ADRLN Club Player Spotlight: Mike Liscombe (Mustang Starz, WCS, Furman)

Player SpotlightsAffiliates

May 29th, 2015

(Pictured: Mike Liscombe wearing #1 in the All Canada Games in Ontario- June 2014)

Mike Liscombe: Mustang Starz (CAN), West Coast Starz, Furman University commit

What got you started in playing lacrosse?

Watching the Calgary Roughnecks play when I was 9.

How long have you been playing?

I’ve been playing for 9 years.

What position do you play, why?

I play attack.

Are your parents athletes? What did they play and how long did they play (hs/college/pro)?

Yes.  My dad was a tri-athlete and now runs 1/2 and full marathons.  He also plays lacrosse, motocross, and downhill skiing. My mom played high school basketball and track and field. She competes with my dad as a tri-athlete, marathon runner, skier and in lacrosse. Up until the last two years she coached lacrosse and basketball. Currently, she coaches track and field at my high school and has been for the past 9 years.

If you could play against any lacrosse player who would it be?

Brodie Merrill

You’ve been apart of Mustang Starz Lacrosse since you started playing. How do you feel the program prepared you for your collegiate career?

It made me take my athletics seriously, going 100% every time I touched the field. Starz also emphasized the extreme importance of academics from a very young age.  I may not of known at age 12 where good grades would get me, but it was being a part of Starz and my parents teaching that made me worked very hard at acheiving them.

What lessons, if any, do believe that you will take away from lacrosse that will help you later in life?

Hard work, team work and giving 100% in everything I do… whether it be a school project or playing the championship game.

What was your recruiting experience like?

A lot of work and perseverance in order to get exposure. Living in Alberta, I had to travel to numerous recruiting events down in the states in order to get exposure. At times I thought to myself, “Am I going to ever get recruited or is all of this time and effort just a waste?”. But last year I found an answer to that question. My recruiting experience showed me that there is no such thing as an unreachable goal.

What do you do in the off season to prepare?

I play school sports and train weekly throughout the year with my trainer at the Athlete Factory in Calgary (I live in a very small town called Nanton in Southern Alberta which is about a 1 hour drive from Calgary).  He prepares for me a training schedule which includes weights, speed training, agility and endurance. I also play wall ball whenever I can and have been very fortunate that my school allows me to keep my field lacrosse net in the gym so I am able to practice before and after school.

What’s the best part about playing Starz Lacrosse?

Being a part of the Starz Lacrosse program has allowed me to play with and against the most elite lacrosse athletes. The best part of playing Mustang Starz is the camaraderie and sense of family throughout the entire of the program, especially being able to influence the younger kids as they go through the process that I once went through. West coast Starz was great also, getting the exposure needed to get recruited, while learning important life lessons such as teamwork and adapting to different situations on and off the field.

What in your opinion is the biggest difference to lacrosse in Canada compared to the US?

Canadian lacrosse has a lot more passing and a lot less dodging, relying more on your teammates instead of individual effort.

Any Hobbies or interests off of the field?

I play guitar, trumpet and work on my 86 chev 4X4.

What is one of your most memorable goals?

Scoring the game winning goal in the gold medal game for the Canada Day box lacrosse tournament 2012.

What was the best advice you were ever given?

To never give up no matter what the circumstances.

Where do you draw your inspiration from?  

My Uncle John who suffered from Leukemia in 2011.

What’s your ultimate lacrosse aspiration?

To win a National Championship at the collegiate level.

How would you describe your playing style?

Dodge and dish, setting up my teammates from X.

Any obstacles you’ve had to overcome while playing lacrosse?

Tearing my hip flexor during track and not being able to play for a month during box lacrosse.

What is the most difficult adjustment you’ve had to make in your lacrosse career so far?

Going from more of an off-ball attackman to more of a dodger-feeder.

Do you have/what is your personal motto?

Its your attitude, not your aptitude, that ultimately determines your altitude.

Of what accomplishments in your life are you most proud?

Achieving my goal of getting recruited to a Div I university on a lacrosse scholarship.

What was your most memorable lacrosse moment this past year?

Getting to the semi-finals with the Mustang Starz at the San Diego Adrenaline Challenge.

What legacy do you hope to leave in your HS/club lacrosse career?

I hope I showed that through hard work and determination, you can follow and achieve any goal that they set and TO NEVER GIVE UP.

What are your goals in college academically and athletically?

Academically, I want to receive a Bachelor of Science degree. Athletically, I want to do my part with elevating the Furman lacrosse program and ultimately winning a National Championship.

What type of life lessons has lacrosse taught you?

 To never give up on my goals.

What type of career are you interested in the future?

 Not sure at this point.