Altona Lacrosse Club

Quote of the month

“I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been

trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life.

And that is why I succeed.” Michael Jordan

Coaching vacancies

There are still coaching (and manager) positions

vacant for Division 2, Division 3, Under 15 and Under

13. If you have the time and have something to offer

these teams then please tell somebody on the

committee.

Thursday night dinners

Thanks to Liz who has begun making Thursday night

meals. The meals have been very popular with the

players and as a result, we keep selling out. The prices

have been low at $5 so if anyone is interested in

staying back and having something to eat then

please tell Liz so she can make sure there is enough.

All money raised helps the club.

Player numbers

Once again, I would like to remind everyone that we

need juniors, especially in Under 13s but a few more

U17s, U15s and U11s would certainly help. Please try

to bring some friends/relatives down.

Mark Lewer

Vice President & U17 Coach

We are always interested in hearing from people who have ideas on how we

can improve our Club, including fundraising events.

Any ideas please contact the committee (refer contact details on last page).

Fri April 15

Sat April 16

Lachlan McDonald

Fundraiser

Altona Lacrosse Club

NEWSLETTER

Issue 3, April 2016

Upcoming Events

Season Start – Men

Round 1

IDEAS FOR THE CLUB

Sun April 17 Season Start – Women

Round 1

Training

Altona Lacrosse Club

Juniors - 6.00pm

Seniors - 7.00pm

Tuesdays &

Thursdays

Thursdays Dinner

Altona Lacrosse Club

Straight after training

Sat April 16

U13 Mini Carnival

Altona Lacrosse Club

Altona Lacrosse Club Newsletter Issue 3, April 2016

2

Prior to taking the field all players will be required to complete their registration and either have paid their fees in full or signed up to a payment plan. Players who are not registered are not covered by association insurance.

In 2016 Lacrosse Victoria has moved to one online registration form, rather than the four separate forms we used in 2015.

The information requested on the form will depend on the type of member you are registering as (player, coach, match official and volunteer).

The Australian Lacrosse Association advised Lacrosse Victoria last year that all players, officials, coaches, managers and volunteers are required to be registered on Sporting Pulse.

Any members that are not registered on Sporting Pulse will not be covered by the National Insurance Policy for personal accident, public liability and professional indemnity insurance.

Step 1: Go to https://reg.sportingpulse.com/regoform.cgi?formID=55608 and follow the prompts.

Step 2: Send your email and contact number to Susie Struhs at secretary@altonalacrosse.com.au

Step 3: Pay fees to: Bendigo Bank Account Name: Altona Lacrosse Club Inc BSB: 633-000 Account No. 150961571 Note: All payment details to be emailed to Paula Roberts at treasurer@altonalacrosse.com.au

Altona Lacrosse Membership

Fees for 2016:

Senior Men & Women $ 390

Fulltime Student $ 350

Under 17 Boys/Girls $ 290

Under 15 Boys/Girls $ 260

Under 13 Boys/Girls $ 230

Under 11 Boys/Girls $150

There will be discounts for

multiple juniors from the same

family.

5

2016 Player Registration Open

All positions on a lacrosse field are identified from the goalies perspective looking down the field. We all need to know what the different positions are.

Learning the lingo.......

Altona Lacrosse Club Newsletter Issue 3, April 2016

3

Easter Egg Hunt

Thursday 24th March

After training on Thursday

night the junior kids had a

great time searching the

lacrosse club grounds for

some chocolate eggs placed

by the Easter bunny.

Movie Night

Yarraville Sun Theatre

Friday 1st April

Movie Night at the Sun

Theatre, Yarraville was a fun

night for all that attended.

Trivia Night – Friday 15th April

Proceeds go to assist Lachlan

McDonald’s dream to play in the U19

Australian team in Canada this

coming July.

Venue: Altona Lacrosse Club,

Paisley Park, Mason St, Altona East

Time: 6.30pm for a 7pm start

Entry: $20 pp

Door prize, silent auction and games

RSVP: Contact Liz for further information

on 0417 533 796

Club Dinners – Thursday nights after training

Hang back after training for some dinner

and a drink.

Menu varies weekly

Venue: Altona Lacrosse Club

Time: Every Thursday after training

Menu: Varies

Cost: $5 Main Meal and $1 sausage in bread

U13 Establishment Round – Saturday 16th April

Lacrosse Victoria will be holding an Establishment Round for our U13

Competitions to start the season. This is a mini-carnival that ensures

that every team plays multiple games throughout the morning. It is

done to limit the effect of U13 teams giving walkovers in the first

round. It will be held at the Altona Lacrosse Club and will be

hosting the western clubs, which should be 5 - 6 teams.

Altona Lacrosse Club Newsletter Issue 3, April 2016

4

Juniors & Parents Update Mark Lewer – U17 Coach & Vice President

As with any team, we are only as strong as our weakest link. Don’t be the player who costs us a game because you did not make

the effort to get to training and learn the plays and pick up your skills

QUOTE OF THE WEEK Offense Wins Games, Defense Wins Championships

Hi Parents and Players Training

With good numbers regularly for Division 1, the skills and structures have been picking up. Last week in particular were really good sessions. The U17s however, have been disappointing of late with a number of players being unavailable for a variety of reasons. As a result of not having the numbers, we are 4 weeks behind in our training from where I would like us to be. In Division 1 training last week we saw a focus on the 2-2-2 and Alan introduced a great inbounds play. This week we will add a clear and a ride. The Under 17s will be using the same plays as Division 1 but as we have not had the numbers we have been focusing on the 2 man game and our cutting and picking options. All good stuff but we still need to bring it all together as a team. Also all U17’s, if your parents have the time and you do not have homework, should train with the seniors.

TIPS TO BE A BETTER PLAYER – THE SHORT STICK DEFENDER

In defense, the short stick defender must think of themselves as a member of the overall defensive unit. You will probably be the one the opposition tries to score through and you will probably not be as good as the long poles in defense so you need to compensate with lots of talking, anticipation, confidence and quick thinking.

Short stick defender on an opponent that you cannot stop but you are quicker than them

If you are the short stick defender and you find yourself on a really good dodger then you should try to prevent your opponent getting a pass by staying close to them. If your opponent cannot get the ball he cannot dodge you. Don’t be so close they can push you off but be in a position where you are close enough to close off the space and can intercept any pass they may receive.

Short stick defender on an opponent that you can stop and you are quicker than

In this scenario, you want your opponent to get the ball so you move into a support position as a double for your team mates. When your player receives the ball you move quickly out to them and try to take the ball off them. Your teammates should also have cut off the adjacent passes so your opponent does not have the ability to get rid of the ball with an easy pass.

So the golden rule for a quick short stick defender is: If you are weaker than your opponent, don’t let them get the ball. If you are stronger than your opponent, let them get the ball and take it off them.

Short stick defender on an opponent that you cannot stop and you are slower than them

If you are the short stick defender and you find yourself on a really good dodger and they are quicker than you, then you need to communicate with your defenders and play close to your help. You should position yourself so that when your opponent gets the ball, you can arrive at a position just outside their comfortable shooting zone. This is to discourage your opponent from just shooting and to minimise the space your opponent has between you and your help to dodge into. Also as soon as they get the ball, call “I have a dodger.” If you wait until they are actually dodging to call for help, it will probably be too late. Calling early alerts your team mates that you may need help and also puts your opponent off as he now knows your team mates are ready to assist you.

So the golden rule for a slower short stick defender on a better player is: Play as close to your help as you can and call that you need help as soon as your opponent gets the ball.

Short stick defender’s role when an opposition player (not necessarily your immediate opponent) is about to shoot and you cannot prevent it

As soon as you realise a shot is unavoidable, you should begin sprinting to the centre line. Most attackers cannot help but watch the shot so you should be metres in the clear if our goalie makes the save. If the shot is a goal or goes out of bounds then you have lost nothing by breaking out early. If the shot is saved however you are in a great position for a fast break.

TRAINING NOTE FOR SHORT STICK DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDERS

If you want to be a good short stick defender, always practice on the better players. If you can stop Altona’s best dodgers then you will be able to stop the best players in other sides. Also talk to the defenders, know what they expect of you, earn their trust in defence. Learn to listen as you defend so you know where the ball is without looking. Also, talk, talk, talk…… OVERARCHING PRINCIPLES (OAPs)

The defense OAPs are:

Communication

Play the percentages

Play from the inside out

Use feet (for positioning) & head (for thinking) to defend first, use your stick last

Never give up top side

The attack OAPs are:

Movement

Identify favourable match-ups

Pass-Pass-Dodge

Keep your man occupied

GET TO TRAINING

We made great improvements last year. There are no tricks, it comes down to the hard work you put in at training. We need everyone there so we can continue to learn and improve together. Please don’t let yourselves or your teammates down and try to get to training both nights. Outside of training, practice throwing a ball against a wall or with a partner. Walk around the house with your stick and a ball and practice your changing hands, your dodging, your cradling and protecting the ball. There are very few good players, in any sport, who did not become good players without dedication to training.

Altona Lacrosse Club Newsletter Issue 3, April 2016

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A guy is driving around the

back woods and he sees a

sign in front of a broken down,

cabin: "Talking Dog For Sale."

He rings the bell and the

owner appears and tells him

the dog is in the backyard.

The guy goes into the

backyard and sees a nice

looking Labrador retriever

sitting there.

"You talk?" he asks.

"Yep," the Lab replies.

After the guy recovers from

the shock of hearing a dog

talk, he says "So, what's your

story?"

The Lab looks up and says,

"Well, I discovered that I could

talk when I was pretty young. I

wanted to help the

government, so I told the CIA.

In no time at all they had me

jetting from country to

country, sitting in rooms with

world leaders, because no

one figured a dog would be

eavesdropping.

"I was one of their most

valuable spies for eight years

running. But the jetting around

really tired me out, and I knew

I wasn't getting any younger

so I decided to settle down. I

signed up for a job at the

airport to do some undercover

security, wandering near

suspicious characters and

listening in. I foiled lots of drug

smuggling attempts and was

awarded a batch of medals.

"I got married, had a mess of

puppies, and now I'm just

retired."

The guy is amazed. He goes

back in and asks the owner

what he wants for the dog.

"Ten dollars," the guy says.

"Ten dollars? This dog is

amazing! Why on earth are

you selling him so cheap??"

"Because the dog's a damn

liar. He never did any of that

stuff."

2016 Social Memberships & Club apparel coming soon !

Club Hire

We have recently had a number of requests to hire the club room for private non lacrosse functions. Unfortunately our lease does not permit us to hire out the rooms. If we hired the rooms and an incident occurred, whether damage or an incident involving the police, we would be liable and have some explaining to do to Council. Also, our license is time limited and we have RSA obligations which could result in police scrutiny and the loss of our liquor license if we do the wrong thing.

Junior Development & Recruitment

Players Wanted - Boys, Girls, Men & Women

The Altona Lacrosse Club is seeking players, male and female, of all ages for the 2016 Season. All beginners welcome. Training is on Tuesdays & Thursdays

6:00pm Juniors 7.00pm Seniors

For more info email recruitment@altonalacrosse.com.au

Clinics starting soon

Thanks to our Junior coordinator, Jessie, ALC will be holding lacrosse school clinics as of term 2. For further information or to find out how you can help please contact Jessie.

Altona Lacrosse Club Newsletter Issue 3, April 2016

6

What? When? Where? How?

LV AGM and Club Forum 10:00 am

April 2

Altona and Newport Ladies’

Lacrosse Club Rooms

Victoria U18 Boys v

Malvern

1:00 pm

April 9 Malvern Lacrosse Club

Australia U19 Junior

Lacrosse Camp

April 9 –

10 P.J. Lynch Reserve

More

information here

Women’s Umpiring Forum April 11,

Time TBA Sports House, MSAC

More information

here

Season Start: Male

Competitions April 16 Home & Away

Season Start: Female

Competitions April 17 Home & Away

2016 ALA U18 National

Championship

April 21 –

24

East Fremantle Lacrosse Club,

Perth

Like the

Championship

Facebook

page here

ANZAC Commemorative

Matches April 25 MCC Lacrosse Club

Game Time Changes

JUNIORS SENIORS U/11 - 9.00 am start 4x10 min quarters Div 1 - 2.30pm start 4x20 min quarters U/13 - 9.00 am start 4x12 min quarters Div 2 & 3 - 12.30pm start 4x20 min quarters U/15 - 10.30am start 4x15 min quarters Note: all Bendigo Div3 games (both home & away U/17 - 10.30am start 4x15 min quarters start 2.30pm

Rule Changes

U/17 - No 3min stop clock U/15 - No 3min stop clock and only one time-out per half. U/13 – No stop clock, one time-out per half, one pass forward 3rd of ground ie end-line to restraining line.

Date Reminders

Altona Lacrosse Club Newsletter Issue 3, April 2016

7

Australian U19 Men Junior Lacrosse Camp

Women's Umpiring Forum

Lacrosse Victoria will be holding a women's umpiring forum at Sports House on Monday, April 11.

This forum is open to all Lacrosse Victoria members who are interested in women's officiating and would like to assist in the development of umpiring in Victoria. An Agenda will be made available next week in the Lacrosse Victoria bulletin. If you will be attending, please RSVP to secretary@lacrossevictoria.com.au.

Online Officials Accreditation

A new concept in online testing has been developed for ALA and is now available for all women's and men's officials to access for testing and progressing their accreditation. For umpires, this meets the testing requirement and will need to be followed by on field assessments. For referees, there are two sections of the test, both of which must be completed to meet the accreditation requirement. Any questions or comments can be forwarded to the ALA Director of Officiating at officiating@lacrosse.com.au. The testing site can be found here. A step by step guide for the test can be accessed here.

Altona Lacrosse Club Newsletter Issue 3, April 2016

8

Shot on the run drill

Point & Release drill

Getting the ball into the net is the aim of the game. Try these Paul Rabil shooting drills to help improve your

shooting.

Minute with a member

Question: What is the best gift you have

been given?

Answer: My computer that me & my

dad made

Question: If you could live in any other

country for 2 years where would you

go?

Answer: America

Question: What would be the very first

thing you would do if you won the

lottery?

Answer: Brag about it then treat my

family to what ever they want

Question: If you could be a professional

athlete what sport would you play?

Answer: Lacrosse

Question: What do you think about

when there is nothing you have to think

about?

Answer: The fun me and my friends had

that week

Question: What is one thing you will

never do again?

Answer: Coach a womens team.

Question: If you could have dinner with

any one person, living or dead, who

would they be and why?

Answer: Genghis Khan, to see what

drove him.

Question: What's your favorite movie?

Answer: Seven Days in May

Question: Holiday in Hawaii or

Switzerland, and why?

Answer: Hawaii - far end of Maui away

from the tourist drag. Not even a take

away place. Just beaches and

mountains.

Question: If you could change one

law, what would it be?

Answer: My mother in law, she can be

a pain in the arse, but is always willing

to help out.

Question: What’s the craziest thing

you’ve ever done?

Answer: With respect to my family and

on advice from my lawyer I am not a

liberty to comment on any activities

that may or may not have happened in

my past. What I will mention is that all

the of the court cases (except the

extradition case with Cambodia, which

is ongoing, even though it was

obviously a case of mistaken identity

and that midget had it coming

anyway) were settled. I paid for the

ass-less leather chaps, natural yogurt

and jumper cables. And before anyone

mentions it as far as I am aware the

counselling received by the goat and

the lama has been very successful in

getting them back to their jobs with the

petting zoo. Sadly the two chickens

had to be put down.

Question: If you could use technology

to do one thing, what would it be?

Answer: Teleport. It would beat the

train to work and make getting to

Eltham much easier.

Question: Have you ever been pulled

over by a cop?

Answer: As an American this is actually

not that unusual and yes I have.

Regarding the outcome please see my

answer to the first question.

Question: Travel by plane, train, or

automobile.

Answer: Plane, not because I love

flying, but anywhere I am interested in

going you can’t get there by car.

Question: If you could take only three

items with you to a deserted island,

what would they be?

Answer: Probably my wife and two

boys, but they would probably not

want to trapped on an island with me.

James

Bleed

Senior Men

& ALC

President `15

Aidan

Lewer

U17

Mark

Hughes

Former ALC President

Altona Lacrosse Club Newsletter Issue 3, April 2016

A Special thanks to our Sponsor

Altona Lacrosse Club Paisley Park, Mason Street

Altona East, VIC 3015

Committee Members President Bernard McDonald

president@altonalacrosse.com.au

0401 770 218

Vice President Mark Lewer

vicepres@altonalacrosse.com.au

0439 556 651

Treasurer Paula Roberts

treasurer@altonalacrosse.com.au

0407 050 422

Secretary Susie Struhs

secretary@altonalacrosse.com.au

0409 048 813

Other Committee Members Jessie Mackinnon (Junior Coordinator)

Liz Kukucka (Canteen Manager)

Alan Lewer (Box Lacrosse)

Graham Mackinnon (Groundsperson)

Rodney Maher (General Committee Member)

Matilda Mackinnon (General Committee Member)

Luke Hanna (General Committee Member)

Thomas Fraser (General Committee Member)

Lachlan Mackinnon (General Committee Member)

Vicki Ryan (General Committee Member)