April 13, 2023
Getting To Know Brian Lalley Xcelerate Lacrosse Camp Director
Coach Lalley has a wealth of experience as a division one collegiate player at Ohio State University, a college coach at Canisus College, and a camp director for Xcelerate Lacrosse over the last 10 years. During his time with Canisius, Coach Lalley served as the Men’s Head Assistant Coach, where he was the team's offensive and recruiting coordinator.
Prior to joining the Canisius coaching staff in 2009, Lalley played four seasons at Ohio State. A three-time Academic All-Big Ten Selection, Lalley graduated from Ohio State with his bachelor’s degree in Consumer Affairs with a minor in Business and a concentration in Coaching. He earned his master’s in Sport Administration from Canisius in 2011 and a master’s in Physical Education in 2013.
Coach Lalley will be directing summer lacrosse camps at Southwestern University (TX), University of Dallas (TX), Franklin Road Academy (TX), Baldwin Wallace University (OH), Nichols School (NY), and Pacific Lutheran University (WA).
How many years have you been coaching lacrosse?
I began coaching lacrosse when I was a freshman in high school. I worked with the youth players at Orchard Park Summer Lacrosse Camp, where I’m from. That was about 22 years ago, and I’ve been coaching ever since.
What is your favorite camp drill/activity?
I have a bunch, but if I had to choose, it would probably be a scramble scrimmage. This is a scrimmage, but you cannot take more than three steps/have the ball in your stick for more than three seconds. You must also execute fundamental skills like shooting/passing overhand, two hands on gb’s and moving to and from the pass. If you don’t, the coach blows the whistle and a new ball comes in. It encourages fast play, supporting the ball, and moving the ball quickly.
What do you find most rewarding about being a coach?
Overall, it’s having an impact. I love this game and I love meeting and engaging with new people. When I’m able to help make someone better as a person and/or a player through a sport I love, there is a huge intrinsic reward in that for me.
What is one of your favorite memories of being a coach?
Winning the 2012 MAAC Championship and going to the NCAA Tournament. It was an incredibly close and driven group of players who competed so hard for each other. They set lofty goals and beat an incredibly talented Siena team to compete on a national stage.
What is your most memorable experience playing the sport?
I have so many, but competing in the NCAA Tournament against Cornell and Duke would be at the top for me. To work so hard with a group of driven individuals and to compete for a championship was an amazing experience.
What is your favorite sport outside of lacrosse, and how do you think knowledge/skills in that sport translate to lacrosse?
My favorite sport other than lacrosse would be skiing. I think where skiing really helped me in lacrosse was my leg strength, peripheral awareness, and balance.
What do you believe are the most important characteristics to improvement?
Patience, dedication, and a positive attitude are all very important to getting better. So many kids have grown accustomed to information and entertainment being right at their fingertips that they believe improvement should be as accessible. Setting goals and diligently working towards them with disciplined practice is so important. Focused failures are putting yourself in a position of discomfort. When your discomfort becomes more comfortable, you’ve improved.
What do you think is the most underappreciated skill/ability in the sport of lacrosse?
I believe the most underappreciated skill is hustle. Our sport is very fast, and it’s getting faster with better and better athletes picking up a stick. When two teams are equally matched with skill and athleticism, generally little plays are the difference. Making hustle plays like sprinting through a gb, hustling into the hole to stop opponent transition when you’re tired, sprinting on and off the field, and diving for endlines not only could be a game-changing play, but show your team you’re willing to do whatever it takes.
What is your go-to Nike apparel/equipment?
I am a huge fan of the Nike CEO. I love the face shape, the numerous stringing holes, and the shape/offset. I have a stringing pattern that I love in there that I use to string player’s sticks at camp. It is very important in our sport to have a stick, and string job that can lead to consistency. As a midfielder who also faces off, the CEO has been my favorite head.
Come join the fun and get better this summer at an Xcelerate Lacrosse Camp. Click here for more information: www.xceleratelacrosse.com