OUR STORY
The Why
Jules Heningburg, current PLL All-Star and leader of Redwoods LC, was able to take Rutgers University from a 5-10 record to a Top 10 team during his tenure. He found that changing a culture and turning a program around takes hours of enrichment, studying, and research. In order to succeed, Jules needed to focus on how he could gain a competitive advantage and revitalize a program from within.
​
As a professional, Jules learned that a majority of his contemporaries didn’t have to endure the same experiences in college that he did. The blue blood programs tend to have an established culture that allows incoming Freshman to get acclimated to what is necessary for success. The ones who do not acclimate are then quickly replaced by the next wave of top recruits. Not having this established culture and needing to learn about what it takes has given Jules a different perspective on what the process actually is. Understanding what needed to be done to be the best version of himself and having the responsibility to influence the rest of his teammates in order to transform the culture is a unique experience that not many other professionals have had.
​
Jules feels compelled to share his firsthand experiences with the next generation. From establishing routines and making sacrifices to focusing on nutrition and balancing academics; there are so many factors that play a role in achieving success and more often than not, incoming freshmen have never been made aware of this information. Being able to have this knowledge before even stepping on campus will prove vital to helping incoming Student-Athletes maximize their college experience and reach the goals they set out for themselves.
​
In April of 2020, the Mission Primed Senior Experience was launched. With the help of his diverse village of experts and the Mission Primed Pillars and Principles, Jules led the development of workshops and field training to equip the players with the necessary tools that will prime them for their Freshman year. Through the four-day event, the players fully immersed themselves in all aspects of the college experience while learning directly from professionals preparing them to become the best Student-Athlete they can be.
​
This Fall, the focus has turned to developing all High school athletes digitally through the Mission Primed Mentorship Program. As an athlete in High School, its pivotal to comprehend on-field success is rooted in off-field decision making. Your character is the driving force in having the ability to carry out the actions necessary to achieve your goals and building a positive character is a process that you must own.
​
Going from an unranked recruit who rarely played Club Lacrosse to the 7th overall Pro Draft pick, Jules underwent the transformation of taking accountability and ownership of his development in order to overcome the obstacles that he faced. It is more than just what happens on the field. It is how you condition your mind, body, and spirit that will elevate your game to the next level.
​
Utilizing the Mission Primed Philosophy and Curriculum, each MP athlete will be educated in our Pillars and Principles. They will have the unique opportunity to engage with our staff to discuss film review, recruiting tips, on-field guidance, or any other challenges they are experiencing. From mental preparedness to proper nutrition we are taking a holistic approach to mentoring our athletes.
SEPTEMBER 2016
Jules' recognizes the importance of showing the freshmen and underclassmen how to truly maximize their four-year window at Rutgers.
SEPTEMBER 2017
Jules formulates a written guide and takes absolute ownership of how the culture and team dynamic will go as a second-year captain.
NOVEMBER 2019
Jules has played his first full pro season and has realized that the majority of top-level players never needed to take ownership of the experience of college the way he and his teammates at Rutgers did. Many programs either fall short due to culture issues or land top-level recruits year in year out to serve as replacements for those who do not produce.
JANUARY 2020
Jules has begun to work with Chiara on formally planning Mission Primed and what it would look like to run the program for the class of 2020.
APRIL 2020
Official launch. With COVID beginning to impact the lacrosse community, strategized leading up on how they would execute it digitally.
JULY 2020
The inaugural Mission Primed event occurred digitally. We were blown away by players' and parents' feedback.
Mission Primed Coaches & Presenters
Mark Glicini
Myles Jones
Bryce Young
Tim Troutner
Mike Giunta
Emily Perrin
Jonathan Holloway
Chiara Quinn
Austin Little
Dr.
Harrison
SEPTEMBER 2020
Mission Primed revamps for 2021, introducing the Mentorship Program and the Senior Experience for the class of 2021.
TESTIMONIALS
Mission Primed had a big impact on how I've been carrying myself so far on campus. The dietary section of the camp made me think hard about my food choices cutting soda out of my diet and increasing my calorie intake dramatically in order to gain weight. The routine building has allow me to stay ahead of class work while I juggle study hall and practices. The relationship section made me emphasize getting close to my teammates especially the upperclassmen and starters in my position who have already brought me under their wing.
​
Yosef, Mission Primed 2020
To all the incoming Mission Primed athletes, you are all very lucky. When moving into college, you will see the situations we went over during Mission Primed clearly. You will see the guys who say they want to get better and put in extra work. You will see the relationships that Jules talks about avoiding. Not only will you be able to simplify your college life, but you will be able to enhance it. After Mission Primed you will be able to see how much of a difference a shift in your mindset can do your performance on and off the field. Your growth will be astronomical and for that, you are very lucky.
​
Aiden, Mission Primed 2020
First off I'd like to again thank you for including me in this once in a lifetime opportunity. Mission Primed was truly a unique experience to say the least, and the tools that I was able to develop and then apply to my life on and off the field have made immediate impacts in all pillars of my life. In fact, the pillars of success have been adopted by me, and they are up on my fridge everyday. Each day I try to check off those boxes. Transitioning into the college game thus far during the fall, Mission Primed has allowed me to build close relationships with our senior captains, my professors, and my teammates. Mission Primed has allowed me to breakdown film in a whole new light and to then apply those practices during my workouts. I have also implemented mobility days into my workouts, which are extremely important and will give me an edge when it comes to uncomfortable and tiring situations in games. Furthermore, I really was able to hone in on my "why" and understand that this game is a lot bigger than just myself, which gives me all the more reason to give everything I have for those who have allowed me to do so. "Commitment over feelings" was a major takeaway from this program, and the people that I got to meet were truly influential and not a day goes by that I don't remind myself of the pillars presented to me at Mission Primed.
​
Shane, Mission Primed 2020
Thank you for an amazing week - I learned a ton about how to navigate relationships and in some ways how to be a great leader because of relationships. Learned a ton about mindfulness and being in the present, which I firmly believe will propel my game to a new level. Also wanted to thank you for sharing your story, it honestly was super relieving to hear. My parents are both immigrants and have only been to 3 games in my entire life because they work. And I always thought that was normal - I thought only super protective parents showed up to games but looking back I get it now. I never went to school dance because I needed to save money to buy plane tickets to go to the east coast for tournaments and prospect days. I always went by myself to save money for the family and parents always looked at me weird, really isolating stuff. I didn’t drink throughout high school because it was either that or buying a healthy lunch, never had the money for both. Hearing your story has been super helpful too, from learning that summer school could cost money to knowing how credits work, mission primed was a transformative experience. Thank you man for having me this week, it was an honor.
​
2020 MP Athlete