Will lifting heavy slow down my dodge?

No. Force production is the foundation of acceleration and change of direction. Programming respects sport demands and uses loading patterns that drive transfer, not hypertrophy for its own sake.

What ages do you train in lacrosse?

Competitive high-school players through to elite college and beyond. Younger players get long-term athletic development as the base; older and elite players get higher-intent loading and position-specific transfer.

How is this different from regular conditioning?

Generic conditioning runs steady-state. Lacrosse is repeated-sprint and reactive. The work is built around the game's actual physical pattern: short hard efforts, hard decelerations, recovery, repeat.

Can you coach a player who is away at college?

Yes. The online program is built for athletes whose calendar moves. Weekly programming adjusts around team training, travel and games, with video feedback and ongoing coach oversight.

I'm coming back from a hamstring or knee injury. Where do I start?

Start with a return-to-performance assessment first. Once we know where you stand on force production, asymmetry, reactive strength and movement quality, training plugs in cleanly alongside any physio still in play.

In-person or online for lacrosse?

Both work. In-person sessions run at our Zephyrhills, FL facility in the Tampa Bay area. Online programs run worldwide and suit the realities of high-school and college lacrosse schedules.

Sports · Lacrosse

Lacrosse Performance Training: Stick Speed Starts in the Hips

Your shot is only as fast as the floor you can drive into.

Acceleration, dodge agility, rotational power, repeated-sprint capacity.

In-person (Tampa Bay)Online (worldwide)

What this is

What is lacrosse performance training?

Lacrosse performance training is the structured development of how a player accelerates, decelerates, dodges, shoots and recovers across a high-tempo game. Like tennis and baseball, the lacrosse shot is a rotational power event delivered through the ground in well under a second. The game itself is a series of short sprints, hard cuts and repeated efforts under contact. That asks for force production, anti-rotation control, sequenced rotational power, eccentric capacity to absorb cuts, and repeated-sprint conditioning. At DJP Athlete, lacrosse players are coached by Darren J Paul, PhD (CSCS, NASM, USA Weightlifting Level 2), with the same five-pillar framework that underpins every program: assessment, individualized programming, load monitoring, technical coaching and long-term development. Training runs in-person at the Tampa Bay facility or online with weekly programming and video feedback. The aim is straightforward: better shot output, sharper dodges, more reps available across a long season.

What we develop

The four qualities that decide lacrosse outcomes.

Programmed from the diagnostic. Not bolted on at the end.

01
Rotational power for shooting
Built from the ground up: anti-rotation before rotation, strength before speed. Medicine-ball work and rotational lifts develop the chain the shot rides on.
02
Acceleration and dodge agility
Short repeated bursts and sharp change of direction off either leg, trained with resisted starts, lateral cuts and reactive starts under stimulus.
03
Eccentric strength and contact durability
Brake hard, absorb contact, and stay healthy. Single-leg eccentrics, posterior chain strength and deliberate in-season programming.
04
Repeated-sprint capacity
Sport-specific intervals built around the actual demands of a lacrosse game, not steady-state running. Stay sharp in the fourth quarter.

How we train it

The Five Pillar Framework, applied to lacrosse.

Every program at DJP Athlete runs the same five-pillar logic. For lacrosse, the pillars look like this:

Assessment: We start with a clear picture of where you sit on force production, asymmetry, movement quality and lacrosse-specific outputs. The plan is built from that picture.
Individualized programming: No templates. Volume, intensity, exercise selection and progression are built around your sport demands, training history and current outputs.
Load monitoring: Sessions are tracked against intent. Training load is adjusted week to week so you adapt without breaking, particularly in-season.
Technical coaching: Every lift, sprint and drill is coached. Cues, video, feedback. Reps that move the picture, not reps that fill the hour.
Long-term development: We are not chasing a peak in eight weeks. The plan looks at the season, the calendar and the next two years. Sustainable output is the standard.

Want the underlying philosophy? Read about the Grey Zone framework.

What changes in 12 weeks

Realistic, measurable, programmed in.

More shot velocity off the dominant and weak hand
Sharper first step on dodges
Cleaner deceleration off cuts and pickups
Better availability across a contact season

5.0

(45 reviews)See all

Verified Google Business Profile · Zephyrhills, FL

Darren J Paul, PhD
CSCS · NASM · USAW Level 2
500+ athletes · 15+ sports
Zephyrhills, FL · Tampa Bay
Application response within 48h

Tampa Bay Service Area

Lacrosse players across Tampa Bay, Florida.

Our facility in Zephyrhills, FL is within driving distance of every major Tampa Bay city. Lacrosse players train here from across the region.

Zephyrhills, FL
On-site
Wesley Chapel, FL
~20 min
Land O' Lakes, FL
~25 min
Lakeland, FL
~30 min
Tampa, FL
~35 min
Brandon, FL
~35 min
Riverview, FL
~40 min
St. Petersburg, FL
~50 min

Drive times are approximate from city center. Coaching is by application; sessions are scheduled around athlete availability and capacity at the facility.

Self-paced program

The same training principles, written as a structured block you can run on your own.

See the program

Questions

Lacrosse performance training, answered.

Will lifting heavy slow down my dodge?: No. Force production is the foundation of acceleration and change of direction. Programming respects sport demands and uses loading patterns that drive transfer, not hypertrophy for its own sake.
What ages do you train in lacrosse?: Competitive high-school players through to elite college and beyond. Younger players get long-term athletic development as the base; older and elite players get higher-intent loading and position-specific transfer.
How is this different from regular conditioning?: Generic conditioning runs steady-state. Lacrosse is repeated-sprint and reactive. The work is built around the game's actual physical pattern: short hard efforts, hard decelerations, recovery, repeat.
Can you coach a player who is away at college?: Yes. The online program is built for athletes whose calendar moves. Weekly programming adjusts around team training, travel and games, with video feedback and ongoing coach oversight.
I'm coming back from a hamstring or knee injury. Where do I start?: Start with a return-to-performance assessment first. Once we know where you stand on force production, asymmetry, reactive strength and movement quality, training plugs in cleanly alongside any physio still in play.
In-person or online for lacrosse?: Both work. In-person sessions run at our Zephyrhills, FL facility in the Tampa Bay area. Online programs run worldwide and suit the realities of high-school and college lacrosse schedules.

Still deciding? Online vs in-person coaching, compared · Coaching vs a training app · Returning from an injury? Start with assessment

Who coaches it

Other sports we coach

One framework, multiple sports.

See every sport-specific program →

Train for the sport you actually play.

Apply for lacrosse performance coaching with Darren J Paul, PhD. We reply within 48 hours.

Apply, Tampa Bay Apply, online

What is lacrosse performance training?

The four qualities that decide lacrosse outcomes.

Programmed from the diagnostic. Not bolted on at the end.

Rotational power for shooting

Built from the ground up: anti-rotation before rotation, strength before speed. Medicine-ball work and rotational lifts develop the chain the shot rides on.

Acceleration and dodge agility

Short repeated bursts and sharp change of direction off either leg, trained with resisted starts, lateral cuts and reactive starts under stimulus.

Eccentric strength and contact durability

Brake hard, absorb contact, and stay healthy. Single-leg eccentrics, posterior chain strength and deliberate in-season programming.

Repeated-sprint capacity

Sport-specific intervals built around the actual demands of a lacrosse game, not steady-state running. Stay sharp in the fourth quarter.

The Five Pillar Framework, applied to lacrosse.

Every program at DJP Athlete runs the same five-pillar logic. For lacrosse, the pillars look like this:

Assessment

We start with a clear picture of where you sit on force production, asymmetry, movement quality and lacrosse-specific outputs. The plan is built from that picture.

Individualized programming

No templates. Volume, intensity, exercise selection and progression are built around your sport demands, training history and current outputs.

Load monitoring

Sessions are tracked against intent. Training load is adjusted week to week so you adapt without breaking, particularly in-season.

Technical coaching

Every lift, sprint and drill is coached. Cues, video, feedback. Reps that move the picture, not reps that fill the hour.

Long-term development

We are not chasing a peak in eight weeks. The plan looks at the season, the calendar and the next two years. Sustainable output is the standard.

Realistic, measurable, programmed in.

More shot velocity off the dominant and weak hand

Sharper first step on dodges

Cleaner deceleration off cuts and pickups

Better availability across a contact season

5.0

(45 reviews)See all

Verified Google Business Profile · Zephyrhills, FL

Darren J Paul, PhD
CSCS · NASM · USAW Level 2
500+ athletes · 15+ sports
Zephyrhills, FL · Tampa Bay
Application response within 48h

Lacrosse performance training, answered.

Will lifting heavy slow down my dodge?: No. Force production is the foundation of acceleration and change of direction. Programming respects sport demands and uses loading patterns that drive transfer, not hypertrophy for its own sake.
What ages do you train in lacrosse?: Competitive high-school players through to elite college and beyond. Younger players get long-term athletic development as the base; older and elite players get higher-intent loading and position-specific transfer.
How is this different from regular conditioning?: Generic conditioning runs steady-state. Lacrosse is repeated-sprint and reactive. The work is built around the game's actual physical pattern: short hard efforts, hard decelerations, recovery, repeat.
Can you coach a player who is away at college?: Yes. The online program is built for athletes whose calendar moves. Weekly programming adjusts around team training, travel and games, with video feedback and ongoing coach oversight.
I'm coming back from a hamstring or knee injury. Where do I start?: Start with a return-to-performance assessment first. Once we know where you stand on force production, asymmetry, reactive strength and movement quality, training plugs in cleanly alongside any physio still in play.
In-person or online for lacrosse?: Both work. In-person sessions run at our Zephyrhills, FL facility in the Tampa Bay area. Online programs run worldwide and suit the realities of high-school and college lacrosse schedules.

Lacrosse Performance Training: Stick Speed Starts in the Hips

What is lacrosse performance training?

The four qualities that decide lacrosse outcomes.

Rotational power for shooting

Acceleration and dodge agility

Eccentric strength and contact durability

Repeated-sprint capacity

The Five Pillar Framework, applied to lacrosse.

Realistic, measurable, programmed in.

Lacrosse players across Tampa Bay, Florida.

Between coached engagements? Run the program.

Lacrosse performance training, answered.

One framework, multiple sports.

Train for the sport you actually play.

Lacrosse Performance Training: Stick Speed Starts in the Hips

What is lacrosse performance training?

The four qualities that decide lacrosse outcomes.

Rotational power for shooting

Acceleration and dodge agility

Eccentric strength and contact durability

Repeated-sprint capacity

The Five Pillar Framework, applied to lacrosse.

Realistic, measurable, programmed in.

Lacrosse players across Tampa Bay, Florida.

Between coached engagements? Run the program.

Lacrosse performance training, answered.

One framework, multiple sports.

Train for the sport you actually play.