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Christa Graff
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212 LACROSSE PLAYER KIMBER HOWER COMMITS TO UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA

PARK CITY, Utah (December 14, 2015) — Kimber Hower, Freshman goalie for Brighton High School and 212 Lacrosse player, has committed to play NCAA Division-I lacrosse for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Hower is arguably the top freshman goalie in the West.  We sat down with Kimber recently to discuss her momentous accomplishment as the first UNC Tarheel to come from Utah.

What schools were you considering before deciding to commit to UNC?

Syracuse and Duke
Why did you chose UNC?

I chose UNC because I felt that it was the perfect fit for me and it could offer me one of the highest level of D1 women’s lacrosse and the academics at UNC are exactly what I was looking for. Not only does UNC have an phenomenal lacrosse program, but the academics at the school are amazing and I feel that I will come out of college with the best education I could possibly have. On the lacrosse side of things, I chose UNC because they have an amazing coaching staff and I firmly believe that under Coach Levy and her coaching staff’s guidance I will not only become a better lacrosse player, but a better person in general.

What about the UNC program made you decide that being a Tar Heel was the right choice?

I knew I wanted to be a Tar Heel because after spending a long weekend touring the campus, meeting the coaches, and getting to know some of the players. It truly felt like a family. Their focus on their goalies was also a huge plus for me. I instantly fell in love with the school, the lacrosse program, and the coaches.

What did you do to get seen by these schools?

I had a highlight film made in October and my coaches sent it along with a letter to the top 10 D1 schools in the country. We heard back from 5 of the top 10. My coaches corresponded with these schools and I did my research on each one. UNC stood out as my number 1. In December I decided to attended the UNC Winter Elite Camp. After the camp we met with Coach Levy, Coach Barnes, and Coach Dowd. After that I knew UNC was the right choice for me so I made my verbal commitment the day after.
What advice would you give to other players looking to play at the next level?

I would say that it doesn’t matter where you are from, if you set goals for yourself, work hard, and always go the extra mile your dreams can and will come true. As a player you also need to always strive to be better.

Who would you like to thank?

I would like to thank all my coaches, Kendra & Scott Robinson, Mike Acee, Kitty Cullen and Sam Farrell for motivating me, believing in me, and pushing me to become the best athlete I could possibly be. Also a special thank you to my parents for their never ending support and encouragement. I would also like to thank my older brother for always pushing me to become a better athlete and for being the person who got me into lacrosse.

 

We recently caught up with 212 Founder Mike Acee: “Kimber is an incredibly focused student-athlete.  I’m extremely happy for Kimber and her family and welcome them to the UNC family”.

About 212 Lacrosse

212 Lacrosse, is based in Park City, Utah. 212 is led by Mike Acee, who has more than 30 years of experience playing and coaching lacrosse. Mike was raised in Deer Park, N.Y. where he was an All-American, gold-medalist and the top scorer at the Empire State Games for Team Long Island. Acee continued his career at the University of North Carolina winning 4 ACC championships, 1 NCAA national championship and Mike ranked 7th in ACC scoring ’90, starting on attack for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Outside of 212, Mike has been active in the local community helping lead Park City youth recreation teams to a cumulative 33-6 record over three seasons, winning 2 state championships with both boys and girls teams. At 212, Mike and his staff have a cumulative record of 167 wins 44 losses and 14 tournament championships with 24 players committing to play college lacrosse.

After graduating from UNC, Mike worked in San Francisco for 8 years. He moved to Park City in 2005, embracing his love of the mountains and coaching kids. Mike was a fully certified snowboard instructor/staff trainer for Park City Mountain Resort and Steamboat Springs Resort in Colorado, retiring in 2014 to focus on lacrosse and other opportunities.

At 212 Lacrosse, Acee has assembled a roster of high-caliber coaches and players. The program emphasizes commitment and success for all its players, and provides one-on-one mentoring for team members.

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE      

Contact:

Christa Graff
Graff Public Relations
435-640-7921
[email protected]

 

212 Lacrosse, based out of Park City, participated in the 3D Oceanside Tournament this past weekend in beautiful San Diego, California. The tournament attracted 100+ teams and 40 college recruiters with outstanding competition. 212 fielded teams in the 2019 and 2016 Elite division with players spanning grades 8-12.

The teams were led by former UNC Tar Heel Mike Acee, Manhattan College’s Brian Bilzi and Notre Dame’s Casey Price.

The 2019 boys’ team finished the weekend with a 4-1 record. Their only loss coming to a very good ADVNC team led by former UVA All – American Chris Rotelli. The team recorded wins over the 3D Los Angeles (7-4), 3D San Diego (7-1), Booth Indians (9-4), 3D San Diego (8-7) and took home 3rd place.

The 212 Elite team finished the weekend in the top division with a perfect 5-0 record, culminating the weekend with 212’s 14th tournament championship. The team notched wins over Alpha Elite 6-4 in the semifinals and broke the 3 year win streak of 3D Norcal 8-6 in the championship game.

“I’m extremely proud of all the 212 kids. As always, a big thank you to the entire 212 community. The support the parents show myself and our staff is tremendous. I’d also like to thank Brian Bilzi (Manhattan College) and Casey Price (Notre Dame) for an excellent weekend of coaching and the 3D staff for organizing a well run, fun event for the kids.”

212 Lacrosse is based in Park City, Utah. 212 is led by Mike Acee, who has more than 30 years of experience playing and coaching lacrosse. At 212 Lacrosse, Acee has assembled a roster of high-caliber coaches and players. The program emphasizes commitment and success for all its players, and provides one-on-one mentoring for team members.

 

 

 

 

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE      

Contact:

Christa Graff
Graff Public Relations
435-640-7921
[email protected]

PARK CITY LOCAL 212 LACROSSE PLAYER BEAU PEDERSON COMMITS TO PRINCETON UNIVERSITY

PARK CITY, Utah (December 2, 2015) — Beau Pederson, sophomore attackman for Park City High School and 212 Select, has committed to the admissions process to play for NCAA Division I Princeton University.

Pederson had a tremendous freshman year, racking up over 100 points to lead the Miners to a second place overall finish.  Beau also showed prowess in the classroom, earning a 3.8 GPA, never missing honor roll and he is a member of the National Junior Honor Society.

“This is great news for Beau, all of us at 212 are thrilled for the Pederson family,” 212 director and coach Mike Acee said. “All the hours of hard work and dedication have paid off, and we can’t wait to follow his success both on and off the field at Princeton University and beyond.”

About 212 Lacrosse

212 Lacrosse, is based in Park City, Utah. 212 is led by Mike Acee, who has more than 30 years of experience playing and coaching lacrosse. Mike was raised in Deer Park, N.Y.  where he was an All-American, gold-medalist and the top scorer at the Empire State Games for Team Long Island.  Acee continued his career at the University of North Carolina  winning  4 ACC championships, 1 NCAA national championship and Mike ranked 7th in ACC scoring ’90, starting on attack for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Outside of 212, Mike has been active in the local community helping lead Park City Youth recreation teams to a cumulative 33-6 record over three seasons, winning 2 state championships with both boys and girls teams.  At 212, Mike and his staff have a cumulative record of 158 wins 43 losses and 13 tournament championships with 24 players committing to play college lacrosse.

At 212 Lacrosse, Acee has assembled a roster of high-caliber coaches and players. The program emphasizes commitment and success for all its players, and provides one-on-one mentoring for team members.

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Perspective, Process, Present, Positive, and Progress.

Perspective

It’s easy as the big game approaches to lose perspective. When I talk about perspective I mean the importance you place on the game. You may think: “This is the BIGGEST game of the season and I’ve worked so hard. If I don’t play well, it will kill me!! I MUST play well!” It is just that attitude that may prevent you from getting the results you want. The reality is that, though this game may be important to you and, if you don’t play well, you will be disappointed, it most certainly will not kill you.

Think of it this way. Let’s say that before the big game, someone comes up to you, shows you a gun, and tells you that if you don’t play well, he will be there after the game and will shoot you. Would you be nervous? Yes! Terrified, in fact! Would you be able to play well? Definitely not! Of course, there will be no one after the game with a gun, but, when you lose perspective and feel that your life (not your physical life, but your ego life) is on the line, then the same feelings of threat and fear arise. And there is little chance of your being confident, relaxed, or focused enough to play your best.

If you look too closely at this game, it’s easy to think that it is life or death. But if you can step back and put the game in a long-term perspective, namely, it is just a small step in a journey toward your long-term goals, the so-called big game won’t seem quite so important. The result? You’ll be psychologically and emotionally prepared to play your best.

Process

One of the most common problems that occurs in athletes as the big game approaches is a shift in their focus away from process and onto outcomes. Let me explain. A process focus involves paying attention to those things that help you play your best, for example, technique, tactics, and pre-game preparation. In contrast, outcome focus involves focusing on the possible results of the game: winning, losing, rankings, or who you might beat or lose to. Let me make this very clear: An outcome focus is the kiss of death in the big game. Here’s why.

Many people believe that focusing on the outcome will increase the chances of that outcome occurring, but the opposite is actually true. When does the outcome of a game occur? When the final whistle blows, of course. And if you’re focusing on the end of the game, what are you not focusing on? Well, the process, obviously. Here’s the irony. By focusing on the process rather than the outcome, you have a much better chance of playing your best because you are paying attention to things that will help you play well. And, if you play well, you’re more likely to achieve the results you wanted in the first place.

Also, why do you get nervous before big games? Because you’re afraid of the outcome, more specifically, you’re afraid of failure. So by focusing on the outcome, you’re more likely to feel anxious (a little anxiety is good, but too much is really bad) and less likely to play well and achieve the result you want. In contrast, if you focus on the process, you won’t have a fear of failure, you’ll stay relaxed, and you’re more likely to play your best, the result of which is that you’ll achieve the competitive goals you had set for yourself.

Present

Another shift that can occurs before big games is a focus on the present-what you need to do to play well now-to either a past focus-onto results you had in the past-or a future focus-onto the results you may or may not get in the big game.

Let’s start with a past focus. There’s a saying that you can’t change the past, but you can ruin a perfectly good future by worrying about it. The reality is that you can’t change the past, so there’s no point in even thinking about it (except perhaps to learn from your mistakes so you don’t repeat them). If something bad happened in the past, be disappointed, then let it go. If something good happened, revel in it, then let it go. Looking back has no value to your present.

Now about the future. Thinking about the future also does you no good. It can cause doubt and worry because it often triggers a fear of failure. A future focus can create anxiety because it makes you think about expectations that you might feel from others, whether parents, coaches, or the media. Mostly basically, if you’re focusing on the future, you’re not focusing on your play in the here and now.

If you want to control the future, the only way to do so is to control the present. This means directing your focus on what you need to do to play your best right now.

Positive

Perhaps the worst thing that happens to many young athletes before a big game is they go negative. The expectations and pressure that you can feel before a big game can cause your confidence, which may have been high from all of your training and games up to this point in the season, to plummet as you focus on all of the bad things that can happen in the upcoming game. You may go from being your best ally to your worst enemy. What are the chances of good things happening in the big game with this “dark” mindset? Let me answer that question for you: pretty darned low.

Your only chance to achieve your goals for the big game is to stay positive and remain your best ally. This doesn’t mean you have to be Stuart Smiley (of Saturday Night Live fame) all the time; feeling some doubt is natural. Just make sure that most of what you think about your upcoming game is positive.

Progress

Sports are unforgiving in how it judges athletes; the score doesn’t lie. And we also live in a world where it is difficult not to compare yourself to your teammates and other competitors. But when you focus on them, for example, think about how they are playing, how they will do in the big game, and whether you will beat them, they win because if you’re focusing on them, you’re not focusing on you.

The only thing you should really focus on is yourself and the progress you’re making toward your goals. You will always have ups and downs, but the key is to see that you are heading in the right direction. Are you improving your technique and tactics? Are your rankings getting better? As long as you are moving toward your goals and staying focused on improving, you will continue to get better and everyone else will take care of themselves.

So, if you really want to play your best in the upcoming big game, remember the 5 Ps and you can be pretty confident that your mind will help you, rather than hurt you, achieve your goals.

1. Positive Images: When your are exercising, use your positive mental images throughout your workout to create feelings of speed and power. (e.g., If you’re walking or running and you come to an unexpected hill visualize a magnet pulling you effortlessly to the top). Use visualization before, during and after your training to build confidence and new motivation.
2. Power Words: Make positive self-statements continually. Negative thinking is common; everyone has an inner critic. Become aware of these thoughts early on. Don’t fight with them; simply acknowledge their presence, and then substitute positive power words. (e.g., When you’re thinking: “This hurts too much, I want to lay down and die”; say to yourself: “This feeling is connected with getting healthier and doing my absolute best.”)
3. Present Focus: Practice being in the present moment. Remind yourself to stay in the here and now. Instead of replaying past mistakes, or worrying about the future, let past and future events fade into the background. Be right on, right here, right now.
4. Advantage: Use everything in your workout to your advantage. For example, if another person passes you, tuck in behind and go with his or her energy for as long as possible. You may catch a “second wind” and be carried on to a personal record.
5. Chunking Goals: Focus on your immediate target. Break your training goals down into small, manageable pieces and begin to focus only on the first portion, not the entire workout (e.g., Say to yourself: “I’m just relaxing and getting my rhythm during the first part, or the first workout session”).
6. Body Scan: Pay close attention to your tension level and training form. Do a body scan while working out and relax your tight muscles frequently. Ask yourself: “Are my shoulders and neck relaxed; how does this pace feel; how much energy is left in my legs?”
7. Pain as Effort: If you have “good pain,” the pain of effort, that is not seriously damaging your body, just shift attention to your breathing or cadence of movement, and let the discomfort fade into the background. You can also use the pain as feedback. Register it not as pain but as effort level. Say: “Now I know exactly how hard I’m working. I know how this pace feels. My body is doing what it should be doing.”
8. Detach From Outcome: Look only at what you need to do right now (e.g., your pace, your breathing, your concentration); your final time, place, or score will take care of itself.
9. Focused Attention: Be aware of distractions. Breathe out unwanted thoughts with your next exhale and re-focus your attention instantly on what is important right now, at this moment.
10. Celebration: Enjoy and appreciate your fitness and strength. When you exercise, relax and let your body do what you’ve trained it to do. Remember that your goals are realistic. All you need to do is perform up to your capabilities.