March 4, 2010
It's up to the player
by Bill Daye/
I was at a youth lacrosse equipment night a few weeks ago and I started talking with a parent about the game, and what it takes for a player to develop from newcomer to pro.
His son has a long road ahead before he heads to college — that’s eight or nine years away — or registers for the Major League Lacrosse draft, but it was pretty cool that this father was so interested from the very first sign-up in finding out what his son should expect and learning about how players evolve.
Many things change as a player progresses through various levels in our sport, but the three constants that are essential to making the next step are a player’s skill level, competitiveness and ability to adjust to the speed of the game.
It’s no mystery that your skills must improve as you go to the “next level,” even if that level is 13-and-under youth ball. One direct way to achieve this improvement is to increase the amount of time put towards practice and the effort put in when you’re there. At youth clinics or middle school and high school practices, the one thing I can’t emphasize enough is that “How good of a player you want to be is up to you.”
Don’t underestimate the role you play in your development as a player; almost anyone can be good if they put in enough time and effort. It helps to be a student of the game. Being around the game is contagious; the more you watch different players, the more you listen to different coaches and the more you actually play, the more you’ll soak in about the game and the right way to play it.
When I first chose to play goalie, I watched videos of Larry Quinn, I went to see Sal LoCasio and Quint Kessenich play and I made it a point to focus on why they were so good. I looked at their style of play and took mental notes of specific things that made them successful; as I developed as a player, I tried to incorporate that into my own style.
Don’t just watch the next lacrosse game you go to, study it. How many steps into his dodge is that middie before he splits his defenseman? At what point did that attackman release his shot? Was he above the goal-line extended? By how many steps? Players who understand what’s going on during a game and how one player puts teammates into positions to be successful are usually the players that can succeed themselves.
The next key element, competitiveness, is what drives us to be better athletes. Young players are so busy learning fundamentals and how the game is supposed to be played that their competitiveness doesn’t truly set in until high school. There, however, it drives players to improve and, ultimately, makes the team better.
At the high school level, teams typically have a few hardcore lacrosse players in a larger group of athletes. The competition is there, but arises from the desire to succeed as a team. As you move into college, the competition becomes much more personal. Team success is still the goal, but now you have more players competing for playing time. All of the players are hardcore now; if you have picked the right program, everyone has at least your level of experience and ability. At the highest levels, you’re surrounded by All-League or All-American players; instead of being the best on the team, you’re now just one of many skilled players.
How hard you work and how you compete against your teammates determines whether you’ll step on the field.
Getting to the pros is even harder; there are limited roster spots and so many talented players that just getting a look is a chore. The players who get a shot come into camp in the best shape of their careers because, honestly, they know a coach will cut them if they show up unprepared.
No matter what level you’re at, it all comes down to hard work, determination and the ability to adjust to the speed of the game.
Little kids expect the game to get faster when they play with the big kids. That happens at every level. During my freshman year at Carolina, I immediately noticed how fast the game was compared to high school. I noticed it again in the first Cannons MLL game; I’ll never forget how Jesse Hubbard got a step on Ryan Curtis, got his hands free and took a quick shot that hit the pipe and bounced upfield before I could even react. It forced me to adjust and, again, step up.
The best way to prepare for any next level is to practice at full speed, rather than goofing off or playing down to the level of competition. Going as hard as you can, all the time, will help you make the next step, and will force your teammates to play harder and better too.
The more you work at it the better you will become at it. The harder you work, the quicker you will see results. For every player, from youth to the pros, the game is changing all the time, right in front of you.
Don’t be left behind, don’t be the one to get schooled; make sure you’re doing everything possible to get the edge and be the best player you can be.
