooney Foundation. We knew if our design team could create a cool “heart sock” then we could duplicate the same model with hopes of donating a significant amount of money to this incredible charity as well.

Like usual, we underestimated our Art Department. And, like usual, they knocked it out of the park. These things socks should be available in a month or so and if you purchase a pair of them, you’ll look pretty cool BUT, more importantly, you will be helping an unbelievable charity.

Stay tuned for more updates with our involvement at the Rady Children's Hospital. We're going to have some LXM Pro's as well as our top designers visit some of their patients and hang out for the day. Gonna be a blast...I'll keep you posted!

Thanks to everyone who made it out to our first Adrenaline Flash Sale last weekend. Make sure so stay tuned to our social media sites tomorrow morning as we announce the sales for this weekend! I promise you this will be a great one!

Last weekend our stores were packed with families who wanted to come in and check out our first Adrenaline Flash Sale. We wanted to start off with a sale on lacrosse heads to make sure our players had an extra stick for the season. For those of you who missed out last week, no worries! Each week we will be focusing on a different section of our stores so stay tuned to our web and social media sites to stay up to date!

This week, we wanted to hit one of our hottest categories with Adrenaline Apparel. This includes all of your favorite Adrenaline Socks, T-Shirts, Hats, Jackets, Shorts and Footwear!

Make sure to swing by your local Adrenaline retail store this weekend to grab some great deals on all your favorite apparel.

Our stores are open on Saturday from 10:00-5:00 and on Sunday from 11:00-4:00.

See you in the store!

LXM made power moves last year as the company combined forces with Adrenaline Lacrosse to form LXMATS—a one-of-a-kind event combining Pro Lacrosse and the Adrenaline Tournament Series. In 2012, LXMATS provided a platform for LXM Pro, presented by Champion Athleticwear, to play a full-length professional lacrosse game featuring forty of the sports' most elite athletes in seven different venues west of the Mississippi. More importantly, LXMATS proved not only a way to showcase talent at the professional level, but also became an important component of growing the game in the West by way of high school, middle school, and youth competition.

Adrenaline took on the responsibility of organizing team attendance at LXMATS events, with the number of participating teams varying from venue to venue. Fortunately, the series landed many repeat teams, ranging from Starz club programs (now merged with Adrenaline), to Utah programs, to several international programs from Canada. In the course of a weekend, each team plays upwards of five games in an electric Adrenaline atmosphere. Although LXMATS are not official recruiting events, the Adrenaline Evaluation Team assesses players at these events for future Adrenaline recruiting events, such as the Black Card Showcase (June 14th) and the Boys Showcase (July 11-12th).  LXMATS sets LXM apart from other pro leagues because these tournaments allow players to interact with LXM Pro players through clinics, coaching, and autograph signings following the game. These tournaments also offer Notre Dame coaching clinics for all coaches interested in learning from some of the best coaches in college lacrosse. With these interactive elements, LXMATS 2012 set the stage for exponential growth in 2013, namely the addition of eight new cities to the circuit. 

With the help of high profiled sponsors, including STX, Cascade, Gatorade, TLN, SKLZ, and newly signed Knockaround, the LXMATS 2013 tour presents new key elements that will enhance the ability of LXM and Adrenaline to spread the growth of lacrosse. This year, LXMATS will travel coast to coast for the first time, bringing LXMATS to the spotlight on a national scale. Just as the Baltimore Crabs, one of the most pronounced teams on the east coast, attended the Challenge in Del Mar, CA this past January, the hope is to commit some west coast teams to play in the east coast LXMATS tournaments. Bringing the series to the East will give west coast players an opportunity to play “hot bed” lacrosse teams. Since LXM and Adrenaline are both headquartered in California, LXMATS brings a unique twist to the lacrosse scene: east coast players wanting to play in an event that has west coast ownership. For many, it will be exciting to see the two worlds collide, as players from the East have a sense of pride to protect, while players from the West have something to prove.

Nevertheless, the tour has opened up many opportunities to hype the game of lacrosse in areas that have barely scratched the surface regarding the sport. JR Oreskovich, a LXM Pro player for team Sole and marketing producer for Adrenaline comments, “I am excited to go to Atlanta because it is representative of where the sport is going because it’s one of the markets that is growing. It allows us to showcase the next level of lacrosse to those areas that don’t get to see it on an every day basis.” These words mean a lot coming from a San Diego native, a region that dramatically helped facilitate the success of LXM and Adrenaline’s influence in the lacrosse world. Gaining awareness in these areas will ultimately put these developing lacrosse communities and cities on the map, creating diversity in the lacrosse world that has, up until recently, remained one-note. In addition to Atlanta, GA, LXMATS will also travel to Chicago, IL, Blaine, MN, Portland, OR, New York, San Francisco, CA, Philadelphia, PA, and Dallas, TX for the first time. Cities that have previously hosted LXMATS and will mark another stop on the 2013 tour include Orange County, CA, San Diego, CA, Orem, Utah, Phoenix, AZ, Las Vegas, NV, and SoCal. “I am excited to go back to all of the cities we’ve been to, especially Utah, which was probably our most successful event,” says Oreskovich. “The West Coast Starz program, where many of the participating teams come from, has opened my eyes to the development in those markets and I can’t wait to see how far they’ve come since our last event.”

The first LXMATS tournament coincides with the Adrenaline All American game, which lends itself to ideal lacrosse exposure between watching the best of the West and best in professional lacrosse all in one weekend. Team STX will face off against team Sole, with returning members such as Kyle Harrison, Sam Bradman, and Max Ritz for STX, and Johnny Christmas, Sean Lindsey, and Brandon Corp for Sole. LXM has also added some big names to the 2013 roster, including players from top collegiate lacrosse programs such as UNC and Syracuse. Players will sport the much-anticipated 2013 Adrenaline treated jerseys provided by Champion. Join LXMATS 2013 as it kicks off the season in Orange County, June 8th!

AdrenaFit– Recovery Series

The next 4 weeks we will be diving into recovery and how it can improve each athlete’s performance.  We will be covering self-myofascial release, movement preparation, static stretching, and nutrition.

Before starting any program I would recommend that every athlete get a movement assessment from a qualified athletic trainer.  This is always the first step in the AdrenaFit program.  By giving each athlete a movement assessment we can determine if there are any muscular deviations and can create a personalized program to help correct these issues. 

The first installment in our recovery series is Self Myofascial Release.  The goal of SMR is to improve the quality of the soft tissue and increase range of motion.  Throughout the season, lacrosse players will accrue trauma to the soft tissue and muscle soreness that will limit range of motion.  A lot of times, this kind of damage is not felt until a certain area is pressed and you can feel a knot, or contusion.  It’s similar to taking a rubber band, tying a knot in the middle of it, and as it stretches it becomes limited by the knot.  If the rubber band continues to stretch, it will tear/snap above or below the knot.  Our muscles work in a similar fashion; if there is a knot in the tissue it will limit movement.  As we push harder it will eventually pull or tear.

Soft Tissue Work can be done using a foam roller, a massage stick, or even a lacrosse ball.  The goal of the soft tissue work is to break up these knots by applying pressure to the affected muscle.  At first it will be painful but through repeated use it will become easier.  Also, if you are consistent in your SMR program you will feel less and less knots each time.  You should feel your range of motion increase over time and feel fewer aches and pains.

Here is a simple test to show you how quick and effective SMR increases your range of motion. 

Stand up with your feet together and bend down to touch your toes.  Take a second to remember how close you are able to get your hands to the floor. 

Next, take a lacrosse ball and roll it along the bottom of your foot with gentle pressure.  This are is called your plantar fascia and runs along the bottom of the foot.  Continue rolling the ball for 60 seconds and then switch feet.  Make sure you relax your foot and roll the entire length of the foot.

Now go back and repeat the first stretch by trying to touch your toes.  You should see a drastic difference in how far you can stretch to the floor.

This simple test shows how effective SMR can be when treating pre-existing issues and general maintenance.   When applied to the muscles most commonly used in lacrosse; the lower body, thoracic spine, and rotators cuffs it can be an effective tool in combating injuries. 

I recommend doing some type of soft tissue work prior to practice or training on the areas that are the biggest concern.  You will realize these areas as you start to foam roll.   I would spend 1 minute on each muscle starting at your lower extremities and working up to the center of your body.  If you’re experiencing a lot of soreness, like after a game or the first couple of practices, then I would recommend foam rolling in the morning and evening to increase blood flow to the affected areas as well as relieving the knots.

Stay tuned for next week’s installment of the AdrenaFit Recovery Series when we discuss movement preparation.

Jesse Foss is the director of training at Adrenaline Lacrosse.  He graduated from Stony Brook University and was a two-year starter at midfield.  Prior to that he played at Nassau Community College where he won a national championship in 1999.  Jesse has been training high school and college athletes, as well as, the general population for the last 10 years.  He holds multiple degrees and advanced certifications in performance training, corrective exercise, and sports nutrition.  He is currently the head lacrosse coach at La Costa Canyon High School.  His teams have gone 40-5 in the 2 seasons and finished 2012 ranked #18 in the nation by Inside Lacrosse.  Jesse’s experience as a player, coach, and trainer give him insight to exactly what players need to be successful at the highest level.

All of us at Adrenaline want to give a special shout out to our boy Murphy who is set to take the field this year! Murphy hails from Wheatridge, Colorado so for all of you in Colorado... You've been warned! Rumor has it, Murphy is a ground ball machine.

Good luck Murphy and thanks for letting Adrenaline be part of your lacrosse journey!