We actually didn’t even know that we were being evaluated until the results came in. So, we thought we’d let you know so that you can celebrate with us! LacrosseMonkey is committed to continuing the practices and policies that won the EXCELLENT ranking in the first place. With customer satisfaction being a top priority and a strong commitment to fast and efficient order processing and a fair return policy, LacrosseMonkey strives to be the first choice among players and coaches.

About STELLAService
Founded in 2009, STELLAService is an independent company that rates the customer service performance of online stores. The company has created the most robust evaluation methodology ever assembled — stress testing more than 300 different elements of the online customer experience.

Stringing up your own stick may be intimidating but by closely following this manual and taking your time, you will learn to string the perfect stick time and time again. Knowing how to string and maintain your own stick is an important skill to ensure that you are playing with a stick that will best suit your needs.

Click here or on the picture below to see the full manual.

Hockey, by nature, is a rigorous sport that requires agility and stamina since the average hockey player will be on the ice a full 15-20 minutes during a 60-minute game. But simply playing during the season is not enough. Your off-season workout should incorporate cardiovascular training as well as strength and flexibility exercises to help with your endurance during the hockey year. A somewhat short 1 hour game will incorporate short, intense sessions of high-speed skating and aggressive body to body contact that cannot be mastered without continuous training.

Cardiovascular Exercise
Physically demanding sports, like hockey, can lead to serious injury if you are not in proper shape. Cardiovascular fitness during and after the season will help a player meet these stringent demands and will aid in the healing process in the case of injury. To establish good cardiovascular health, start with a 4 day a week workout regimen that concentrates specifically on the lower body for 2 days and the upper body for 1 day. Be sure to focus on strong aerobic exercises that really get your heart rate up. Exercise bikes or treadmills are great when used for at least 20 minutes at a time. Sprints will get your heart rate up to optimal levels while running for distance will increase your endurance.

Strength and Flexibility Training
A well-rounded workout routine also involves strength and flexibility exercises that will help prevent injury on the ice. Flexibility exercises stretch tight muscles and improve joints’ range of motion. Adults can start weight lifting 3 to 4 times a week, but children should only use their own body weight for their strength training (push ups, pull ups, etc). Be sure to take a day off between workouts for muscle recovery and rest.

Other strength and flexibility exercises: squats, jump rope, sprints, stair climbing, fast push-ups and power crunches.

Endurance Training
Training for endurance involves intensity and duration, much like that of a long distance runner. Endurance training is about training your body to endure long periods of intense exercise or other physical activity. It is also about training your muscles to continue working even after strenuous exercise. Endurance is key to your success in hockey. The quick bursts of action can quickly tire you out if you have not reached ideal endurance levels. There are three forms of endurance training: aerobic endurance, anaerobic endurance and speed endurance.

This year is no different… We’ve come up with some pretty sweet designs for Warrior and while we will continue with last year’s hottest exclusive, the Brine Rasta King, we have also decided to add more team-specific colors to the Brine Swizzbeat and Swizzle Scandium lines!

WARRIOR

Squint Eastwood: Some of you may have seen the Squint Eastwood, which was leaked on our Facebook page! The buzz around this shaft leads us to believe that this will be one of the hottest tickets in the shaft world! This Kryptolyte shaft gets fresh with raised neon shades that provide sick grip and will match all neon heads from Brine and Warrior! Comes in white or black

RASTA Lion: We know how much the bros love the Rasta colors so we’re bringing in the Rasta Lion. This will be a Kryptolyte Non-Grip shaft and will be the new Rasta design for this year!

The Schwartz: Yes, as in “May the Schwartz be with you” (if you don’t know, ask your parents)… This Jedi-inspired non-grip Kryptolyte shaft looks quite like a Light Saber (except it’s cooler) and features a smooth, not quite allow finish that is just straight sick and you’re going to love it! This shaft will be available in Purple, Green, Royal Blue and Red… and the graphics will be applied the same way as the Element shafts! Available in October.

Barber Pole: Did someone say DIAGONAL STRIPES? How is it possible that this hasn’t been done before? Well it has now! Available in October.

The Barber Pole will have the much coveted DIAMOND grip and will come in the following color combinations:

BARBER POLE Color Combinations:

Red/Black/White

Royal/Black/White

Yellow/Green/White

Yellow/Black/White

Orange/Navy/White

Red/White/Black

Vegas Gold/White/Black

BRINE

We will still carry the stock silver with the colored grip, but this year we will also feature all new color combinations that are going to rock the Lacrosse world and make you turn cartwheels with glee (ok, I went too far… but you get the idea).

New SWIZZBEAT Colors (Attack Length Only):

Purple/White

Black/Neon Green

Black/Red

Green/Yellow

Yellow/Black

New SWIZZLE SCANDIUM Colors (Attack Length Only):

White/Red (you’ve seen the Red/White… but wait till you see this combo!)

Royal/Yellow

Black/Royal

So tell us… which one are you pumped about?

SKILLS NEEDED
Communication is key! As a goalie, one of your most important jobs is to communicate with your defense. A goalie’s chatter should be used wisely. Don’t talk just to talk, but rather talk to provide your teammates with information. You have the best view of the field, so get accustomed to calling out the ball’s location (especially loose balls, passes and open shots) so the defensemen are aware of the ball’s position without actually looking at it. The goalie needs to use a loud, authoritative voice that is commanding without yelling.

While this is obvious, a goalie needs to learn how to effectively defend the goal. Concentration and quick reflexes are vital as you will spend much of the game stopping direct shots. Action tends to get exaggerated and oftentimes overwhelming around the goal, so the goalie needs to practice training on the ball. The second you lose sight of the ball is the exact opportunity the opponent is looking for.

A goalie also needs to be good at catching and throwing. If your open man is in the distance, you want to feel confident that you can get the ball to them. You should actually be able to accurately and consistently throw half field at the very least. Your cradling and throwing skills also need to be on par with your other teammates.

POSITIONING
Your hands should be in a relaxed, comfortable position (about 12″ apart). The shaft should be in your fingers, not in your palms (do not choke the handle). This will give you flexibility and a greater range of motion. Hold your arms away from your body with your elbows in (avoid “wings”).

Your feet should be positioned about shoulder width apart. Keep a bit more weight on your toes, but don’t lift up on the balls of your feet. You should be crouching a bit (knees slightly bent, back straight and head up) and ready to move in any direction.

Ball is in front of the goal opening: Get into goalie position between the pipes (on the imaginary half moon). As the ball moves, you should be moving along the half moon to be in proper position to stop any shot that nears the goal.

Ball is directly behind the goal at X or off the pipes right and left: You should be positioned at the center of the moon, waiting in goalie position except with your bottom hand at the end of the handle so that you are in position to “steal the ball”. Only make the attempt if you can be successful. Do not be over anxious so as to be out of position for the next opportunity to make a save.

THINGS YOU NEED TO GET GOOD AT:
Communication: The best goalies are loud and constantly communicate in an authoritative voice, but without yelling.
Concentration and quick reflexes: Things happen fast… you need to be able to think fast and act logically under pressure.
Footwork: Become quick on your feet and practice your footwork on a regular basis.
Passing: You’ll need to know how to pass downfield when you find yourself with the ball.

EQUIPMENT NEEDED
Goalie Equipment includes:
a. Goalie Stick (shaft is 40 inches and head is larger than other players)
b. Helmet
c. Gloves (Goalie-specific recommended)
d. Throat and mouth guard
e. Chest Protector
f. Goalie Pants (Recommended)
g. Shin Guards (Not required)
h. Athletic supporter with cup
i. Cleats

Size is a great asset for a defensemen, but agility is even more valuable. Larger players may be intimidating, but this position also requires speed and agility in order to be effective.

SKILLS NEEDED
In general, good defensemen need speed, good footwork and excellent checking and decision making skills. A defenseman needs to be quick in both mind and body. You will typically be under a lot of pressure, so quick decision making skills is a crucial part of your role. Practice a variety of game situations and rehearse what you will do in each situation.

Teams need to keep at least four player on their defensive side at all times… including the goalie. Because of this, defensemen rarely ever make their way past midfield. Rather, they are in charge of covering the opposing attackers and should also be adept at passing so they can easily hit their targets down field when needed.

GREAT DEFENSE
An effective defensive strategy includes constant communication. You want to announce the ball’s position, cutters and screens at all times so your teammates can focus on their man.

When the man you are responsible for defending has the ball, you want to be sure that you are in a good position to strike. Knees should be slightly bent, you should be up on the balls of your feet and ready to move at any moment. Your movements need to be quick and methodical. Be sure that you are about a stick length away from your man and match your stick head to his so you are ready for the check if necessary.

THINGS YOU NEED TO GET GOOD AT:
Communication: The best defensemen are loud and constantly communicate with attackmen, middies and their goalie.
Footwork: Become quick on your feet and practice your footwork on a regular basis.
Decision making: You need to be able to think fast and act logically under pressure.
Passing: Defensemen are often used to get the offense out of sticky situations. You’ll need to know how to pass downfield when you find yourself with the ball.

EQUIPMENT NEEDED
Defensemen Equipment includes:
a. Long Stick (defense length shaft of 60in)
b. Helmet
c. Gloves
d. Shoulder Pads
e. Elbow Pads
f. Athletic supporter with cup
g. Cleats

Proper hand positioning is key to this maneuver. When you have the stick in your hand, you don’t want to put it in your palm and you don’t want to put it in your fingertips. Put it in the happy medium where your hand and fingers connect. This will give you soft hands on the top hand and on the bottom hand. You always want to be top hand dominant for more control (meaning that your top hand will do most of the work).

Flex your biceps in with a constant rolling/cradling motion with the top hand. You want to continuously, yet gently rock the stick in a back and forth motion with your bottom hand on the end of the stick. Keep that end close to your body with your fingers loosely gripped on the handle for extra guiding power. A loose grip will allow for more fluid movement. You don’t want to choke your stick… but you also don’t want to hold it too far down where you lose control. Find that happy medium. You should hold your stick with your arms shoulder length apart when your stick is at your waist (you should also have about 24″ or 2 rulers length between your hands).

When running or moving, you want to go with your body’s natural movement. While running, your body moves opposite arm… opposite foot. (When your left leg in up, your right arm goes forward (and vice versa) in a rhythmic motion). You should follow with this rhythm even when the stick is in your hand. Left leg up… right arm goes up with the stick. Be sure to practice making this movement fluid. So many players jerk the stick around unnecessarily in an effort to cradle the ball. Avoid any exaggerated movement as you will have less control over the ball and run the risk of losing it. You can actually force the ball out of the pocket if your movements are too quick and big.

Once you have mastered this technique, you will realize what movements you can make while still controlling the ball. Cradling takes a lot of practice to master.

PRACTICE TIPS
1. Work on proper hand positioning.
2. Hold the stick with your hands shoulder length apart.
3. Remember that your top hand will do most of the work.
4. Keep a loose grip on the stick for more guiding power.
5. Avoid big, exaggerated movements. Practice fluid rocking motions.
6. Keep in line with natural body movement of opposite arm, opposite foot.

Once the ball is in, you need to bring the head up close to your face to avoid a successful check. More often than not, at least one opponent will have gained on you in the time it took to crouch and scoop. As soon as you are upright, you will want to look for an open teammate to get rid of the ball. A successful check is likely to happen right after a scoop. The very movements that help you successfully scoop the ball may very well be the same movements that allow your opponent to dislodge it. For this reason, you will want to pass to an open man as soon as possible.

PRACTICE TIPS
1. Move toward the ball at a crouch
2. Lower the stick to the ground to pick the ball up in one fluid motion
3. Keep your body between the defender and the ball by scooping on the side opposite the defender
4. Keep your top hand near the stick head for better control
5. Keep your stick parallel to the ground
6. Pick the ball up in one fluid motion while continuing to run forward
7. When the ball is secure, bring the head close to your face
8. Look to get rid of the ball immediately, but be sure your man is wide open