"you play like you practice"

[Goldenbearslax6]

do you agree with the quote that coaches say?

[FredtheCat]

Yeah, for the most part. If you're not used to practicing at game speed, you won't play well.

[Shock32]

no, our team just plays around in practice because we have a cool coach, but in games we're awesome and we don't play around

[iplaylax22]

personally for me i play better in practice then in games it feels like i can really show what i got in practice

[HdGLaxWarrior]

I don't level people in practice, so no.

[tiplax]

yes our team(coughcoughoffense) screws around in practice so they don't preform well in games

[snell31]

i try to practice and play the same but people complain when they get checked or hit like they would in a game. they complain that thers no point beating up your team...

[sammyduelist]

i wouldnt go all out against a teammate, but i would still try hard
i wouldnt go to the point where i hurt them becuase they are on my team, well, atleast i try....

[slinkyspine]

Yes, and I hate my team. I actually try in practice, I try to win groundballs. And then they tell me to calm down practice is for fun. I could kill them

[carolinafreak]

i think it depends on the circumstances

[marflax33]

Sadly, no. If i did in practice what i did in games, to many of my teammates would be hurt or pissed off at me.

[SEMlax]

i don't play well in practice because practice is boring. games are where i truly go out and play hard.

[Dadabhoy_Muzzi]

Not for me. I can let in so many goals in practice but in games, barley anything gets by me.

[crazydrew86]

uhm i voted no because for one i dont line people up and drop them, and my coach lets us screw around during the practice before a game, he lets us get it out of our systems so we are serious for the game the following day

[somrandomguy]

It depends. As far as goalkeeping (and probably other positions too) is concerned, yes, you need to have the fundamentals down and try in practice. However, there is no substitute for the adrenaline and excitement of a game in getting you in "the zone" and making you play your best. Though personally, I'm working on trying to mentally get in that zone every time I step on the field.

[craig21]

i play better in games. in practice i play well but im just not in the zone, but once i step onto the gamefield everything just clicks and im ready and in the zone and focused.

[RottingMind13]

When I practice, I think a lot about what's going on and about what I have to do next. In games it is a significant more amount of natural reaction as opposed to thinking about it. It's much more subconscious thinking than practice which is you have to think about what's going on to do well.

[mattlax743]

no. my "100%" in practice is not my "100%" in a game. i just get some type of game time adrenaline and kick it up a notch

[Buzz1991]

we suck in practice and we suck in games.

[UVAlaxer432]

We suck in practices but we're beasts in a game

[jory]

in games you have adreneline (sp)
and also it means more

[Princess]

i train my team to go allout in praccy SOMEW of the time so they dont get to tired for games but newbies learn game expierience, and competition gets borring drills to be more fun, personally im ok in practice but it goes up a notch in games

[FallIntoIt]

I believe you should be pushing harder in practice, so that when you get to a game situation, you have fun.
And as for the mlax players who don't hit in practice... why not? It's not like it's going to hurt any less in a game, or that the other team won't lay out your teammates whenever they get the chance. If they get hit enough, they'll learn how to get out of the way.

[BeIVdeR]

in the sense of ur mechanics sure, but when a game comes i think ur adrenaline drives u to play better than ur practicing and mayb even worse cuz of pressure

[jimd619]

In my experience, there is no one to one connection. In other words, you can have a great practice and go flat in a game, or have a horrible practice and play well. But I answered yes because over the long haul unless practice is intensive, the quality of play cannot escalate over the course of a season. Not to say that fun cannot be part of the practice, not saying that practice has to be 100% full speed. But practice needs to approach the speed and intensity of a game to ensure new things are learned.

[tiplax]

Yes, and I hate my team. I actually try in practice, I try to win groundballs. And then they tell me to calm down practice is for fun. I could kill them
i feel you slinky

[POCK3Ts]

yeah i def belive in this. the only exception is with stick checks and sometimes hits. dont go in tryin to hurt someone in practice(not that you should in games either but u know what i mean) still go in hard but so a certain degree. when it comes to hitting if someone is [no cursing] around and u get the chance lay his [no cursing] [no cursing] out. and yell at him to quit jacking around. but all other aspects you should go full speed and same as game pace

[Texlax33]

the only thing as a coach a believe should not be 100% in practice is hitting, everything else has to be on point, as coach we notice that when you dont practice well you typically dont play well. because if your off on passing and catching skills in practice when your defense isnt as aggressive as it will be in a game your not going to be on point.

[Newnan Coach]

Its a little more complicated than do you hit other players in practice. PRactice is about execution and if you don't execute in practice then you wont do it in a game.

We try to concentrate on the goalie making quick, crisp passes to the outside on clears in practice.

When his passes aren't quick and crisp to the outside then the middies don't make quick crisp moves to the outside and so when we get into a game the clears don't run like they should.

The same thing is true with the offense and even defensive slides. If the defense is lazy with their slides then the second slide doesn't come during games. That doesn't mean that the first slide has to take the guy out he just needs to execute.

If you don't execute in practice you wont execute in the game. You can play hard at practice without being overly physical that's what drills are all about.

[cspwjb]

I think for the most part players will play like they practice....although I have a goalie who does not perform well at practice, but when the whistle blows for the game he turns into a different player.

[checklax]

Yeah I think you play like you practice... cause if you practice hard you get used to playing hard, and thats exactly what you want. Also if you're trying new things and making an effort during practice you'll mess up alot but then you'll learn from your mistakes to not do that again during a game.

[Trilax03]

i do agree with the quote...but on the other hand my team isn't hardest working team in practice but we still win against some hard teams...it's just the drive and excitment of being in a game that gets us going...

[suflax2]

my team screws around a lot in practice but we still win against some hard teams

[FPDefense]

my team screws around a lot in practice but we still win against some hard teams

we do the same thing but it seemed like this year we just tied all the hard teams.. honestly who ties 4 times in a year?

[MidiLine1]

no because i play harder then i do practice. Practice i dnt work as hard.

[lax4life6]

I believe you should be pushing harder in practice, so that when you get to a game situation, you have fun.
And as for the mlax players who don't hit in practice... why not? It's not like it's going to hurt any less in a game, or that the other team won't lay out your teammates whenever they get the chance. If they get hit enough, they'll learn how to get out of the way.
we hit but we dont throw takeout checks or anything. the point of it is that you dont injure someone in practice.

[LoyolaMiddie878]

nah, i don't at all.

i screw around in practice sooo much. i'm constantly taking behind the back shots, underhand passes, no-look stuff.

but in the game, it's all business.

[CtLax]

Im a player and I dont agree with it at all. When game time comes I strap down and play serious, but in practice I dont try like I would in a game and I still do well in a game. I hate it when coaches say this. I got my soccer coach to stop saying it after proving to him that it is not true

[Lax attack11]

I say no becuase as a player when im in practise sometimes it gerts boring and stuf but in a game your adreninlkine is going your heads in the game so you work really hard a lot more hten you would iin practise so thats why oi said no

[CTLaxer]

Im a player and I dont agree with it at all. When game time comes I strap down and play serious, but in practice I dont try like I would in a game and I still do well in a game. I hate it when coaches say this. I got my soccer coach to stop saying it after proving to him that it is not true

And how exactly did you prove to him it's not true?

The fact is, the more game like practice is, such as drill situations, scrimmages, and physical effort/exertion, the more you will learn as a player and the better you will play. There is some confusion to this because a lot of people are lazy and want to take the short route around hard work to achieve the same goals. I have a news flash for all of you young men and women; if there was a short cut around hard work, we'd have found it by now.

To be the best that you can be, you need to be pushing yourself 100%, 100% of the time. People on here have said stuff along the lines of "I don't need to practice hard and i still do ok or well in games". Well yeah, depending on the level of play, your location, your genetics, and your standing with god, on any given day any player can play like a champion regardless of skill level/experience/desire/etc. You also need to factor in that in an actual game, your adrenaline is going crazy, helping you out. Now imagine that that adrenaline is applied to someone who is already at the top of their game instead of to someone who slacks. To consistantly play at the top of your game, especially if you plan on playing at a higher level, you need to push your self the entire time. You should be doing it for yourself, in an effort to improve your game and be the best you can be, but unfortunately not everyone wants to do that. The worst is when you have a player that has a lot of natural talent or is naturally athletic and they just skate by on raw ability only to find that after a few years they're no longer the best player on the team cause everyone has been working hard while they just slack off. I have another news flash, coaches can see who is pushing the limit every time in practice and who only does it when they think the coach is looking or when they want to. Who do you think gets more playing time and gets on the coaches good side?

If you're still unconvinced, look at serveral types of professions or athletes. Lets take a look at the american military (or any military for that matter); the military trains their people with drills and exercises and war games. These exercises and this training is as war like as possible. The soldiers train all out because it helps them learn. You almost learn on a subconsious level where your body is just used to the actions/motions you need to do so you can do it without thinking, within a split second. Now, this helps them cause when they're out in the desert liberating iraq or in the jungle or something, they can raise that rifle and fire of a shot that might save their life without thinking about it and within a heartbeat. How is firing a gun and playing lacrosse similar? Well, if you're trying to beat your man one on one, great players just go in a pull out some crazy moves, get around their men, and score. They can do this because they've practiced against defenders going all out, and because since they were going full speed and 100%, they're used to the speed and action. They're bodies are also used to all the motions needed to achieve their goal. They've practiced so much as such a high speed, that come game time their bodies quite literally move without thinking.

The same comparision can be made about any job that requires physical training and has a risk factor, whether that risk is life and death or winning and losing. Police, firemen, professional athletes, even musicians.

Now, back to lacrosse...If any of you naysayers have the ability to watch a college team practice, by all means do so. You'll see a level of hustle and intensity you couldn't possibly imagine. If you get a chance, go ask one of the players what would happen if they didn't give 100% and tried to just slack off and not really try in practice.

Practicing at 100%, 100% (as was stated previously, hitting should rarely be 100% intensity and that's the only exception) of the time will help an athlete reach higher levels of play over a long period of time, up until the point in which they are no longer playing. It's a cumulative tool, so the longer it's done, the better you'll get. You can't go all out right before a big game an expect to see results. If you start out as a freshman and constantly try hard and give it your all, by the time you're a senior, you will have made significant gains in your ability over and above any of your peers that haven't followed suit.

[st.joslax10]

its funny to see panic in the attack mens eyes cause im in my prime when i play.

[GriffsDad]

CT LAXER,

Awesome, awesome post.

As I read the responses from people who obviously think skating is the way to go through life ,I realize that those are people who have never given their best- EVER.

The biggest example of bad practice habits is the US drubbing by Canada.

The Canadians made an effort to practice as a team for months, while the US Team was scattered throughout the US playing for the MLL, working camps, etc. and it showed. The Canadians practiced with heart, and passion and that same effort showed in their games against the US. And the US just figured they could "TURN ON A SWITCH". People just think they are turning on the switch when they decide to score on a lesser talented player, but try turning the switch on a player with the same athleticism- it doesn't work and it never will.

Great, great read CT Laxer, too bad it may be wasted on young, deaf, defiant ears.

[LaxDr]

most of the time i do unless the coach says it will be an easy practice because we have a game the next day or something so we dont want to run too hard

[bpercival]

I agree with one expetion, a game on the line always pumps me up especially in goal. But, if your lazy nd let someone blow past you in practice, your most likely to get down, and do it in a game. Also if your lazy your never going to get better.

[dram183]

if you dont practice 100%, then how will you ever get better?

[lax17man]

...well...my coach said that once in a game...and they lost ......17-2.....so ya....we do better when u play games lk we play games...

[lacrosseman192]

i think when i have a bad practice the day before a game i play better the next day

[meestagoaliemon]

Of course I do. If you screw around in practice, then overtime, you get used to just screwing around, and come gametime, you're ready to do this :puke:

[Mrmccoolsatool]

well, I definatly know i have a game speed and a practice speed, I dont play as hard in practice as I do in games, I know it. IT doesnt mean i dont try, I still play at my ability. But when game time comes around, there is such a different speed and adrenaline in my head that it doesnt matter how my practice week went I will most of the time play to the top of my game. But you have to admit, NOBODY goes 100% everday of the week in practice, especailly those first days of practice after a game. But by the time game time comes you are at your top level of intensity and ready to punish someone. At least thats how I am for all sports...

However theres a difference between players that have well developed skills and players that definatly need work. Becasue kids that need work dont have time to mess around in practice they need to be learning and improving as much as they can so they can show up on game day.

[dta06]

if you cant go hard in practice what makes anyone think they can go hard in a game?

[scruffy221]

Practice has it's gamespeed moments, but it's not all just flatout for my team. Coach slows us down to "learning speed" for new stuff, and then apres a few walk-throughs we crank it up and go flat-out full speed.

[Laxin2266]

You should work hard in practice, but still keep in mind if your stud player is coming down the middle, you dont want to crush him. Work hard, but take it easy big fella

[GlaxR]

definately it makes sense if your not used to playing a certain way why would you play good one day?

[Project X]

I pretty much agree with this statement, to some extent. I think that people are able to play better than they practice, but when it all comes down to it, the kid that works harder in practice and takes it more seriously is going to do better in the long run than the kid that goofs off in practice and then buckles down for the games.

If you play well in practice, when it comes game time, you're going to buckle down and be the best you can. If you're used to screwing around in practice, you'll buckle down for game time, but your skills won't be as good as they would if you had been fine tuning them and using them during practice.

I pretty much try to take practice like it is a game, sure some days I goof off a bit when I'm just standing around not doing anything, but when I go out for a drill or a scrimmage I'm always playing it like a game.

The only exception to this is I don't try and hit my teammates as hard as I'd try to hit the opponents, unless an opportunity really calls for a hard hit. Why don't I hit hard in practice? Well, I don't want to hurt anyone for one thing, especially since we normally play starting defense against starting attack, hurting a starting attack would probably cause a loss for us the next game (depending on who we are playing), I also don't want to have my teammates hate me, we're all buddies on one level or another, I don't want to piss anyone off for no real reason. Also, in practice you can hit someone lightly and make it have the same effect as a hard hit, just pushing someone to the ground will have the same real effect as running in and completely crushing them, but in a game that crushing hit will give your team momentum, it will pump the sidelines, and I hate to say it, but it could take a key player out of the game for a bit which could also help your team out. The added intensity and hate of the other team also causes hits to be harder. Hitting someone that you're striving to beat down is so much different than hitting someone who you're just going to help up and laugh about it after the scrimmage.

So, in relative terms, I think that "you play like you practice" is definately true. I don't think it means if you have a tendancy to just a little go softer in practice that you will always go softer in games, but more your work ethic will be effective, and the kid that tries the hardest in practice will be rewarded the most in games.

[Bulldog51]

I think there needs to be abalance. You have to practice hard but practice is also a great time to practice things you probally wont use In games like underhand shots adn behind the bacck passes and stuff like that

[jnico129]

i dont play like i practice in a game i do better cause of adrenaline and the fact im playin another team

[laxmiddie8]

I agree with the quote, or at least the idea of it. The coach is just saying that if you dont go all out in practice it'll be harder to go all out in a game.

[kipsteele]

As a coach, we look for people that not only are good but earn the right to play. If you skate through practice then what are you gainng from showing up? Putting out and actually particpating at your mamximum may actually motiveate other players to do more as well and raise the overall bar. It also seems that the more a practice is well roganized, the better the team is in recognizing what they need to focus on.