Lacrosse All Stars Network

Eli Gobrecht is the product of D3 Ithaca College and he's damn proud of it. His time at Ithaca prepared him, although be it through an untraditional path, for life as a pro lacrosse player. In this week's episode he sits down with the guys from Going Offsides to discuss what its like being a "full-time" professional player, and what exactly that means. Later in the show Eli talks about the D1 or bust mentality that a lot of recruits have, and if that attitude is good for lacrosse. We also hear his opinions on the PLL/MLL merger, having been one of the first MLL guys to transition after the first PLL season. Eli is incredibly grateful for his time playing in Denver, but was attracted to the aggressiveness and progressiveness of the PLL. Last Week Most of us, players, coaches, parents, and fans missed all or part of the last spring season, which now puts extra weight on having a successful season this year. This is where Mark Glicini comes in. Not only is he one of the best defensive midfielders in the world, h

Happy New Year everyone! We've made it through 2020 and I know we're all looking forward to what 2021 has to offer. Today's very special guest is professional lacrosse player Mark Glicini. Most of us, players/coaches/parents/fans, missed all or part of the last spring season, which puts extra weight on having a successful season this year. This is where Mark comes in, not only is he one of the best defensive midfielders in the world, he's also extremely passionate about performance and training. While he does offer training in the traditional sense, today we're focusing on mental performance and mental conditioning. You think you have goals set for 2021, now how are you going to meet them? Is it possible to exceed them? Listening to today's episode not only gives you insight into Mark Glicini the lacrosse player, but it also helps you learn about sports psychology, gives you tips to achieve your goals, and everything we discuss is actionable. You'll also get to hear his personal thoughts on the PLL/MLL merger

This week continue our PLL Merger fantasies and talk about what the league might look like moving forward, including some interesting ideas about a possible hybrid tour model. Then we talk to Tom Herbert, the brain behind the Flex Force. What is a flex force? Tom describes it best, "for years, lacrosse players were forced to come up with their own methods of widening their lacrosse stick heads. While rudimentary tools such as: tuna cans, hockey pucks, and softballs were most commonly used, none of these provided reassurance that the head was being properly expanded. Not only was the distance of expansion unknown, but the item used to put pressure against the inner walls of the head may not have been sturdy enough or been able to provide uniform pressure. In short, there simply wasn’t a proper tool for the job………until now. FlexForce has been specifically designed, tested and manufactured to correctly and uniformly widen a lacrosse head back to a game-legal, desired distance. No more shots i

This week we start the episode by talking about the biggest news in our sport, the PLL/MLL merger. If you didn't hear about it on Wednesday, Ryan Conwell wrote a great piece that can fill you in on everything we know and makes some educated guesses as to what may be in store moving forward. You can read that article here: A Deep Dive into the PLL & MLL Merger . After discussing the "merger" we immediately pivot and welcome our featured guest, Chris Kolon. Chris is a proud Rutgers alum, former Atlas LC assistant, and currently the head men's coach for the University of Detroit Mercy (he also gave me my fist job in college lacrosse many years ago). Chris and I talk about building culture, recruiting, Michigan high school lacrosse, and being a part of PLL's inaugural season. Last Week: We welcomed NLL player and all-around good guy Latrell Harris. Latrell talked about his journey from playing high school lacrosse to being drafted at just 18 years old by the Toronto Rock. Now he is entering his 5th year in th

This week we welcome NLL player and all-around good guy Latrell Harris. Latrell talks about his journey from playing high school lacrosse to being drafted at just 18 years old by the Toronto Rock. Now he is entering his 5th year in the league and looks to build on previous success. To learn more about Latrell you can follow him on social media or read more about him through the LAS series of articles: Tracksuits, Joggers & Long Sleeves – My Guide to Style Latrell Harris Survived Racism in Sports Thank You, Mum – How I Made It Latrell Harris Shows Age Is Just a Number – How He Went from High School to NLL Last Week: We welcomed Wes Berg (NLL/PLL) and Scott Fitchett (MSN Lazer), who discussed the development of MSN Lazer, a Canadian company that creates not only some of the coolest custom works of art, but also extremely high quality wood shafts. Check out their product line at https://msnlazer.ca/. You can follow both MSN Lazer and Wes Berg on instagram here: @wesleyberg14 @msn_lazer We thank Lat

This week we welcome Wes Berg (NLL/PLL) and Scott Fitchett (MSN Lazer), who will discuss the development of MSN Lazer, a Canadian company that creates not only some of the coolest custom works of art, but also extremely high quality wood shafts. Check out their product line at https://msnlazer.ca/. Wes plays in both the PLL and NLL and he sheds light on what its like to be a pro, and how an unlikely turn of events brought him and Scott to work together. https://open.acast.com/public/streams/5c6dce2547d66b5d77eaee95/episodes/5fbfeaf784fdc31f31f57f01.m4a You can follow both MSN Lazer and Wes Berg on instagram here: @wesleyberg14 @msn_lazer The Going Offsides shop is now open, head to www.laxallstars.com/going-offsides to get a shirt, hoodie, or other sick accessories. Use code GOINGOFFSIDES for 20% your purchase. If you enjoy the show and the time we put into this, we appreciate any and all support! GTG x Going Offsides Fleece Pullover GTG x Going Offsides Pullover Hoodie Last Week: What a treat we had

What a treat we have today. Not only is it the beginning of Season 2, but it's also the week that we feature LVL Lacrosse and one of the greatest players in the games history, Mark Millon. LVL Lacrosse is the brain child of Muamer Razic. Muamer came to the USA as a refugee from Bosnia, and with the help of a dedicated team, has built LVL lacrosse. The mission of LVL is "to help you reimagine your game by providing you with unique player enhancement tools designed to take your game to a whole new level." It's safe to say they are well on their way as the first round of their new training and playing products has already sold out! What does Season 2 have to offer? Not only will we continue to have fantastic guests on the show, but we've also added a new intro (shout out to Chazz Woodson), we have a new home at www.laxallstars.com/goingoffsides (great place to get 20% off lacrosse products), and we have a custom Growing The Game shirt in the LAS Shop. We run the show with little to no ads, which means we'd reall

What a treat we have today. Not only is it the beginning of Season 2, but it's also the week that we feature LVL Lacrosse and one of the greatest players in the games history, Mark Millon. LVL Lacrosse is the brain child of Muamer Razic. Muamer came to the USA as a refugee from Bosnia, and with the help of a dedicated team, has built LVL lacrosse. The mission of LVL is "to help you reimagine your game by providing you with unique player enhancement tools designed to take your game to a whole new level." It's safe to say they are well on their way as the first round of their new training and playing products has already sold out! What does Season 2 have to offer? Not only will we continue to have fantastic guests on the show, but we've also added a new intro (shout out to Chazz Woodson), we have a new home at www.laxallstars.com/goingoffsides (great place to get 20% off lacrosse products), and we have a custom Growing The Game shirt in the LAS Shop. We run the show with little to no ads, which means we'd reall

For our season one finale, we welcome Hampton Head Coach and Former MLL/LXM Pro, Chazz Woodson. Coach has spent the last 15 years teaching and coaching in Florida while having one of the more interesting pro careers. A veteran of both the MLL and LXM pro tour, along with several tournaments, Chazz has been a figure in the lacrosse world for many years. During our conversation he speaks about his current role and Hampton University, his education at Brown, playing professionally, and he shares with us many details that I don’t think the average lacrosse fan would ever know. Coach has been involved in so many different roles in lacrosse, we were tempted to call him the most interesting man in lacrosse. Earlier This Week: On episode 24 we speak to the social media myth ECD Greg. Greg Kinneally and his brother Mike are the brains behind the ECD Lacrosse. ECD has grown from Greg selling his custom string jobs on ebay to one of the sports most exciting brands. In the past you may have known ECD for their mesh but t

On episode 24 we speak to the social media myth ECD Greg. Greg Kinneally and his brother Mike are the brains behind the ECD Lacrosse. ECD has grown from Greg selling his custom string jobs on ebay to one of the sports most exciting brands. In the past you may have known ECD for their mesh but they have quickly and thoughtfully expanded into other products such as heads, shafts, and apparel. When Greg isn’t working at HQ he is probably on a lacrosse field somewhere combining his passion for lacrosse with his passion for video editing. The product of these passions are often seen online as highlight reels and even ECD commercials. Check them out at www.ecdlax.com Last Week: Episode 23 was another great one as we talk with Florida Southern Head Coach Marty Ward. Marty is one of the best and most thoughtful coaches in the game, and he speaks with us about growing up off the reservation, having lacrosse be a major link to his heritage and culture. He also talks about how COVID has affected his scheduling

Episode 23 is another great one as we talk with Florida Southern Head Coach Marty Ward. Marty is one of the best and most thoughtful coaches in the game, and he speaks with us about growing up off the reservation, having lacrosse be a major link to his heritage and culture. He also talks about how COVID has affected his scheduling and practice planning this year. He also gives us some hints as to what players within the Iroquois program are primed to make waves in college this year. Last Week: WOW… We started this podcast in July as a hobby, without a guest or any plans to bring guests on right away. Fast forward 4 months and we’re at episode 22, we’ve had incredible guests, and today is a very special one for both of us. It’s no coincidence that on episode 22 we brought in a Syracuse legend, and while he never wore 22 he’s certainly harassed a bunch of them in his day, Ric Beardsley. Ric has countless accolades to his name, he was a 4x All-American 2x National Champion at Syracuse, is currently the

WOW… We started this podcast in July as a hobby, without a guest or any plans to bring guests on right away. Fast forward 4 months and we’re at episode 22, we’ve had incredible guests, and today is a very special one for both of us. It’s no coincidence that on episode 22 we brought in a Syracuse legend, and while he never wore 22 he’s certainly harassed a bunch of them in his day, Ric Beardsley. Ric has countless accolades to his name, he was a 4x All-American 2x National Champion at Syracuse, is currently the head coach at CBA (an elite boy’s high school program in upstate New York), a master clinician, and he recently became an assistant coach for ATLAS LC of the PLL. Talking with Coach Ric was one of easiest and most enlightening experiences I’ve had in my lacrosse life, I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. Last Week: What is Wayward Trading Post? In short, it’s a collection of carefully curated items created by owners Tina and Justin Skaggs. Justin and Tina have taken their passion for lacrosse and repu

What is Wayward Trading Post? In short, it’s a collection of carefully curated items created by owners Tina and Justin Skaggs. Who is Justin Skaggs? If the name sounds familiar that’s because the former stylin strings guru and uber skilled wood stick maker is no stranger to the LAS platform. He is using the Wayward Trading Post to allow him to expand his horizons and fill the creative vacuum that making sticks alone couldn’t fullfill. Justin and Tina have taken their passion for lacrosse and repurposed it into a unique line of products that are not only incredibly useful, they could also save your life? Have you ever been walking through the woods and needed a blanket for warmth, matches for a fire, a knife for protection, or needed to wrap check a wild aggressive animal (not recommended), check out the Wayward Survival Stick Last Week: In Episode 20 we spoke to Dan the CEO and Founder (and former d1/d2 middie) of Signature Sports. Signature is rising brand in the game that’s well known for premium lacrosse b

Episode 20 keeps the focus on gear and tech and it's a great one for you. Nick and Ryan sit down with former D1/D2 player and current CEO/Founder of Signature Lacrosse, Dan Soviero. This was easily the most candid conversation we’ve had to date on the podcast and we hope you enjoy hearing about how a little bit of luck and a whole lot of hustle can help you reach your goals. Dan, like may lacrosse players saw ways for the game to improve, specifically the ball. He speaks about his journey from his lax house basement in Queens to his current multi-million dollar set up in Tampa. Balls aren't the only thing Dan and Signature are innovating, they’ve also made strides with net technology and are reimagining how we order team apparel. Last Week: In Episode 19 we spoke to Coach Sean Quirk. The first part of the show addressed college athletics, Coach Quirk is a current assistant AD and former coach at Endicott College, and he provides some valuable insight into what the future of college sports may have, and how th

Episode 19 already? Well it's here and we have a great one for you. Nick and Ryan sit down with 2020 MLL Championship Coach Sean Quirk of the Boston Cannons. Coach Quirk was an absolute pleasure to have and we're sure he’ll end up on the show again in the future. The first part of the show addresses college athletics and since Coach Quirk is an assistant AD and former coach at Endicott College, he's able to provide some valuable insight into what the future of college sports may have, and how things are changing quickly. Going Offsides with Sean Quirk Our conversation then transitions into pro lacrosse. We talk about the Cannons organization, how the team was built for the bubble season, and what ultimately helped them win the 2020 MLL Championship. Lastly, we talk about Coach about his newest project, Peak Pro Sport, a company he helped start to address what he thinks are important needs in the lacrosse market. Affordable equipment and apparel that doesn’t sacrifice quality. Be sure to check out our contest

Episode 18 is here, and the guys are discussing fall ball and recruiting. As everyone knows we’ve been dealing with what seems to be the most unique time we will hopefully ever see. With Covid affecting every part of our lives, its also had an affect on the college lacrosse fall season and continues to affect the recruiting landscape. After a brief discussion between Nick and Ryan, they speak with Jordan Williams the newly appointed head coach at the Pennsylvania College of Technology. Coach Williams speaks about having his first ever season at a brand new NCAA D3 program during a pandemic. He speaks about the uniqueness of recruiting, transitioning a club program to D3, and gives a fantastic plug for why anyone should consider attending Penn College. Coach Williams has a rich history in lacrosse. Aside from a summer rooming with Nick coaching summer travel ball, he was an outstanding player at Aurora University. His coaching career started as a graduate assistant at Lourdes University, followed by a one year

We’re back, even though we never left we did take a break from our normal episode format during lacrosse’s down time to shed light on some promising international programs. This week we sit down with stud goalie Rachel Vallarelli. Who is Rachel and why should you care? Rachel was a three year starter at UMASS where she had a ridiculous 48 victories with an astonishing 6.77 GAA and in 2015 she was the Atlantic 10 defensive player of the year. That’s what she did, but what is she doing now? She recently became one of the more promising goalie prospects in the box lacrosse world, securing a trip to the NLL combine and competing at a New York Riptide tryout. Rachel is proving herself to not only be an adequate box goalie, but one to look out for. In addition to her career aspirations in the NLL, Rachel is the driving force behind RV Lax, a company she runs that provides camps, clinics, and lessons for younger lacrosse players. If you’re interested in working with Rachel and her fantastic guest clinicians please v

What better place to end our worldwide lacrosse tour than the country who will be hosting the 2021 European lacrosse championships, Poland. Poland is rich in athletic tradition and is no stranger to supporting North American sports like football. It is no wonder than that the Polish are huge lacrosse fans, hungry to consume as much lacrosse content and gain as much knowledge as they can. Today’s guest is not only a club coach/player, but he is also a national team member, and marketing/pr director of the European championships, Jakub Lipczik. Jakub speaks with me about the importance of lacrosse to him and his teammates, the strategies used within Poland to grow the number of players, and about the players he likes to model his game after. For more information on lacrosse in Poland lacrosse please visit @polandmlax on IG or www.lacrossepolska.com When speaking about growing the game in Poland, Jakub speaks about the strong support the country has received from Americans with Polish heritage, both with eq

After the professional summer tournaments ended, we decided to show the world, specifically people in lacrosse hot beds (United States, Canada), what lacrosse looks like across the globe. This project involved a world tour of six episodes with lacrosse leaders in six different countries: Israel, Denmark, Slovenia, Japan, Serbia, and Poland. After the episode about Poland we will return to our normal content on Going Offsides, but given the success of these international episodes we will continue showcasing these countries from time to time. On this weeks episode we sit down with Lazar Matijasevic to talk about the state of lacrosse in Serbia, what the plans are for the international tournaments, and how locals are working to grow the game within Serbia. Lazar plays for one of the premier clubs in Serbia, the Belgrade Zombies, with what I assume is one of the coolest team names in the world. He explains how the team became the Zombies, a most interesting story. In a post-COVID world you sho

On the fourth leg of Going Offsides goes overseas, Nick and I sit down with Naofumi "Udo" Suzuki, a college professor and Japan national team staff member. Coach Udo discusses various topics regarding lacrosse in Japan, ranging from his own experiences in the game as a player and coach. We talk about his time traveling to the United States to observe lacrosse practices to his current roles working with the national teams. His experiences and passion for the game are unlike anyone I've spoken to in the past and it speaks volumes to Japans ability to become a power on the world scene. Membership in JLA (Japanese Lacrosse Association) stands at nearly 17,000 players, a far cry from the 21 players the country had in 1986. “The history of the Japanese Lacrosse starts in April 1986, when a few students of Keio University, spurred by an interest in the sport of Lacrosse, visited the American Embassy," Udo explained. "Both American and Japanese businessmen and lawyers were introduced to these students and the genuine