As one of the most dynamic players in lacrosse, Michael Sowers attributes much of his speed and explosiveness to his commitment to footwork training. This year at the USA Lacrosse Convention in Baltimore, Sowers will share some of the training secrets that have helped elevate him to elite attackman status.
LaxCon, annually the sport’s largest educational and networking event, takes place at the Baltimore Convention Center, Jan. 20-22, 2023.
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“Players spend hours on shooting, but rarely spend the time doing drills that will help improve their foot speed and agility on the field,” Sowers said. “We want them to be aware of some different training that they don’t get every day.”
Serving as co-presenter for this session will be Kenny Williams, a former collegiate football player who is Sowers’ personal trainer.
“In addition to demonstrating many of the drills that Michael uses, we want attendees to understand the ‘why’ behind each drill,” Williams said. “More than just doing the ladder drill every day, we want to help them to understand how that will impact your game on the field. There’s a progression involved in everything we do.”
As a collegiate player, Sowers played four seasons at Princeton and concluded his eligibility with one season as a graduate transfer at Duke, finishing as a two-time Tewaaraton Award finalist and two-time USILA first team All-American.
Sowers compiled 158 goals and 225 assists for 383 points in his college career, finishing second in NCAA history in career points and tied for second in career assists. His 5.98 points per game rank fifth in NCAA Division I history.
Sowers was the second overall pick in the Premier Lacrosse League’s (PLL) 2021 College Draft, and enjoyed an all-star 2022 season for the Waterdogs, which captured the league championship.
Known for his exceptional footwork and split dodges, Sowers was one of 23 players named last month to the final roster for the U.S. Men’s National Team that will compete in the 2023 World Lacrosse Men’s Championship in San Diego, June 21 through July 1.
“The training we will be discussing at LaxCon can help players with dodging and with their burst out of the dodge,” Sowers said. “Some people have told me that I got faster every year, and that’s a result of working with Kenny.”
Sowers says he is excited to return to LaxCon as a presenter this year, having frequently accompanied his father, a high school coach, as an attendee in previous years.
“I really grew up attending LaxCon,” Sowers said. “I love going there and exchanging ideas with so many people who love lacrosse.”
