News — Page 2

The $1,000,000.00 Wall

As this wonderful sport evolves, both from an equipment and training standpoint, we are all exposed to new ideas about how to become better coaches and players. “WALL BALL” is the one aspect of training that can help a player develop and be the sure handed ball control player, regardless of position, that every team needs.

Committing yourself to 20 minutes a day, yes only 20 minutes will improve your stick handling, hand eye coordination, passing, catching, shooting, fakes, and trickery. The beauty of “wall ball” is that you do not have to rely on anyone else to get better. Just you and the wall. There are six phases of “wall ball” below that I feel can benefit everyone regardless of position. Find a wall in your area (it could be the side of a school, gym, handball court, etc) that is at least 15 yards long and ten feet high.

Phase 1-Quick Stick/Rapid Fire: Line up around 3-5 yards from the wall. First, 50 right hand throw and catches without cradling. After completing 50 right hand throw and catches, do the same with your left. Did you notice I didn’t mention starting with your strong hand? With “wall ball” anything you do right, you follow- up left. This stage is great because it allows you to work on quick sticks, hand eye coordination, and one timing. You will become better about getting rid of the ball in a timely fashion without even noticing it by practicing this stage.

Phase 2-12 Yard Passing: Line up 12 yards from the wall. Start with 30 right hand throws, which will come back to you on one bounce. When you retrieve the ball from the one bounce, cradle once, then follow-up with the next throw. When you have completed 30 right handed throws, follow-up with 30 left.

Phase 3-Throwing & Catching On The Run: This may be my favorite and most helpful stage. First I start lined up 5-7 yards from the wall on the far left side of the wall. I begin this stage with the stick in my right hand and while I am running alongside the wall (towards the other end), I throw and catch the ball on the run. The important part is to throw the ball on the run and not always catching the ball stick side. I like to do this during every stage. Do you always get a pass stick side? No. Therefore, in your training you should throw the ball against the wall and catch it cross hand (or across your face). After I run one length of the wall, I run back to the other end throwing lefty (doing the same thing I did with my right). Keep repeating these steps. This stage should be done for about 5-7 minutes.

Phase 4-Shooting: Line-up around 12-15 yards from the wall. Get in proper shooting formation (hands loose, three quarter/overhand motion, snapping of the hips, and following through) mark a few places on the wall with tape to aim at. Shoot at about 80% velocity, having the ball come back to you with one bounce. Depending on where you aim, the ball may take bounces that aren’t the same, so you have to work a little bit. Start with 25 right, and follow up with about 25 left.

Phase 5-Pass and Switch: This stage really allows you to work on hand-eye coordination and stick transferring. I begin by setting up roughly 7 yards from the wall. I start with the stick in my right hand. With proper stick technique I pass with my right hand and instantly switch to my left hand and catch the ball with my left hand. I then pass with my left and catch with my right. I switch every time until I throw 25 times with both hands.

Phase 6-Trickery: This stage is fun. This is a great time to practice behind the backs (make sure you are not following through too much. Step in the direction you are aiming, and the behind the back motion is only about a foot, with the head of your stick ending up hitting the top part of your arm near your shoulder). Around the world, threw the legs, and any other creative stuff can be incorporated at this time. I would leave around 5 minutes for this stage. I am a firm believer that this stage is important. If you can pull this stage off (and only if you are mastering the other 5 stages should you try this stage), it is an indication that you have a strong comfort level with your stick and great hand eye coordination. It is also a stage that can help you in terms pulling something off in a game that is nice to watch and necessary. There are times in a game when a behind the back is the only option.

So there it is, six stages of ‘Wall Ball.” Get a radio with your favorite beats, a snow cap and duck boots if there is snow on the ground, and do what you have to do to get out at least five days a week for 20 minutes/per day. Don’t let the competition pass you by. No excuses!

212 Lacrosse growing in Park City

Coach says its all for the kids

Gina Barker, The Park Record

Posted: 02/28/2012 04:20:46 PM MST

Long Island native Mike Acee has his heart in lacrosse. He moved to Park City in 2005. During the summer of 2009, he decided to pick up his passion and started a lacrosse clinic, 212 Lacrosse, for children offering one-on-one coaching, clinics, and camps to boys and girls in the area.

What started with two Park City middle school students, Taylor Watkins and Cameron Perry, quickly grew to over 400 players. Now, Acee is on the hunt for coaches to help meet the growing demand.

“The most important part of our programs is how lacrosse is a platform to mentor kids and give them a positive force in their life,” he said.

But Acee’s relationship with the sport goes much farther back than his move to Utah.

Lacrosse began for Acee when he was a small child. His father Fred Acee coached the sport for more than 40 years and gave his son his first lacrosse stick at age 3. As a starter on Attack for The University of North Carolina, he went on to help win a NCAA National Championship, four Atlantic Coast Conference Championships, was a High School All-American and a gold medalist and the top scorer for team Long Island in the highly competitive Empire State Games.

“Lacrosse is a deep part of my life experience,” Acee said.

He went on to play at the University of North Carolina on a scholarship, but it was there that the relationship first felt tension.

“Playing at Carolina was an honor and a great experience coupled with some pressure,” Acee said. “When I got out of college I didn’t want much to do with lacrosse. I basically disconnected from the sport.”

After leaving the East Coast for a finance career in California, Acee said he thought he was done with lacrosse for good. But working in finance wasn’t making him happy. Acee started to travel, from Costa Rica to France and finally landing in Park City.

It was in the mountains he decided that coaching was his real passion.

“The spirit of lacrosse started gnawing at my heels again,” “It’s funny how that works. You never forget your first love.”

Carson Dutkanych, a sophomore living in the area, is one student that keeps him headed in the right direction, Acee said. Acee has worked with Dutkanych since the high schooler was in fifth grade. Since then, Acee recently took Dutkanych to his alma mater in North Carolina, showcasing his talents to national recruiters.

“Watching the kids in our programs grow, is the main reason I do this,” he said. Now Carson is being nationally recruited.”

Lacrosse is the fastest growing sport in the country, with roughly 400 children of all ages playing in Park City alone, Acee said. 212 Lacrosse continues to grow at a fast pace.

Acee plans to soon add a competitive team for the under-13 and under-11 age brackets, and a year-round development course. Even as his business expands, Acee said he will always keep things in perspective limiting the pressure put on kids to succeed.

“I work to instill high hopes without the high pressure,” Acee said. “I think that’s where the really positive results come from, getting rid of all this unnecessary pressure.”

“I want kids to love this sport, to take something away from it that will not only make them a better person, but also a happier person,” he added.