HARRISBURG LACROSSE AT LAX CON 2015

The 2015 US Lacrosse Convention is in the books! Another great year with a rapidly growing and enthusiastic community of players, coaches, refs, vendors, and fans. If you have yet  to attend we strongly recommend checking it out next year. There is really no way to describe all the things you can do and see.

We are going to give a recap of our experiences at the event with some pictures of some the things we saw that really stood out. By no means will this cover everything but hopefully it will give you some general sense of the different things that went on.

MORE AFTER THE BREAK

DAY ONE

The convention was back in Baltimore (where it will also be January 2016 and 2017) after being held in Philadelphia last year. It was much easier to get situated at the hotel and register than last year. The walk from the hotel to the convention center was also considerably shorter and easier which makes a big difference. Once checked in the lower level (underground) housed the retail vendors and live/demo fields were the vast majority of the action takes place. This is where you will see the big names players and vendors. There were a number of class rooms as well for smaller clinics and organizations.

When you first arrive the retail vendors are the first stop. You could honestly spend all day there seeing the new products and meeting all your favorite people from HEADstrong, East Coast Dyes, JIMALAX, Ripwood, Stylin Strings, and many many more. In fact you have to be careful not to get to bogged down. The vendors are great and there were a lot more products there than last year. As the game has grown a lot of companies that are not lacrosse specific are bringing their items there. A lot more on the coaching and video software front as well. Sublimated products and helmet decals/wraps continue to be huge.

After a quick walk through we headed to our first clinic which was canceled (for no known reason) so it was a bit of an auspicious beginning. I will say the organization and visibility of different clinics was much much better than last year. After a clinic on building offenses and face offs our first day at the convention hall had come to an end. With travel and seeing old coaching friends the first day features a lot of catching up. Everyone is pretty excited to be back at the convention and see what other people have been up to. Additionally all the vendors seem to indicate they will have more products on Saturday (the bigger of the two days).

One of the best parts about the convention is you have no idea what you will see when or where. On our way to dinner we just happen to pass an open door to a hotel ball room where the MLL draft was currently taking place.

Quint Kessenich Hosting the MLL Draft

DAY 2

Everything starts moving pretty early on Saturday and you are going to want to be on the move with a solid game plan. Clinics started at 8:00am kicking off 10 hours of lacrosse everything. A quick breakfast and then onto learn about principles of motion offense. Following that it was back to the main hall to see even more than what was there Friday. We were also fortunate to see and meet quite a few lacrosse legends. There accessability is remarkable and shows a true passion for helping to grow the game. In all honesty no one is bigger than the room at Lax Con, everyone is welcoming and inviting.

Meeting Paul Rabil

Wooden Lacrosse Stick Legend Alf Jacques

By 9:15am it was time to hit the Live Field for Mitchel Belisle's presentation on sliding and recovering. Whats nice about the demo's is there is something for everyone from the seasoned coaches to the brand new one looking to start at the beginning. We always say if you can get one or two things from a presentation it was worth your time. In this case it was the saying "protect the heart" that was particularly noteworthy.

Sliding and Recovering Presentation

Following this presentation there was only one other presentation available till after lunch (1:30pm) which was somewhat disappointing. You basically had three hours in the middle of the morning for the retail area which is great but in my opinion they could have spread some presentations out (more on that in a bit).

The retail floor is packed all day Saturday and the vendors who you had ample time to chat with Friday are going full tilt and you can really see the passion they have for the game and their products. A lot of vendors where at their first convention  and just starting their businesses so they were definitely learning as they went. Presentations ranged from interactive software demos and prizes where you could simply let them scan your pass for more information to copy paper hand outs and old school sign up sheets.

http://ripwoodlacrosse.com/

One thing that was very different this year from last were the giveaways. We aren't there by any means for the free loot but in 2014 we walked out with bags of gear. It seemed like everyone was handing you mesh, a calander, a shirt, whatever, as you walked through. This year it was all for sale and not being handed out as much. My guess is the rapid growth of the convention puts to much of burden for as many giveaways, which makes total sense. With that said we did receive some really nice items and giveaways both days. Additionally the convention is an excellent time to see and purchase new products, often times at a discount and with no S&H fees.

One of our favorite purchases was the Predator Lax R.A.T. Target from Lacrosse Ball Store.

http://www.lacrosseballstore.com/Predator_Lax_R_A_T_Target_p/ps-rat.htm

A personal high light for us was seeing Mark Millon do a shooting demo with his 10 year old son. A 2-time All-American from UMass who has had a remarkable career really hit some key points on teaching shooting to all players and avoiding developing bad habits from the start. If you are able to check it out online we recommend it (watch it more than once, it's that good). What was most impressive was whenever he fielded a question he not only answered it but would go into drills and scenarios to improve your skills. It was amazing. The guy was on point and his demo alone would have been worth the trip.

Mark Millon Shooting Demo

Following the shooting tutorial we had our first very difficult scheduling decision. Go see the Ryan Boyle two man game in transition presentation on the demo field or hang at the live field for Kyle Harrison's shooting demonstration. What is great about the convention is every presentation is available to the attendees online so you can view everything at another time. We went with the transition presentation.

Picking for the Two Man Game in Transition

We did duck out a few minutes before the end to see the Harrison demonstration which looked like it was a lot of fun. All these big name guys out there playing around is a blast to see.

Kyle Harrison Shooting on the Run

As quickly as it came it went. A whirlwind couple days and a ton of great information and products to review, consider, and analyze. We can't recommend this convention highly enough for anyone who even has a passing interest in lacrosse. The ultimate highlight for us was seeing so many local Harrisburg players and coaches there. 

We hope you enjoyed this little look into the convention and even more than that we hope to see you there in 2016!