It’s not all about talent

You can be the best attacker on the East Coast and still not get recruited by your dream college. HGR coaches are committed to building character and encouraging your personal integrity, and everything that comes out of this mission is weighed heavily by recruiters. Being the best you can be — athletically as well as in your personal interactions with others — is what makes you stand out in the eyes of college coaches. It pays off.

There are a lot of articles online that reinforce the value of the intangible qualities you absorb by being a part of HGR. Earlier this week, https://laxallstars.com published 5 Critical College Recruiting Tips. They advise such things as looking back at your social media, and realizing that academic performance carries a lot of weight to college athletics. 

An article from Men’s Journal (of course it applies to women too) is also very eye-opening on the character traits that go into the making of a great athlete. The following refers to a study undertaken at the University of Portsmouth in England:

What makes a top athlete?

“[R]esearchers queried athletes, coaches, and sports psychologists at the elite level to reveal what makes someone thrive in their sport. Overall, they illuminated 15 “internal and external” factors that help an athlete go from so-so to sensational. Here’s what it takes:

    1. Keeping an optimistic mindset
    2. Staying focused
    3. Being in control
    4. Knowing what needs improvement
    5. Having a strong sense of motivation
    6. Developing holistically as a person, not just as an athlete
    7. Seeing an upward progression
    8. Feeling like you belong
    9. Having a strong network of support from family and friends
    10. Believing in yourself
    11. Appreciating the journey
    12. Trusting and committing to the process of growth
    13. Stoking an inner desire to succeed
    14. Setting challenging goals
    15. Managing stress

“The results could also help explain why some individuals gifted at sport don’t thrive at elite level,” study author and sports scientist Daniel Brown said in a press release.”

HGR Coaches practice what they preach. You’ll never find better role models than our coaching staff. 

Boys: https://hgrlacrosse.com/about-us/our-staff/boys-lacrosse-coaches/

Girls: https://hgrlacrosse.com/girls-lacrosse-coaches/