Which Type Of Lacrosse Player Are You?

Before long, every lacrosse player has to make a very important decision….

In which position will you specialize?

Goalie?

Low Attack, Midfield, or  Low Defense?

There are low defenders and goalies on the defensive side, and there are mid-fielders (middies) and low attackers on the offensive side.  You have to look at your best lacrosse skills and your personality to get an idea which position fits you best.

Goalie:

It takes a certain kind of person to be a goalie.  You have to have nerves of steel to handle a 95 mile per hour lacrosse ball rocketing at you in a split second. You have to have lightning fast reflexes, and you can’t be afraid to get hit (mostly by the aforementioned lacrosse ball, but occasionally by an attacker careening at you like a stealth panther.)  The goalie is the “quarterback” of the defense, so he or she has to see what the offense is trying to do to penetrate to the net and then rapidly coordinate the defense to thwart the best laid plans of mice and midfielders.  A goalie is a bit eccentric but certainly is someone who is thinking about more than just himself.

Midfield:

Midfielders are the “greyhounds” of lacrosse.  They actually play both the offensive and defensive side of the game.  Middies play over the whole field rather than being confined to just the offensive or defensive zones of the field like the low defenders and low attackers. Middies also get the opportunity to take the face-offs (which are awesome(!) and essential to keeping the ball with your team). Midfielders, by far, get the most action. If you’re more like a 100m sprinter, then being a middie will kill you.  However, if you are more like a mile runner and like to be in on the offense and defense, then midfield may be just the place for you!

Low Defense:

Then, there is low defense.  My brother, William, is a 6’5” long-pole defenseman for our high school lacrosse team back home in GA.  He has long legs which makes him fast, which means he can outrun just about anyone on the field. Yet, he is also strong and muscular. When he was faced with the option of being an attacker, who is getting beat on while trying to get an open shot on the goal, or being a defensive brute, who is doing the beating, he would much rather be the one administering the beating!  He is a cross between a cheetah and a grizzlie bear.  Think of Chewbacca with a long pole.  He loves checking an attacker and putting him over backwards with both feet in the air.  William has done it many times.  It’s just his personality.  Yet, if he knocks the ball loose, he can quickly block out the attacker, pick up the ball, and pass it up field to his offense.

Low Attack:

As for me, I am a low attacker.  I don’t like running back and forth all the time, so middie is not my thing. But, I don’t like standing around waiting as a defender.   I am tall, fast, aggressive, and love to score. Somewhat like a post in basketball, I stay near the goal and wait for a pass from the mid-fielders. Then, I can use my height and strength to push/shoot past or over defenders for a goal.  I also enjoy working the ball with my teammates and finding that sneaky way to make a hole in the defense, dash through that hole, and slam, whip, flip, or slide the ball into the goal (preferably with a flourish!). And… you know… it’s kinda cool to have your name announced to the crowd when you score.

Regardless of what position you play, the one that fits your personality and skill will give you years of enjoyment playing the best game in the world – lacrosse!

Comment below and let me know which position you like best and why!!!