From Teewaraton Finalist to Lax Skillhaus Training Mastery
Being named a Teewaraton finalist is the kind of honor that makes you pause.
Not because the work is finished. Not because one award defines a career. It makes you pause because you remember every early morning, every extra rep, every mistake that taught you something, and every person who pushed you when you thought you had already given enough.
For me, that finalist recognition was more than a personal milestone. It was proof that daily habits matter. It showed that small details, repeated with purpose, can become something much bigger. And that mindset is exactly what I bring into Lax Skillhaus training.
The honor stays with me forever but the lessons learned are the most valuable part of my everyday life and how I continue to live it and bring it to everything I do!
The honor matters, but the process matters more
A Teewaraton finalist spot does not happen by accident. There are only 5 female athletes that are named to this final list. It comes from consistency, production, leadership, and trust. Coaches have to trust you. Teammates have to trust you. Opponents have to respect the way you play.
That kind of recognition is exciting, but it also puts reminds me of all the little things that mattered to me throughout my time.
What did I do when nobody was watching?
How did I respond after a bad game?
Did I train just to feel tired, or did I train to get better?
Those questions matter because elite lacrosse players are not built on talent alone. Talent got me there. Consistent training kept me rising above. BUT the Discipline and ability to just get things done, no matter the sacrifice really allowed me rise above.
At Lax Skillhaus, that same idea drives my everyday process. The goal is not to run players through random drills until they are exhausted. The goal is to build complete lacrosse players who understand who they are... who want to be great.... no matter the sacrifice it may take.
That means training has to connect:
Stick skill
Footwork
Field vision
Shooting mechanics
Dodging angles
Defensive pressure
Confidence under contact
Decision-making at speed
A player can look great in a drill and still struggle in a game. The real work is closing that gap.
What a finalist-level mindset looks like
The biggest shift happens when a player stops asking, “How do I look?” and starts asking, “What am I learning?” "How can I apply this to my Game".
That sounds simple, but it changes everything.
A finalist-level mindset is not about acting like the best player in the room. It is about training like every rep is teaching you something. And you are so dedicated to the details and process you LOVE and embrace the "hard".
Some days that means pushing yourself and coming even when you don't "feel" like it. Some days it means slowing down and fixing a detail that has been holding you back. Some days it means competing hard and learning how to lose a rep without losing focus.
At Lax Skillhaus, that mindset shows up in the way players approach the work.
A missed shot becomes feedback.
Was the release late? Were my hands tight? Did my feet stop moving?
A dropped pass becomes information.
Were my eyes up? Was my stick protected? Did I just need to take one more second?
A failed dodge becomes a lesson.
Was the setup too obvious? Was my defender baiting one side? Did I attack space or run into pressure?
That is how growth happens. Not through perfect training. Through honest training.
The players who improve the fastest are not always the ones who dominate every rep. They are the ones who pay attention, adjust, go home and practice and come back just a little bit better than they were the day before.
Stickwork has to be sharp and smooth
Wall ball is essential, but stickwork cannot stop there. Players need to handle the ball while moving, while tired, while being checked, and while reading pressure.
That means training should include:
Catching across the body
Quick exchanges near the face
One-handed control when appropriate
Inside roll protection
Passing off both feet
Finishing after contact
Low-angle releases
Feeding with eyes up
The goal is simple: make our stick feel natural in uncomfortable moments.
Footwork creates separation
Great dodgers do not rely only on speed. They use rhythm, timing, and body control.
Footwork training teaches players how to attack a defender instead of running past space. It helps them understand when to lean in, when to change speed, and when to pop back and create the space needed to take a defender out of their rhythm.
At Lax Skillhaus, footwork is not just ladder work. It connects stickwork & footwork together. We want every step to have a purpose.
A strong footwork session might include:
Split dodge steps
Rollback foot placement
Re-attack angles
Contact balance
Inside leverage
Change-of-speed entries
Shooting footwork out of a dodge
The best players make defenders react. That starts with feet that can sell one move and explode into another.
The jump from skilled to dangerous comes from decision-making
A player can be fast, strong, and skilled, but still be easy to guard.
Why?
Because defenders are not only reacting to athletic ability. They are reading patterns. If a player always dodges the same direction, shoots from the same spot, or feeds only after getting stuck, defenders adjust.
Decision-making separates good players from dangerous players.
That is one of the biggest lessons from competing at a high level. The game rewards players who can process quickly. You have to know when to dodge, when to move it, when to cut, when to slow down, and when to attack right away.
Lax Skillhaus training builds that by making drills more game-like.
Instead of only running a move on air, players need reads:
If the defender overplays topside, roll back.
If the slide comes early, move the ball.
If the defender drops their stick, shoot through the window.
If the goalie sits high, change the release.
If the lane closes, re-attack instead of forcing it.
This is where training becomes more than repetition. It becomes preparation.
A player should leave a session with better hands, better feet, and a better understanding of what the game is asking from them.
Pressure is part of the training
Pressure changes everything.
It changes how a player breathes. It changes how the hands feel. It can make simple plays feel rushed. It can turn confident players into hesitant players if they have not trained through it.
Being a Teewaraton finalist puts pressure on you in a different way. Opponents know who you are. Defenses prepare for you. Every mistake can feel louder.
That experience taught me that pressure is not something to avoid. It is something to practice.
At Lax Skillhaus, pressure can show up in simple ways:
A time limit on a shooting drill
A defender closing ground
A weak-hand-only rep
A must-score situation
A small-space battle
A fatigue finish at the end of a session
The point is not to make training stressful for no reason. The point is to help players stay clear when the game speeds up.
Confidence grows when players prove to themselves that they can handle hard reps. Not perfect reps. Hard reps.
Training should build the whole player
A great lacrosse player is more than a good shot, a dodge, or a stat line.
The best players bring energy to practice. They communicate. They recover from mistakes. They compete without needing constant motivation. They make teammates better. Honestly... THEY HAVE FUN WHILE DOING IT!
That is why Lax Skillhaus training should build more than skill. It should build habits. While having FUN!
A player should not have to choose between fundamentals and creativity. They need both. A player should not only work on moves. They need reads. A player should not only train when they feel good. They need standards that hold up on tired days too.
How Lax Skillhaus can shape the next step
Every player has a next step.
For one player, it may be catching cleanly with the off hand. For another, it may be getting a shot off faster. For another, it may be learning how to read the slide instead of dodging into traffic.
The point of Lax Skillhaus training is to meet players where they are, then push them toward where they can go.
That work can include:
Skill sessions built around position-specific needs
Shooting reps that focus on footwork and release
Dodging work that teaches setup and separation
Small-group competition that builds pace
Film-style teaching through live reps and feedback
Confidence training through pressure situations
Train with purpose. Compete with focus. Pay attention to the details. Learn from every rep. Build a game that holds up when the pressure rises. HAVE FUN AND ENJOY THE PROCESS.
Love you all!
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