This is the 2nd of a trio of great discussions based on IWLCA Blogs, this one authored by Kate Leavell, Head Coach, Adams State University; with supporting guests Jenna Handshoe, Head Coach, Presbyterian College & Kara Mupo, Assistant Coach, Stanford University

It’s a Journey Not a Destination: 5 tips for getting your mind ready for success in collegiate lacrosse: https://iwlca.wordpress.com/2019/01/02/its-a-journey-not-a-destination-5-tips-for-getting-your-mind-ready-for-success-in-collegiate-lacrosse/
-By Kate Leavell, Head Coach, Adams State University, @ASUGrizzlies

Years of stress about getting recruited, getting seen, getting playing time, getting recognized and getting offers has players entering the collegiate playing world in a broken mindset. The end result of all that drive is not the social media declaration or the day you’re handed a jersey. The end result of that hard work is not a destination, it is the beginning of a long, difficult, but rewarding journey. It has nothing to do with getting anything, and everything to do with giving the result of all that hard work to a group of athletes who all dreamed that same dream to become something incredible together. The coaches who chose you? They chose your potential. No one is recruited to come stay the same and play as they did in high school. The work isn’t done, it hasn’t even scratched the surface. The act of being recruited is all about racing towards the opportunity to join a bigger race.

The problem with all that focus on getting a spot on the perfect team, is that often when the time comes to get to work and all the announcements, gear handouts, Instagram Pics and stories are over, it no longer feels like the prize that was built up in the athletes’ heads. It doesn’t feel like a trophy! It maybe even feels a little like punishment, and work that’s beyond what’s been done before, stress, and disappointment because it’s not perfect or even close. “The coach loved me when she recruited me, but now the season has started, and I can’t do anything right!” could be muttered by almost every freshman on the pitch.

The athlete turnover rate or drop off rate at many programs is very real, even the great ones, because the expectation and reality of playing collegiate lacrosse is being overshadowed and downplayed by the excitement of announcing the coveted offered roster spot.

Here are five tips to get your mindset prepared for what’s ahead so that you can have a rewarding collegiate career. Enjoy the announcement BUT save your real excitement for the journey that’s coming ahead in your next four years. Because it’s the journey that holds the real prize, the joy, and the memories. It’s the process that builds sustainable grit, commitment, success, and growth. It’s the daily interactions and triumphs over obstacles that take a little girl’s dream and turn it into an experience that she’ll remember and cherish for a lifetime. It’s not a destination, it’s an adventure!

1.Train at the level you want to play for, now. If waking up at 5 am for lifting followed by running all before breakfast and then a full day of classes, study hall, and finishing the night with a rigorous practice seem like torture now, then you may want to reconsider your plans. You won’t suddenly be all about it just because you’re in college.
2.Practice building relationships with your teammates and classmates, especially the ones you struggle to mesh with. Because your ability to contribute to a great team culture is held back by strained relationships and cliques. If you find fault with many people on your team now, you won’t be better off on your new team. Those personalities exist everywhere, and you’ll struggle even more when the pressure is double....