There is no market in the National Lacrosse League that even slightly resembles that of San Diego, California.
Halifax, Vancouver, and to a lesser extent, Philadelphia sit in close proximity to the ocean. Locales like Denver, Calgary, Las Vegas and the aforementioned Vancouver provide residents the panorama of nearby mountain peaks. The previously noted Sin City, along with the booming metro area of Atlanta, presents moderate to sometimes warmer temperatures during the often bone-chilling months of wintertime.
But, when it comes down to it, there is only one destination throughout the 14-team NLL atlas that showcases all three of the above variables, and at the very same time. This land of pristine beaches, endless palm trees, slews of elevated hiking trails, and incredible year-round weather sits immediately north of the US/Mexican border and goes by the self-anointed moniker of “America’s Finest City.”
Calling the country’s far southwestern tip home affords the local box lacrosse mavens a distinctive array of outdoor-focused training and workout opportunities, with both the 365-day and part-time Seals citizenry taking full advantage of their scenic sub-tropical surroundings.
“I would say San Diego is probably the most unique NLL market in that we can train outdoors year-round,” explained Seals Strength & Conditioning Coach Paul Inga. “The facility I work out of with our in-market guys has a weight room that opens up directly onto 40 yards of turf. So, we can incorporate all of their training: strength, power, plyometrics, sprints and conditioning, all in one spot.”
Inga further elaborated on the various ways in which he integrates the world-renowned Southern California environs into the Seals’ quest for box lacrosse glory.
“We feature activity recovery days during the week, in-season. That gives our guys the opportunity to get outside and do some low-impact aerobic activity. Between hiking, the beach, or golf course, I know our guys take advantage of getting outside during the San Diego winters.”
When not roaming the grounds of either Pechanga Arena or Rady Children’s Field (Seals outdoor practice facility), Inga is based out of Iron Orr Fitness, located in the city’s University Town Center neighborhood, a few miles inland from the seaside enclave of La Jolla.
Amid referencing the YMCA based Rady Children’s edifice (located 1.5 miles west of the Seals’ home venue), both Inga and recently retired defenseman Cam Holding unabashedly sing the praises of the not-yet-two-year-old Point Loma training complex and the special to San Diego attributes it brings to the table.
“I think the facility that we train at is world-class, as is the outdoor training field we have. It’s among the only ones in the league that is outdoors. December through February, we get quite a lot of days of sunshine where the guys have access to train without the confines of being indoors,” noted Inga.
Holding, who works in the San Diego real estate industry and served as project manager for the Seals’ crown jewel of a practice space, boasted of the dual team and skill-building possibilities presented to the franchise as a direct result of the favorable elements.
“Chris Origlieri, Jake Govett, Patrick Shoemay sometimes meet up, with Wes Berg, Tre Leclaire, Danny Logan and I meet up all summer long. And we’ll schedule stuff during the winter too. We’ll do our sprint workouts and then get some shots, and run some drills,” shared Holding.
“I live in Del Mar and I know a lot of the guys live up that direction. But even still, when you go train together, we always make the trip down to the facility just because of the quality of it. There’s a handful of us up here and some of the guys live downtown, but Rady is a beautiful place and our staff does a great job of keeping it in tip-top shape.”
While the balmy, blue-sky facets of conditioning and skill development certainly set the San Diego experience apart, the piece of topography that places the Seals’ regiment in a universe truly its own involves the presence of the omnipresent Pacific Ocean, whether it be the body of water itself or the never-ending miles of beautiful sand that surround it.
“Mission Beach is usually the best spot to work out,” opined Holding. “There are two different sides to Mission Beach. You have Mission Bay or Mission Beach. One side is the interior, and that is a little bit more quiet. Mission Beach is typically a little bit more touristy.”
For his part, the Seals’ lead fitness guru is fully on board with the virtues of the barefoot exertion.
When invoking the H₂O-filled quotient of the beach equation, leave it to the great Wes Berg to fully embrace the inimitable recuperation characteristics that come with engaging the world’s largest body of salt and spray.
“We’re definitely pretty lucky to live in a place like San Diego. Not only do we have a climate that’s perfect for working out year-round, but you can do a lot of things in the ocean as well,” preached Berg. “Personally, I like to swim and surf, both of which are great for strength and core training. Sometimes it’s beneficial just to get in the water and soak. The ocean’s really good for healing and muscle recovery, so it’s definitely advantageous to live here and take advantage of it.”
Similar to his sand philosophy, Inga fully endorses the merits of reimbursing oneself amongst the waves of the deep blue ocean.
Seals vs. FireWolves, April 18, 2025 – Photo credit: Alexis Goeller
“I know Wes is a big ice bath guy. He lives so close to the ocean and it’s the world’s biggest ice bath. The cold water works to stop inflammation and swelling, so once you get out and the body warms back up again, it brings fresh blood and the body’s natural healing properties back to the affected sites,” explained Inga.
Inga subsequently conveyed the rationale behind recommending this particular methodology for the 32-year-old Seals’ superstar.
“Wes is a warrior who is banged up quite a bit during the season,” proclaimed the strength & conditioning overseer. “You wouldn’t know that watching him perform on the field. During the season, we really focus on recovery for him, making sure his body is ready to go on game day. For him, that might be only one or two days, actually in the gym. The rest of the week is physio and massage.”
When honing one’s lacrosse abilities, prerequisites usually include sticks, balls and a target in which to shoot said ball. Down San Diego way, that list also needs to feature a bottle of sunscreen, shades and maybe even some boardshorts.
San Diego opens the 2025-26 season on Saturday, November 29 at 7:00 PM ET against the Ottawa Black Bears. Watch on ESPN+, NLL+ and TSN+.
